E.—l

38

Classes other than Classes at Technical High Schools. Classes were held at 121 centres. In the previous year the number of centres was 110, and the increase was probably due to an increase in the number of woolsorting classes in country centres. The number of classes and the number of individual students were as follows :—

It is to be noted in comparing the numbers for 1920 with those for 1919 that the Nelson Technical School was conducted by a Board of Managers in 1920 for the first time. This caused a transfer in numbers of 69 classes and 483 pupils from the first to the second line in the above table. The following are some particulars of the age, sex, and occupations of students : —

Summary of Occupations of Students. Number of Percentage Students. of Totals. Clerical pursuits .. .. .. .. .. 2,146 11-52 Professional pursuits .. .. .. .. ..2,997 16-09 Students .. .. ..■ .. .. ... 3,722 19-99 Domestic pursuits .. .. .. .. .. 2,851 15-30 Agricultural pursuits .. .. . . .. . . 768 4-12 Various trades and industries .. .. .. .. 5,583 29-97 Other occupations not stated .. . . . . .. 561 3-01 Totals .. .. .. .. ..18,628 100-00 Number of Classes in certain Subjects of Technical Instruction held in 1919 and 1920. 1919. 1920. Art and artcrafts .. .. .. _ .. 232 238 Mechanical and electrical engineering, theoretical and practical 238 239 Building-construction, carpentry, plumbing, and other trades 201 252 Experimental and natural science, practical mathematics, &c. 120 143 Agriculture, wool-sorting, dairy-work, &c... .. .. 95 103 Domestic subjects .. .. .. .. . . 371 405 Commercial subjects .. . . . . . . . . 380 346 Subjects of general education .. . . . . .. 377 353 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 2,014 2,079 The total number of classes shows an increase over that for 1919, though, there is a slight reduction in classes for subjects of general and commercial education, the increases being mainly in trade classes, other than engineering, and classes for domestic science, agriculture, sciences, and mathematics. The School of Domestic Science in Otage University was attended by seventytwo students taking either the course for the degree or that for the diploma.

Number of Classes. Number of Students. Description of Class. 1919. 1920. 1919. 1920 Conducted by Education or High School Boards Conducted by Technical School Boards or by Managers . . Conducted by University Colleges 959 913 879 968 176 198 8,232 8,664 1,054 i 8,221 9,163 1,244 Totals .. 2,014 2,079 17,950 18,628

Seventeen Years of Age and under. ! Over Seventeen Years of Age. To ;als. lales .. females \1 1919. 1920. I 4,984 4,851 4,074 4,156 1919. 1920. 4,305 4,700 4,587 4,921 1919. 1920 9,289 8,661 9,551 9,077 Totals .. 9,058 9,007 8,892 9,621 17,950 18,628