E.—2.

who postpone the joining of evening classes until they have found permanent occupations, arid know with reasonable certainty what course they should take. Reference to Table E 1 shows that the only large increase of students as compared with the previous year was in the class marked " no occupation." As compared with the preceding year the proportion of part-time day and evening students over seventeen years of age had increased by about 4 per cent, of the total of all ages ; the actual numbers being 6,402 in 1931, and 6,711 in 1930. The number under fifteen years of age decreased from 1,171 in 1930 to 930 in 1931—i.e., from 9-9 per cent, of the total in 1930 to 8-8 per cent, of that in 1931. Of this number a considerable proportion were included in the 607 part-time day pupils. These part-time day pupils include a small proportion of adults and a considerable number of children of primaryschool age attending classes in drawing, woodwork, cookery, &c.

Students in Technical Classes: Numbers attending from certain Groups of Occupations.

Note.—The 1926 and 1927 figures are total enrolments for the year; the 1928 and 1929 figures show roll at the 30th June in each year ; the 1930 and 1931 figures are the roll at Ist July. Technical High Schools. The enrolment at technical high schools and technical day schools of full-time pupils taking courses under the regulations for manual and technical instruction was 8,541 at the Ist July, 1931, as compared with 8,002 at the corresponding date in the previous year. The enrolment of 8,541 consisted of 4,760 boys and 3,781 girls. Of the boys, 2,518 took industrial courses, 454 agriculture, 880 commercial work, 730 a general course, and 178 an art course. Of the girls, 31 took the agricultural course, 1,256 the domestic course, 1,919 the commercial course, 257 the general course, and 318 the art course. Manual Tbaining. The total number of pupils receiving instruction in woodwork, metalwork, or domestic subjects under special instructors at manual-training centres was 45,774, as compared with 46,557 in 1930 and 45,493 in 1929. The numbers attending from primary schools were 17,444 for woodwork, 98 for metalwork, and 15,954 for domestic subjects. Secondary departments of district high schools sent 1,608 pupils for woodwork and 1,488 for domestic subjects. From Forms I, 11, and 111 of junior high schools there were 1,394 pupils for woodwork, 620 for metalwork, and 1,263 for domestic subjects. From- secondary schools 952 attended for woodwork, 428 for metalwork, and 700 for domestic subjects. Private schools sent 1,841 pupils for woodwork and 1,984 for domestic subjects. The standard of work in the manual-training centres is in some cases very high, and is very satisfactory in almost all centres. Instruction in elementary science, nature-study, and elementary agriculture, involving practical work in school-gardens and experimental plots was continued on the lines of previous years under the guidance and supervision of twenty-two itinerant instructors in agriculture. Agricultural clubs for crop-growing and calf-rearing were a prominent feature of juvenile work in agriculture in several districts in continuation of the work of previous years, and under the joint control of local associations of farmers, the Department of Agriculture and the agricultural instructors of the Education Boards concerned. The work has a very definite value in connection with the school courses, and forms a valuable link between the schools and the farming community. In some districts, including Otago and Taranaki, a similar development of club work for the girls in domestic arts was successfully undertaken ; competitions being arranged in jammaking, preserving, sewing, and cooking, with promising results. Examinations. At the August examinations for the handicraft teachers' certificate there were thirty-two candidates, of whom one passed the final examination for the certificate, sixteen passed in Section I of the examination, and one in Section 11, while ten were successful in improving their status by partial passes, three of these being included in the numbers successful in completing a section of the examination. Eight candidates failed to improve their position.

10

Commercial, &c. I Engineering and Building. fl — ——. is # a | .stls d |g « Z-S § ll I'l -i Year - 13 J «£«! 8 - a i *-8b « s 11 | i -1 1=1!, I Total || 1 aS| I I? • TotaL --a 1 V ot> 0 2 d w w •CV.LS O O cj i—1 l - 1 JH s .a 8 -is § -Spm"® -go ? oS fi £ I S P-< is £ Sfi 1926 .. 2,513 1,016 197 147 3,873 812 488 811 905 190 3,206 7,079 800 1927 .. 2,573 1,063 198 188 4,022 979 444 828 971 193 3,415 7,437 676 1928 .. 2,253 1,090 154 175 3,672 912 375 740 825 218 3,070 6,742 650 1929 .. 2,303 1,165 194 131 3,793 885 302 826 762 246 3,021 6,814 625 1930 .. 2,456 1,249 193 154 4,052 1,180 331 774 919 287 3,491 7,543 614 1931 .. 2,151 1,162 140 181 3,634 1,054 257 584 659 190 2,744 6,378 458