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8.—5

Cambridge. —The Board's itinerant dressmaking instructor—Miss M. Noble—who also conducted the dressmaking classes at Waihi and Thames, held dressmaking classes at Cambridge, the number of students in attendance being four. Te Aroha. —A plumbing class, at which six students attended, was conducted at Te Aroha by Mr. Franklin, Sanitary Inspector to the Health Department. Four certificates were obtained in the Plumbing Examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, and three in the Plumbing Examinations held by the Auckland Technical College. In order that the public might have an opportunity of seeing some of the work done by pupils in the primary and manual-training schools and in the Technical College, a court was erected on the grounds of the Auckland Industrial Exhibition, which was held at the end of last year and the beginning of the present year. The collection of exhibits was a very comprehensive one, embracing as it did handwork such as brush drawing, &c, done by children in the primary schools; woodwork, laundry-work, &c, from the manual-training schools; and work done by pupils in the various classes of the Technical College, including dressmaking, millinery, applied art, architectural drawing, machine-drawing, carpentry and joinery, cabinetmaking, plumbing, foundry-work, smithing, turning and fitting, concrete-work, &c. That the exhibit was very interesting to the general public was shown by the large number of people who visited the court during the Exhibition. Seddon Memorial Technical College. —As has previously been stated, the three stories of the new College proved woefully inadequate for present requirements, and whilst it was found possible to house the day classes in the new College, for evening classes several rooms of the Normal School, Wellesley Street, as well as the old school building in Rutland Street, had to be made use of. The number of individual students enrolled at day and evening classes of the College last year was 1,627, as against 1,519 in the previous year. Day Technical School for Boys and Girls. —There was a slight increase in the number of pupils in the day school for boys and girls last year, the number being 345, as against 321 in 1912. The courses of instruction provided were the same as those of the previous year. There was a gratifying increase in the number of students taking up the agriculture course, the number in attendance being twenty, as compared with twelve in the previous year. Three acres of land for experimental purposes have now been provided by the Agricultural and Pastoral Association near to the Otahuhu Station, and it is hoped that this will have the effect of largely increas : :> ; the number of students taking up the agriculture course. Evening Classes. —Continuation Classes : Judging by the number of students in attendance at the continuation classes last year (101), there is still a large number of Boys and girls who leave school without having first passed the Sixth Standard. It is, however, gratifying to know that many of the best students we have passed through the Technical College have previously been students of the continuation classes, where they obtained their certificates of proficiency before entering the College proper. Last year twenty-seven of these students obtained certificates of proficiency, and nine certificates of competency. Technical Classes: The courses of instruction provided were the same as in the previous year. The work of the classes as a whole maintained the high standard of former year's. In the College examinations at the end of the year 1,336 papers were worked, the number of successes being 947, and the percentage of passes 70. In the examinations held by the City and Guilds of London Institute the students of the College were again very successful, no less than eighty-five certificates being obtained. This success compares favourably with any other in the Dominion. Now that the Board of Education, South Kensington, have discontinued the elementary examinations in science, and practically the whole of the elementary art examinations, the number of students who entered for these examinations was comparatively small. The number of successes obtained by Auckland students last year was thirteen, the most notable success being in building-construction, where three higher certificates were obtained. In conclusion, I wish to tender my thanks to the Board for the confidence it has shown in me by giving me so free a hand in carrying out the work of the Technical and Manual Training Branch. I also wish to express my appreciation to my staff for the energy and enthusiasm which they have shown in carrying out their duties. George George, Director. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1913, in respect of Special Classes conducted at Auckland, Devonport, Pukehohe, Te Aroha, Thames, Waihi. Whavqarei, and in the Waihato by the Auckland Education Board. - . . ~ . . Recei Pts- £ s. a. Expenditure. £ s. d. Cr. balance at beginning of year .. .. 3,75118 5 Salaries of instructors .. 5 651 2 4 Capitation on olasses .. .. .. 2,748 6 5 Office expenses (including salaries, etaCapitation on account of free places .. 1,307 3 9 tionery, &c.) .. .. 1 836 110 Capitation on account of day Teohnical Advertising and printing .. '.' 234 0 8 School .. .. .. .. 4,389 3 9 Lighting and heating .. .. " 281 10 2 Rent • • • ■ • • • • • • 344 0 0 Insurance and repairs .. . 108 15 1 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 1,200 0 0 Rent .. .. .. 236 13 0 Material .. .. .. .. 34 10 9 Material for class use '.'. " " 669 8 8 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 7 10 Auckland Exhibition exhibit 183 10 1 £ ees •• •• •■ •• .. 1,059 15 4 Jane E, MoLeoa Memorial Prize Fund re'Voluntary contributions .. .. 2 10 turned to donors .. 62 14 6 Sales of material .. .. .. 235 8 4 BuiMings .. •.. 9 892 12 8 Interest on Jane E. McLeoa deposit .. 48 9 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus " 3961 12 3 Miscellaneous .. .. .. ..90 10 10 " ' Dr. balance at end of year .. .. 7,943 12 11 R. Crowe, Secretary.