E.—s

term. Mr. Hawson, the instructor in book-keeping, addressed a large meeting on " How to keep a Cash Account," and two very able addresses on " Utility Poultry-farming " were delivered by Mr. Gordon. ** A good class of those interested in poultry-farming should be formed next winter. Mr. Heatley lectured on " Agriculture and Dairying," but as the spring was almost over it was considered rather late to commence a course in these subjects. The manager of the Inglewood butter-factory has very kindly offered his' services in the dairying course, and also the use of his factory for testing, &c. At Inglewood, Stratford, York Road, Midhirst, Cardiff, Ngaere, Te Wera, Toko, Kohuratahi, and other places, meetings were held and lectures delivered by Mr. Heatley on technical and agricultural matters ; but, while the farmers turned out well to these lectures, they did not apparently see the benefit to be derived from a series of lectures for which a fee was charged. The question of compulsory attendance at continuation and technical classes was considered by the Board, and a series of regulations drafted by a sub-committee were forwarded to the Education Department, Wellington, for approval. In this connection the following extract from a report by the Director of Education for New South Wales makes interesting reading : " The fact is—and the Department has frequent evidence of it — boys of seventeen years of age and over who have been away from school influences for two or three years lose the habit of study, and do not desire, nor do they feel themselves prepared for, instruction of a strictly technical character. They think they can get along very well without it. A mere elementary education which terminated at the earliest possible date has lost its effect upon their ambitions by the lapse of two or three years during which they earned a fairly high rate of wages. Unless this gap is rilled any widely extended system of trade or technical education is practically impossible. The technical school can only be built upon the continuation school. If, as soon as the boy leaves the primary school, he is caught by the continuation school, and he finds in it some instruction which evidently suits his needs and stirs his ambitions and makes him realize his powers, the chances are then all in favour of his taking up later on the more specialized work of the technical school. If not, he drifts. So long as the continuation school rests upon a purely voluntary basis it cannot do its part towards fulfilling the purposes that lie at the root of the whole conception of education as a function of the State. A system of voluntary attendance will secure the training of a few who have grit and ambition to excel ; it will not touch the large number who lack that ambition, and are the feeblest both in ability and character. Until the system reaches these there can be no such widespread effects as will put a stamp on the community as a whole. Under the most favourable and exceptional operation of the voluntary system in England, 50 per cent, of the youths leaving school enter life with no more educational foundation for a career than has been obtained by the barest minimum of elementary school attendance. On the other hand, in some German cities, not more than 7 per cent, of the youth go into the world without a superstructure of training specially fitting them for service and productive work. This disparity must tell in the results of industrial competition. The experience of Scotland, Germany, and the United States has led these countries to the conclusion that the extension of compulsory attendance beyond the limits of the primary school is absolutely necessary." In conclusion, I may say that the thanks of the Board are due to the instructors, who, often at great inconvenience to themselves, have discharged their duties diligently and regularly, to the Press, who have been ever ready to bring the benefits of the classes before the public; and to those public bodies and private citizens who have so generously contributed towards the funds. W. A. Ballantynb, Director.

Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1911, in respect of Special Classes conducted at New Plymouth, Opunake, and Hillsborough.

Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1911, in respect of Special Classes conducted at Stratford, Midhirst, Ngaere, Toko, Te Wera, Kohuratahi, and Tariki.

39

Receipts. Balance at beginning of year Capitation on special classes Capitation on account of free places Rent Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. Material Subsidies on voluntary contributions Fees Voluntary contributions Deposit fees Material sold Dr. balance at end of year £ s. d. .. 174 2 8 .. 108 6 3 43 8 6 5 15 0 16 10 2 14 17 6 32 8 0 .. 146 3 9 -' .. 69 2 0 40 0 0 10 0 28 8 8 Expenditure. £ a. d. Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 341 11 8 Office expenses (including salaries, stationery, &c.) .. .. .. 14 16 7 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 33 10 6 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 12 16 0 Insurance, repairs, and rates .. .. 11 11 0 Material for class use .. .. .. 8 17 1 Caretaker .. .. .. .. 31 6 2 Refunds, &c. .. .. .. 32 10 0 Legal expenses .. .. .. .. 110 Contracts (new buildings, additions, &o.) .. 6 18 1 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus.. .. 185 4 5 £680 2 6 £680 2 6 R. G. Whetter, for Secretary.

Receipts. Japitation on speoial classes Japitation on account of free plaoes tent 1 urniture, fittings, and apparatus .. laterial .. .. iubsidies on voluntary contributions ''ees Voluntary contributions .. tefunds.. )r. balance at end of year £ s. d. 52 3 1 2 8 6 5 0 0 7 18 9 0 11 2 9 19 0 91 5 6 12 10 0 0 3 0 .. .14 13 5 Expenditure. £ a. d. Dr. balance at beginning of year] .. .. 12 14 5 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 121 18 6 Office expenses (including salaries, stationery, &c.) .. .. .. .. 9 5 4 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 3 13 6 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 2 2 1 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 19 1 6 Caretaker .. .. .. 10 0 0 Refunds, &c. .. .. .. .. 0 10 6 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus.. .. 17 6 7 £196 12 5 £196 12 5 R. G. Whetter, for Secretary.