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following subjects—Woodwork, ironwork, cookery, physics, and chemistry, with the result that the range of the instruction at these schools has been considerably widened. Recognized classes for manual instruction were also held during the year at over twenty secondary schools. The subjects of instruction included woodwork (average attendance, 273), cookery (average attendance, 463), dressmaking (average attendance, 170), natural science (average attendance, 841), and experimental science (average attendance, 691). Some particulars relating to the classes are as follows :— The number of recognized classes for manual 1908. 1909. instruction in secondary schools was .... 159 189 The capitation on classes amounted to .... £861 18s. sd. £946 3s. 7d. The average cost per class was .... .... £5 Bs. sd. £5 os. Psd. Technical Instruction. A review of the year's work indicates that satisfactory progress continues to be made by controlling authorities and managers of classes in the various education districts in providing and improving facilities for technical instruction. The organization of the technical schools, in the larger centres especially, is improving year by year, graded courses are becoming an essential feature of the curriculum, while every effort is being made to provide, as far as possible, courses of instruction adapted to local requirements. Considerable interest continues to be taken in the schools by local bodies and by industrial, trade, and other organizations, augmented in most cases by assistance of a practical nature in the way of monetary contributions, which, with the Government subsidy of €1 for £1 thereon, form an important source of revenue to the classes concerned. During the year nearly i' 6,000 was so contributed, indicating clearly the sympathetic attitude, generally, of local bodies and others with regard to technical education. The Government has, so far as available funds and other circumstances have permitted, favourably considered applications by controlling authorities for grants for new buildings or additions, and for necessary equipment. During the year grants for these purposes amounting to over £17,000 were distributed. New buildings for manual and technical instruction have been erected, or are in course of erection at Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge, Otahuhu, Inglewood, Hawera, Bull's, Taihape, Palmerston North, Westport, Akaroa, Rangiora, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Gore, while necessary equipment has been provided for classes for manual and technical instruction at Hawera, Taihape, Bull's, Palmerston North, Petone, Napier, Nelson, Westport, the School of Engineering attached to the Canterbury College, the Christchurch Technical College, Akaroa, Rangiora, the Dunedin Technical School, and the manual-training centres at Christchurch and Dunedin. Apart from special centres for manual instruction in the larger towns, there are now about forty well-equipped buildings for technical classes. In 1901 when the Act came into force the number was twelve. Classes in places where special buildings were not available were held as usual in the local schools or in suitable rented buildings. The system of providing instruction in rural subcentres by means of itinerant instructors continues to work well in the districts in which it is in operation. In Auckland classes conducted on this system were held at nine, and in Wanganui at thirty-three, centres. The number of recognized technical and continuation classes in operation during the year was over 1,700, an increase of 200 ; of these, 152 were continuation classes. This latter number does not, however, include a large number of continuation classes included in approved courses of commercial instruction recognized under the regulations as courses of technical instruction. The number of centres at which classes were held was over 100. The following are some particulars relating to technical classes in operation during 1909:-