MASTERTON TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3120, 22 February 1909, Page 5

MASTERTON TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

ANNUAL REPORT OF MANAGERS. The following is the annual report of the Managers of Masterton Technical School, to be presented to the annual meeting of the subscribers this evening— : The Managers of the Masterton Technical Classes Association have much pleasure in submitting the following report on the working of the classes during the year ended December 31st, 1908:--The school opened on Monday, March 10th, and classes were established' in the following subjects:—Building construction, dressmaking (5), woodworking, plumbing, commercial work (2) (comprising instruction in bookkeeping, shorthand and typewriting), sign and ticket writing, woodcarving, drawing from life, perspective, light and shade., geometry, technical and mode] drawing, paintincr, Civil Service subjects, English and arithmetic and Pitman's shorthand. In all twenty-one classes were established, and the work was spread over a period of three terms of twelve weeks each. The average number of pupils on the roll for the three terms was 2fio, whilst the average attendance for the same period was 176. These figures represent a considerable increase on the numbers for the previous year, and are in fact the largest that your managers have yet been able to record. In September last at the request of the local residents your managers decided to establish branch dressmaking classes at Hastwell. The Education Department's approval being granted and a suitable building available Miss Johnston, the instructress to the Masterton classes journeyed to Hastwell on the Friday of each week when she gave instruction to two classes,. an afternoon class and an evening class. That these classes were much appreciated by the residents of Hastwell was conclusively proved by the excellent attendance ( maintained throughout the term. As i on previous occasions, the classes were this year also thrown open for the free admission of the holders of senior and junior technical scholarships. The number this year who took advantage of the regulations for > the free admission of scholarship holders was 4; 40 junior and four senior free place pupils. Of this number 40 succeeded in complying with the Deparmental regulations re attendance, the failure of the remaining four to do so being unavoidable owing to their removal from the district. At the examinations conducted in Masterton during last May and June under the auspices of the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Board of Education South Kensington, London, the following candidates were successful in gaining cerificates in the subjects namedG. H. Russell, principles of plumbing, ordinary pass; H. N. Joyce and W. T. Watson, plumbers work, ordinary pass; T. J. (joodfellow, G. H. Russell and W. T. Watson, plumbers work, preliminary pass; Evelyn A. Ritcheson, Annie E. Bradbury and Lillie I. F. Robinson, plain c okery, second class certificates, Geo. R. Irvine, painting ornament, second-class pass; Edythe G. Waddington, Ereline McCormack, Nellie Frost, Maude A. Wagg, Leonard B. Bradstock, freehand drawing, second-class passes. In addition to the successes here mentioned several students were successful in the half-vearlv

examination for plumbers certificates conduct ?d in Masterton under the auspices of the Wellington Technical Education Board. In May last the school was visited by Mr E. C. Isaac, Inspector of Manual and Technical Classes. Mr Isaac inspected most of the classes, and later on forwarded a generally favourable report ( on the working of the classes he had seen. During the past year the work of the school has as heretofore been carried on in the old building, and needless to explain, under great disadvantage. This state of affairs has, your managers are pleased to observe. now come to an end. This year will see the classes working in the commodious building recently erected as the outcome of a magnificent local effort backed by an appreciative Education Department. The sum of £1,200 was raised by public subscription, the Government voted a special building grant of £I,OOO, and this with the £1 fjr £1 subsidy on the voluntary contribution has enabled your managers to buiJd and equip the building officially opened by the Minister for Education on the 10th of December last, a building, which it is confidently anticipated . will suffice for the requirements of Masterton for many years to come. The Minister for Education, the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, in his opening speech, traced the growth of technical education in this town from its earliest stages, and indicated generally the lines on which it might be extended with beneficial result to the town and district. In this connection your managers desire (o state that in their opinion the scope of the work of this institution should be extended in all possible directions during the current 1 year, and as an indication as to how this is to be done it may here be stated that one of the first schemes to be dealt with, as soon as the preliminary arrangements are completed, will be the establishment of classes in wool-sorting. There is also every reason to belipvc that classes in other subjects will be formed in accordance with demand and as opportunities permit. A glance at the accompanying statement of receipts and expenditure for the year ended December 31st, 1908, shows the receipts to have amounted to £4,193 7s sd, whilst the expenditure for the same period was £4,171 14s, thus leaving a credit balance of £2l 13s 5d at the end of the year. These hgures are, however, abnormal as after allowing for the moneys specially acquired for building purposes the receipts from all sources are seen to amount to £7BB 12s sd, a sum sufficient, however, to have enabled your managers to carry on the work of the year. In conclusion, your managers desire to take this opportunity of heartily thanking the Education Department, the Masterton Trust Lands Trust, the Masterton Borough Council, and the subscribers to the Seddon Memorial Technical School Fund for the liberal assistance given to the cause of technical education in Masterton. As a result of the magnificent help thus

' rendered and the energy of the promoters, Masterton can now claim ta possess one of the most complete technical schools in any country district in the Dominion, and one which it is the earnest hope of your managers may for many years prove of distinct benefit to the town and district, —Signed, Edwin Feist (chairman), N. D. Bunting (secretary) of managers, February 15th, 1909.