69

E.—s.

of this institution has certainly surpassed all expectations, and shows how great is the need for the work it is doing. Yet, though doing much, we are b\ no means adequately coping with the problem of the education of the great mass of the people. We are far behind most of the English towns, and much further behind some of the German we who in some departments of our national life tin- pioucl to lead the world. For, briefly, the position is this: we are training only the most capable, the most earnest, the most industrious in short, only those who in coin parison with their less fortunate: companions need training least while the great mass of those who are to be the future citi/.eiis receive no educational care alter they leave the primary schools. Germany changed this years ago, and England is doing much to diminish the lead which her rival has gained. We in New Zealand must bestow upon this problem "i continuation education greater care and more money if we .ire to maintain our relative position in the forefront id' progressive communities. In an English town of the size and with the occupations of Christchurch there would lie a main Technical School, and in the suburbs lour or live or even inure branch technical schools to act as feeders to the main institution. The Hoard of Managers during tin past session tried to establish such a branch school at Richmond, but to our great regret the attendance- was so very small that it had to be closed after a few weeks. Germany is taking this matter boldly in hand, and in some towns it is obligatory mi till young persons from the time they leave the primary schools until the age of seventeen to attend classes for instruction- not in the evening when they are tired out. but during their ordinary working-hours, and this not for lour hours per week but for eight or ten. I am becoming strongly convinced that the problem of continuation education will never be satisfactorily solved until our young people are given an opportunity of receiving instruction during the day, while their minds and bodies are in a lit condition Io profit by it. John H. Howell, Director. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending .'list December, 1912, in respect of Associated Classes conducted at the Christchurch Technical College. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 1,334 17 2 Salaries ol instructors .. .. .. 4,972 15 7 Capitation on olasses .. .. .. 4,547 9 5 Office and general working-expenses (inCapitation on account of free places .. 466 10 8 eluding salaries, stationery, &o.) 1,029 In I Buildings .. .. .. .. 2,035 0 0 Advertising and printing .. .. 109 12 7 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 1,169 19 7 Lighting and heating .. .. 179 8 8 Material .. .. .. .. 359 11 3 Insurance and repairs .. ... .. 46 0 0 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 821 9 2 Bent .. .. .. .. .. 18 510 Pees .. .. .. .. . • 930 11 6 Material for class use .. .. 686 15 2 Voluntary contributions .. .. 882 2 4 Purchase of books and stationery .. 284 13 3 Sessional charges and deposits .. .. 155 14 10 Pees and deposit refunds .. .. 40 14 0 Sales of books and stationery .. .. 338 13 1 Scholarships .. .. .. .. 96 13 4 Material refunds .. ' .. .. 170 15 3 Prizes .. .. .. .. 40 6 7 Salaries refunds, Canterbury College .. 94 15 0 Contracts (new buildings, additions, &c.).. 3,837 7 8 Material refunds, Education Board .. 58 0 0 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 1,021 19 0 Lighting and cleaning refunds, Education Balance at end of year .. .. .. 1,163 0 3 Board .. .. .. .. 61 7 6 Prize Fund .. .. .. .. 19 8 6 Working Account refunds .. .. 79 16 0 Building and property refunds .. .. 1 10 0 • • 113,527 11 3 £13,527 11 3 George Scott, Chairman t , M John H. Howell, Secretary j ot Managers ' Extract from the Report of the Director of the Ashburton Teohnioal School. The session commenced in February with very satisfactory attendances, though the management was still labouring under the disabilities of former years, the- classes being housed in various parts .if the town. When, early in July, we took possession of the new school this difficulty disappeared, and both teachers and students fully appreciated the comfort of the new rooms and arrangements, but no one appreciated the fact of having the classes under one roof more than myself, and it has been a lasting wonder to mc ImTw the late Secretary managed to put in the vast amount of time that was necessary and keep things together as well as he did, and I should like to mention here the unfailing courtesy and cheerful willingness with which he has at all times helped mc to pick up the threads of the work since I have taken up my duties. The number of individual students on the rolls of technical and continuation classes was 350, with a collective roll number of 538; in addition to this, instruction was given to primary- and secondary-school pupils, including pupils from Springburn, Anama, Rakaia, Chertsey, Dromore, and Fairtoii, 177 attending woodwork and 134 cookery and domestic economy. The domestic-science subjects have more than maintained their large roll numbers, oooken having a roll of eighty-seven, dressmaking 137, and millinery forty-eight. The classes for copper work, w l-carving, cVc. with a roll of seven, must have been discontinued had not Mr. de Beer kindly consented to conduct them, and the care and attention with which he has carried out his duties deserves much better support. The drawing and painting class still remains small, but I am convinced that if those who wish to take up drawing and painting would pay a visit to the class at work we should not lack students in this direction. That our students have had favour able Press notices at such a representative exhibition as that of tin- ('liristchtircli Arts and ("rafts speaks volumes for the value of the instruction. The general and commercial classes have all increased, the rolls being -shorthand, 20; book-keeping, '25; typewriting, 25; commercial arithmetic, 40j and commercial English, 40. Wool-classing, with a roll of sixteen in Ashburton .-nil! twenty cine in Methven, needs to be more widely known among mn farmers; they have only to question those farmers who have taken advantage of the class by sending their sons along to be convinced of the value of the instruction. Though the Methven class only ran for one term, twenty passed the preliminary examination test out of twenty-one.