E.—l

45

The elementary and advanced courses in pure and applied art provided by the schools in the larger centres continue to attract a satisfactory number of students, many of whom show considerable promise. Classes having special reference to the application of art to industries are becoming increasingly popular. Some of the work of the students attending these craft classes gives evidence of originality and skill. That the instruction in art, generally, is on right lines is evidenced by the successes gained by students in connection with the National Competitions of the English Board of Education, referred to elsewhere. Controlling authorities and Managers of technical schools continue to provide facilities for instruction in subjects relating to rural pursuits, and it is gratifying to note that their efforts in this direction appear to be meeting with some success. During the year classes attended by over 1,500 students were held at over sixty centres. Instruction was given in wool sorting and. classing, shearing, dairying, veterinary science, agriculture, and. horticulture. The classes were, for the most part, taken by itinerant instructors at convenient centres, and, if the attendance and the voluntary contributions of the farmers are any criterion, they weiv, fully appreciated. Table Jo.—Number of Students taking Group Courses oh Instruction occupying not less than Four Hours a Week and Eighty Hours a Year. n , T , .. Number of Students. Course oi Instruction. .„.., IQI4 Elementary and higher commercial, and general (including 1,980 2,117 public examinations) Practical mathematics and science .. .. .. 105 97 Mathematics and science applied to trades and industries .. 1,149 1,378 Domestic science .. .. .. .. .. 401 583 Arts and art-crafts .. .. .. .. .. 655 646 Totals .. .. .. ..4,290 4,821 Capitation in respect of group courses, as above, was earned by thirty-nine schools. About 29 per cent, of the students took such courses, the total number doing so being over five hundred more than in the previous year. The attendance of students at evening classes must be regarded as satisfactory, in view of the fact that attendance is for the most part voluntary. A gratifying feature is the number of students who find it worth while to attend on three or more evenings a week. Regulations requiring the attendance of young persons between the ages of fourteen and seventeen who are not otherwise receiving a suitable „ education, or who are not specially exempted from attendance, were in operation in seven school districts in Wanganui, in. two in Auckland, and in one in Hawke's Bay. The classes established under these regulations were attended by 436 students, of whom 256 were males. In the following table are given the number and sex of pupils receiving free education under the Regulations for Free Places : —

About one-fifth of the total number of students attending classes held free places as above. The total number of junior free pupils was 2,277, and of senior free pupils 1,307. The figures for the previous year were 2,081 and 1,090 respectively. About 48 per cent, of the students who entered on junior free places in 1913

1913. 1914. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. T , ., First year Junior tree pupils a -s 1 l (Second year [First year Senior free pupils - Second year (Third year 840 506 1,346 471 264 735 341 276 617 190 131 321 73 79 152 1,915 1,256 3,171 847 555 374 247 95 510 365 306 208 77 1,357 920 680 455 172 Totals .. 2,11.8 1,466 3,584