E.—s

speaking, the students are keen and industrious, but the fact that most of the classes are heterogeneous as regards the attainments of pupils renders class-work difficult, with the result that teachers are compelled often to resort to individual instruction where class-work would be much more effective if all the pupils were all at one stage. This difficulty is due to the small numbers offering in many trades in most of the schools, and can hardly be removed until the population of the Dominion becomes much more dense than it is at present. In the day classes at technical schools this drawback is not very seriously felt, and in the technical high schools it is only noticeable in the higher classes in certain courses. In these schools, usually offering four of five different courses, the senior pupils of more than one course are often taken together for general subjects of instruction, in preference to the pupils in two or three years of one course being placed in one class. Part-time day continuation classes have not hitherto been encouraged by associations of employers except in the case of painters and decorators in one large centre. It is hoped that such classes will receive the support and encouragement which they deserve from both employers and employees, and that the single example at present in operation will be followed in all trades and occupations. Some form of compulsion may be necessary to secure the regular attendance of apprentices and other young workers at day continuation classes, but it is felt that no such compulsory classes would prove successful if they lacked the sympathy and aid of the masters and men in the occupations concerned. Classes other than Classes at Technical High Schools. (Note. All figures for 1921 are exclusive of teachers' classes, which were included in 1920.) Classes were held at 94 centres. In the previous year the number of centres was 121, and the decrease was probably due to a decrease 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 1921 with those for 1920 that the Pukekohe, Wanganui, Feilding, and Greymouth Technical Schools, and the Dunedin School of Art, were each conducted by a Board of managers in 1921 for the first time. This caused a transfer in numbers of 151 classes and 1,389 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 .. .. .. .. .. 2,214 13-15 Professional pursuits .. .. .. .. .. 1,134 6-73 Students .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,965 23-56 Domestic pursuits .. .. .. ..2,965 17-62 Agricultural pursuits . . . . . . . . . . 490 2-91 Various trades and industries .. .. ... .. 5,416 32-18 Other occupations not stated . . . . .. . . 648 3-85 Totals .. .. .. .. ■'.'. 16,832 100-00

3

Number of Classes. Number oi Students. Description of Class. 1920. 1921. 1920. 1921 i !onducted by Education or High Sohool Boards londucted by Technical School Boards or by Managers .. inducted by University Colleges 913 968 198 611 1,111 230 8,221 9,163 1,244 5,567 10,081 1,184 Totals .. 2,079 1,952 18,628 16,832

Seventeen Years of Age and under. Over Seventeen Years of Age. Totals. 1920. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1920. 1921. I Males .. Females 4,851 4,156 4,998 4,207 4,700 4,921 4,102 3,525 9,551 9,077 8,93' 7,89; 8,934 7,898 Totals .. 9,007 7,627 18,628 16,832 9,205 9,621