A CROWDED SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2451, 3 May 1915, Page 9

A CROWDED SCHOOL

WELLINGTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE DIRECTORS' ANNUAL REPORT The Director of the Wellington Technical College (Mr. W. S. La Trobe) pres anted his report for the year 1914 to Friday night's meeting of the Wellington Technical Education Board. "I regret to report," he stated, "that there is still no improvement in our position as regards accommodation, and that in consequence the college is falling far behind the position it should occupy. The numbers attending the various classes of the oollege show a small decrease ovor those for the previous year, but are better than those for 1912. As regards regularity of attendance, the record for the day Technical School is vory satisfactory, -while in the associated classes the majority of the students made good attendances, except during the third and fourth quarters of the year, when the attendance was badly affected, by the absence of students on military duty or working overtime in place of those away on military duty/ The following is a schedule of average class entries for the year, as oompared with the previous year:-— 1913. 1914. Art and 1 art crafts ...... 269- 251 Building construction 26 24 Painting and decorating 4 3 Carpentry and joinery 18 41 ' Plumbing 91 79 , Engineering 235 244 Science ...... 325 251 Domestic economy 109 140English, Latin, arithmetic, etc 655 512 Commerce 455 429 Amobura classes 170 195

2387 2169 "Counting 56 Amokura hoys and 283 day Technioal School students, out of 1402 students enrolled during the year 987 took grouped courses of some value, a percentage of 70.4 as compared: with 67.4 per cent, for the year 1913, snowing a slight improvement. Leaving out paying students in day classes, who wore oompelled to attend grouped courses, there rem ian 695 fee-paying students, of whom 230 took grouped, courses. On the other hand, only about seven free plaoe students-out of 695 failed to take a grouped course." The number of students during the year was 1759, made up as follows: —Day school, 217 free and 12 paying; associated classes, junior free 202, senior free 102 first year, 85 second year, 35 third year, paying 695 ; students taken elsewhere (Boys' and Girls College, Teachers' Training College, probationary and pupil teachers); 357. The report refers to tho-work in various classes, and contains returns of the examination successes of students. The numbers passing complete examinations .or sections were as iollowCivil Service senior, 78; * Board of Education, South Kensington, 6; Pharmacy- Board of New Zealand, 1; City and Guilds of. London Institute,'2l; electric wiremen s examinations, theory 17, practice 18, certificates, 15 \ Public Servic© eiitrancp (girls), 11. Students who passed in Various subjects of the oollege class examinations numbered 1031. In the British national competitions for art students 16 students forwarded 48 works and obtained one book prize, for shaded drawing of figuro from the nude, and nine were oomuiendcd for exhibits rof modelled head from life, shaded drawing of trees from nature, design for damask serviette,'shaded drawings of heads from life, water-colour painting of bird, anatomical studies of legs and design for border of damask tablecloth. The students of the college were awarded four first prizes, one second prize, and one commended at tho New, Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. The buildings have been kept in good order throughout the year. The equipment has been added to where necessary, though much mors is required in .every branch of tho work. It is not possible, however, to use much more in the present quarters. The thanks of the school are due to the Wellington City Corporation, who contributed £300 to the funds during the year, and to the following contributors of prizes:—Wellington Gas Corapany, M'Leod, Weir and Hopkirk, A. T. Clarke, W. S. Wheeler, 0. S. Watkins, H. D. Vickery, Miss K.. Wilhamß, .Wright and Carman, Collins Bros, and Co., E. F. Jones, J. Marchbanks, G. W. Wilton and Co., Ltd., Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation. Sixteen Callander Memorial Scholarships. of £5 each, were awarded distributed as follows:— Plastering, and moulding, 1; domestic economy, 3; plumbing, 5; mechanical engineering, 5; electrical engineering, 1; building construction, 1. ' The report was adopted, and complimentary reference was made to the work of the vario'.is masters.