E.-l

38

for over £14,000 in connection with extensive building operations. The following is a summary of the monetary assets and liabilities at the end of the year : — Monetary Assets. £ Liabilities. £ Bank balances .. .. .. 32,975 Overdrafts and loans .. .. 63,494 Other assets .. .. .. 26,947 Other liabilities .. .. .. 54,972 £59,922 £118,466 Debit balance .. .. £58,544 It should be pointed out that the Boards' assets in the way of buildings and sites are not included in these figures ; otherwise all Boards would show large credit balances. Lower Departments of Secondary Schools. (Table KlO in E.-6.) The Education Act as amended in 1919 provides that pupils who have not obtained at least a certificate of competency in the subjects of Standard VI of the public-school syllabus may be admitted to a lower department of a secondary school if they are taught in a separate building or class-room and if no part of the cost of their instruction or of the maintenance of the department is met out of the income from the school's endowments or out of any moneys granted by the Government. Previous to the Amendment Act of 1919 pupils could enter the secondary school on passing Standard V ; it is now necessary for them to be provided for in the lower department until they pass Standard VI. There were lower departments in fourteen secondary schools in L 919, the total number of pupils being 686-392 boys and 294 girls, and the total number of teachers twentyfive. The great majority of the pupils are classified in the upper standards, and as more than a third, of them board at the school hostels, it appears that these departments are largely used by country residents who can afford to send their children away to obtain their primary education. The tuition fees charged range, from £7 10s. to £13 10s. per annum, and the boarding-fees from £36 to £51 per annum. TECHNICAL EDUCATION. (See also E.-5, Report on Technical Education.) General. The work of the technical schools and classes has proceeded on the same general lines as in previous years. There are some signs of a recovery from the effects of the extraordinary conditions of the five preceding years. It is satisfactory to note that there was an, increase of over 700 in the number of males over seventeen years of age attending classes, as well as an. increase of over 300 in the number of boys of seventeen years and under. The reports of the technical Inspectors in regard to the quality of the work done, and the attendance and industry of the students show that a good standard is maintained in spite of the difficulties which are inherent in a system that involves mainly evening instruction of students who are at work during the daytime. The general dearth of apprentices in skilled trades, and the urgent necessity for training the youth of the country so as to fit them for filling the gaps in these trades are matters that demand serious consideration, and in this connection the question of introducing generally a system, of part-time day instruction in the technical schools is one that merits the attention in this Dominion which it is receiving in Great Britain. Part-time day classes for apprentices have been arranged through the co-operation of employers and employees in one instance in the Dominion, but the results so far appear to indicate that some form of compulsion is necessary to ensure the regular attendance of the apprentices. In. any case, however, the hearty co-operation of employers and employees is essential to the, complete success of such classes. The total number of students receiving instruction in all technical classes was 20,876, as compared with 19,657 for the previous year. Of this total 2,754 held free places at technical high schools, 4,488 held free places at other classes, and 1,372