31

E.—s

as concerns pupils who reached the Sixth Standard; about 15 per cent, of the Standard VI pupils in the Invercargill town schools in 1918 failed to proceed to further day or evening education. Experience in other centres tends to show that the application of compulsion to evening continuation classes does not always produce an increase in the total number of students attending, whereas, on the other hand, our own classes continue to show a satisfactory increase. W. R. Riddell, Chairman. W. S. Aldridge, Director. Extract from the Report of the Supervisor of Manual and Technical Instruction. Technical Classes. —Wool-sorting : After having been discontinued for, a year, classes in this subject were resumed in the district at three centres —Gore, Waikaka, and Willowbank. The number of students in attendance at each centre was as follows: Gore, 22; Waikaka, 9; Willowbank, 23. The value of the course of instruction given in this subject is becoming the better realized the more fully the fact is grasped that upon the skill displayed in grading his wool depends the subsequent return the grower will receive, in that the more intelligently the classing lias been done the easier it is for the buyer to place his limit with certainty. Sheep-shearing: Recognizing that, owing to the dearth of capable shearers, there was need for having classes in sheep-shearing established in the district, and that there was every possibility of such classes being a success if competent instructors could be secured, the Board decided to hold classes wherever satisfactory arrangements could be made. Accordingly classes were held at four centres—Mandeville, Roslyn Bush, Woodlands, and Knapdale. In all cases the keenest interest in their work was displayed by students, and though the length of the course did not permit of students becoming experts in the time available, yet the careful grounding they received in correct methods made the matter of becoming an expert merely a question of continued practice. To the Farmers' Union the thanks of the Board are due for the interest displayed and the help given in getting the classes established. Voluntary contributions in aid of the classes were received to the amount of £18, £13 of this being raised in the Mandeville district, where the largest class was held and the keenest interest manifested. The total number of students in attendance at the various centres was twenty-seven. Cookery : A successful class in this subject was carried on at Riverton for a period of ten weeks, there being eleven students in attendance. R. Brownlie, Supervisor. Extract from the Report ok the Controlling Authority of the Gore Technical School. Evening Classes. —From the point of view of enrolments the 1919 session-was a record one in our experience, no fewer than seventy-five students taking one or other of the various classes. Of these seventy-five only ten wore males; the remaining sixty-five were mainly girls and young women, seeking instruction in commercial subjects. It is to be regretted that of the youths in our community only fen sought to take advantage of the instruction given in the classes undertaken. During the session instruction was given to ten junior free pupils, four senior free pupils, and two returned soldiers, while the remaining fifty-nine paid fees. Instruction was given in English, arithmetic, shorthand, book-keeping, dressmaking, cabinetmaking, and ladies' woodwork. Each class was taken for two hours a week for a session of twenty weeks. The attendance at the classes was regular, and keen interest was displayed by the students. Of these, six attended classes for four subjects, five for three subjects, eight for two subjects, while the remaining fiftysix took only one subject. This means that during the session there was an individual attendance of 111 at the various classes. Altogether the session was a very successful one, the only regrettable feature being that the lads and young men of the town disregard the opportunities extended to them for making themselves more efficient. Andrew Martin, Secretary.

No. 4. DETAILED TABLES RELATING TO TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION.

Table J1.—Some Particulars relating to Technical Education for the Years 1914-1919 inclusive.

1914. I 1915. 1916. 1017. 1918. 19.19. Number of centres at which classes were held.. Number of technical high schools Number of othor classes Number of students — (a.) Technical high schools (/>.) Othor classes Number of free pupils at (a) and (6) above Number of students attending under compulsory regulations 138 8 1,731 108 8 1,817 151 8 1,915 154 8 1,902 131 8 1,965 110 8 2,014 1,839 , 16,602 5,258 430 1,955 18,247 5,000 858 2, 105 17,586 5,975 1,219 2,347 18,400 6,127 1,334 2,747 16,910 6,715 1,324 2,920 17,950 7,242 1,372 Total expenditure by Government for financial year Including— Capitation—(a.) Technical high schools .. (b.) Other classos Grants for buildings and equipment Subsidies on voluntary contributions Conveyance of (a) Instructors .. (6) Students £ 80,210 £ 72,089 £ 84,931 £ 100,199 £ 85,335 £ 132,245 18,854 26,209 20,572. 5,427 2,023 2,457 19,309 30,729 7,877 5,323 1,018 2,059 25,934 38,922 (i,OI4 4,206 790 2,596 35,795 44,021 0,898 2,1,54 261 2,982 33,150 33,119 5,773 1,673 464 3,312 47,343 47,858 13,319 6,934 615 3,852