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TECHNICAL EDUCATION. General. Number of Schools.—The number of technical high schools open during 1928 was fourteen, in addition to which there were seven organized technical or art schools offering full-day courses. From the Ist January, 1927, the New Plymouth Technical Day School was amalgamated with the New Plymouth High Schools, and the statistics as far as the full-time pupils are concerned are included in the secondary schools report. Technical classes were conducted at twenty of the twenty-one centres referred to above, and also at eighteen other centres, the total number of centres being thirty-nine. Attendance. —The following table shows the numbers in attendance at technical schools and classes in 1928 :—

In the technical high schools and technical day schools the total enrolments increased from 7,193 in 1927 to 7,817 in 1928, and increase of nearly 9 per cent. In the evening and part-time day classes the apparent reduction in numbers as compared with the previous year is probably due mainly to the fact that the numbers for 1928 are those on the rolls of the schools at the 30th June, whereas in previous years the total enrolments for the whole year were included. Staffing. —On the 30th June, 1928, there svere 305 full-time assistant teachers on the staffs of technical schools, besides a large number of part-time teachers. There were also twenty-one full-time student teachers, ten being males and eleven females. The following table shows the classification of the 305 full-time assistant teachers, Class VII being the highest:—

It will be seen from the above table that the main increase has been in the number of Division I teachers (graduates). The average rates of salary on the 30th June, 1928, were as follows : Principals (male), £649 (excluding house allowance). Assistants—Men, £401 ; women, £261 ; both, £345. All teachers (principals and assistants) —Men, £427 ; women, £261 ; both, £365.

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Free. Other. Total. Total number of pupils on the roll of technical high and technical day 6,992 j 222 7,214 schools at 30th June, 1928 Total number of students in attendance at other technical classes (i.e., 5,286 i 5,677 10,963 part-time and evening classes) during 1928 Grand total .. .. .. ... .. 12,278 5,899 1 18,177

Division I. Division II. Glass. i Totals. Men. | Women. Men. Women. VII • 1 .. 4 5 VI ...... 7 7 6 7 27 V ...... 22 6 15 23 66 IV ...... 27 8 10 17 62 III ...... 27 13 20 2 62 II ...... 17 7 9 10 43 I .. .. .. .. 19 15 4 2 40 Totals, 1928 .. .. 119 57 64 65 305 Totals, 1927 .. Ill 53 66 65 295