E.—l

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students on the results of the examination in electrical wiremen's work, Grade I, and plumbers' work, Grade IT, respectively. Two candidates, one at Wellington and one at Invercargill, attained the standard required for a prize in the subjects of mechanical engineering, Division 11, Grade 11, and cabinetmaking, Grade I, respectively, but being instructors were disqualified. Technical High Schools. These schools, eight in number, are of secondary grade, and provide industrial, commercial and general, domestic, agricultural, and art courses. They are under the same management as the technical schools of which they form part. The number of pupils in attendance during the year was as follows :— _~,_,,_, , Number of Pupils. Technical High School. . ( .. r .„.,. Auckland ... ... ... ... ' ... ... 464 508 Wanganui ... ... ... ... ... ... 185 250 Wellington ... ... ... ... ... 254 285 Napier ... ... ... ... ... ... 108 111 Westport ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 29 Christchurch ... ... ... ... ... ... 421 376 Dunedin ... ... ... ... ... ... 304 315 Invercargill ... ... ... ... ... 199 231 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 1,955 2,105 The total enrolment for the year, which shows an increase of 7-7 per cent., must be regarded as satisfactory, indicating that these schools, which are mainly vocational in character, are fully justifying their existence as units in the system of secondary education. Speaking generally, it would appear that requirements in the way of secondary education in the case of a rural centre, or, indeed, of any centre outside the larger urban centres, would be best met by the establishment of what may be termed a general-purpose school, of which the technical high school may be cited as a typical example. The number of pupils taking up the various courses provided was as follows : — n ' Number of Pupils. ouim Males. Females. Total. Industrial ... ... ... ' ... ... 480 ... 480 Commercial and general ... ... ... 338 831 1,169 Domestic ... ... ... ... 301 301 Agricultural ... ... ... ... 153 ... 153 Art 2 ... 2 Totals ... ... ... ... 973 1,132 2,105 Over 55 per cent, of the pupils took commercial and general courses, industrial courses being taken by 228 per cent., and domestic courses by 14-3 per cent. There was an increase of thirty-eight in the number of pupils taking agriculture. Seven of the schools offered industrial, commercial, and domestic courses : four of these offered also an agricultural course, and one an art course; while one school (Westport) offered an industrial (engineering) course only.

Number of Pupils receiving Free Education at Technical High Schools under the Regulations for Free Places.

1915. 1916. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. ' I . . . .. (First year .. unior free pupils j gecondyear (First year .. ienior free pupils-j Second year (Third year 501 505 267 266 60 121 15 26 1 7 1,006 533 181 41 8 518 280 70 11 577 320 109 28 2 1,095 600 179 39 2 Totals 844 925 1,769 879 I ,036 1,915 J_ . J_ .