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Commercial Classes. —These classes have been well attended, especially the English, shorthand, book-keeping, and arithmetic. Examinations have been held and certificates issued to those who have shown proficiency. Students, however, will unfortunately not remain long enough in the class to become thoroughly proficient. The general class for standards V and VI is one of the most successful in the school. Providing as it does for those who left school before passing t he higher standards, it enables them to work for and to be examined by an Education Board Inspector for proficiency certificates. The dressmaking and millinery classes have also been a feature of the school, good work having been done, and the average attendance having been good. The Art Classes, during the absence of Mr. Elliott, have been very successfully conducted by Mr. W. Greene. Mr. E. C. Isaac, Organizing Inspector for Manual and Technical Education, visited the school n June, and expressed himself well satisfied with the quality of the work being done. Provision is being made for classes in applied mechanics, mechanical (Irawing, ticket-writing, graining and marbling, and commercial geography for next year. The public and the Press of Palmerston North have shown great interest in the classes, and their assistance from time to time has been much appreciated. F. D. Opie, Director. W. Rutherford, Chairman. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 3\st December, 1908, in respect of Special Classes conducted at Palmerston North by the Palmerston North High School Board. Receipts. £ s. d. ' Expenditure. £ s. d. Capitation on special classes .. .. 297 14 4 Balance .. .. .. 16 6 2 Capitation on account of free places .. 43 12 6 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 623 1 4 Rent .. .. .. .. 112 18 4 Office expenses (including salaries, stnFurniture, fittings, and apparatus 73 19 3 tionery, &c.) .. .. .. .. 244 0 3 Material .. .. .. 85 16 0 Advertising and printing.. .. 73 2 9 Subsidies on voluntary contributions . 930 12 5 Lighting and heating .. .. 39 13 4 Fees .. .. .. .. 431 1 2 Insurance, repairs, &c. .. .. .. 32 410 Voluntary contributions.. .. 884 19 11 Rent .. .. .. .. 75 15 0 Bale of lead and sundry receipts .. .. 32 2 1 Examinations, etc. .. .. 19 3 0 Refund from High School Account for art Material for class use .. .. .. 110 12 4 master's salary .. .. .. 50 0 0 „ for secondary-school classes .. 47 5 8 Payments on account of secondary-school Freights, cartage, and petty expenses .. 20 0 8 classes .. .. .. •• 56 14 7 Lighting and heating, secondary-school classes .. .. .. .. 9 811 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 59 2 2 Purchase of new Technical School site .. 1,450 0 0 Rates on sites .. .. .. .. 6 14 7 Balance at end of year .. .. 172 19 7 £3,999 10 7 £2,999 10 7 William Hunter, Secretary. WELLINGTON. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. During the year capitation, under the Regulations for Manual and Technical Inst nut ion was earned-by 121 schools, as compared with 116 in 1907 and 120 in 1906. Instruction in cookery has been given at Thorndon and Newtown in Wellington, at Levin and Otaki, and at various Wairarapa centres. The most considerable increase in numbers under instruction was in handwork, agriculture, physiology, swimming and life-saving, and woodwork. Instruction in woodwork is still confined to Wellington and suburban schools, but will, it is proposed, shortly be extended to Petone and Hutt. The Board views with pleasure the completion of the fine new Technical School at Petone, which it trusts will fully justify its establishment. The Board was enabled to arrange during the year for courses of instruction at Wellington, Masterton, and Greytown, in drawing, handwork, agriculture, cookery, woodwork, and cardboard-work, for teachers, and the response of the teachers both in attendance and in enthusiasm must have been very gratifying to the instructors. At the schools of instruction in agriculture, three in number, held at Greytown in January and at the term holidays, each for a fortnight's continuous work, there were enrolled fifty-six teachers, who each surrendered a week's holiday in order to attend. The Inspectors are of opinion that a distinct improvement of the work in many schools is observable, as one result of the earnest efforts put forth by teachers to fit themselves for this new department of school-work. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. Elementary Agriculture—ln practically one-third of our schools elementary agriculture and school gardening form regular subjects of instruction, and our teachers deserve special commendation for the zeal they have displayed in fitting themselves for the new work. Attendance at Mr. Davies' classes, private study, and practical gardening-work have all been willingly used as a means to this end. The result has been a direct gain to our scholars, and both the Press and the general public arc showing a