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20. INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS. There were five intermediate "schools and eleven intermediate departments in 1936, the same number as in the previous year. The number of pupils on the rolls of these schools and departments at the end of 1936 was 4,307, as against 4,224 at the end of the previous year. Reports indicate the value of these schools and departments as an integral part of a modern system of education. Education Boards have expressed their appreciation of the value of the work done, and have applied for the establishment of such schools in a number of districts. 2i. POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION. In last year's report reference was made to the building of a new boys' high school in South Dunedin. This new school, the King's High School, was opened at the beginning of the year. The Christchurch West High School, now under the control of the Canterbury University College Council, functioned previously as a district high school in the same building under the Canterbury Education Board. The roll numbers of full-time pupils attending the various types of schools or departments as at Ist July of last and this year were as follow : — 1935. 1936. Secondary •• •• •• •• •• •• 14,911 15,650 Combined .. .. .. •• •• •• 2,176 2,233 Technical .. .. .. •• •• •• 9,049 9,163 Secondary department of district high schools .. .. 5,331 4,749 Endowed schools and registered private secondary schools 4,636 4,982 Correspondence School .. . . . • • • 561 786 36,664 37,563 The decrease in the number of pupils on the roll of secondary departments of district high schools and the increase in that for secondary schools are due mainly to the change of status of the Christchurch West District High School to that of a secondary school. In addition to the pupils in the types of schools mentioned above there were on the rolls of intermediate schools 99 pupils who had passed Form II and who were receiving instruction beyond that stage until such time as they could obtain suitable employment. These pupils would not, in the ordinary course, be continuing their education at a post-primary school. 22. EVENING TECHNICAL CLASSES AND PART-TIME DAY CLASSES. During 1936 evening technical and part-time day classes were conducted at eighty-eight, centres, compared with thirty-eight centres in 1935. The large increase is due to the fact that classes in dressmaking have been established in forty-seven country centres in the Southland Education District. As at Ist July these classes provided instruction for 12,481 students, as against 10,833 students in 1935. Of the 12,481 students 8,467 were males and 4,014 females ; 4,885 of the males and 2,219 of the females held free places, a total of 7,104, compared with 6,325 in 1935. It is interesting to note that the increase in the number of students is contributed to mainly by students who were engaged in the following occupations : Electricians, professional pursuits, woodworkers, other trades and industries, _ clerical pursuits, and engineers and mechanics. A perusal of the table showing the classification of students according to ages shows that the numbers increased at the highest rate at twenty-one years of age, followed by those sixteen years of age as at Ist July, 1936. 23. NATIVE SCHOOLS. At the end of 1936 the Department directly controlled and maintained 140 Native schools for the primary education of Maori children in districts where the Maori race predominates,

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