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E.—6

Technical and Continuation Classes in Country Centres. —During the year (1914) classes were held at Devonport, Pukekohe, Thames, Waihi, and Whangarei, whilst an itinerant instructor also held dressmaking classes at Cambridge, Morrinsville, and Paeroa. Devonport. —The compulsory continuation classes which were established the previous year were again held at Devonport. The students in attendance numbered fifty-four, all of whom were between the ages of fourteen and seventeen years, and in many cases a strong feeling of resentment was shown because of their being compelled to attend. Whilst the Act provided that parents were liable to a penalty for not seeing that their children attended, it made no provision for dealing with students who misconducted themselves. This defect was remedied by the insertion of a clause in the Education Act of last year, and it is anticipated that for the future compulsory continuation classes in New Zealand will run much more smoothly. The subjects taught embraced arithmetic, English, dressmaking, book-keeping and business methods, ana woodwork, the total number of class entries being 162. Pukekohe. —Classes similar to those at Devonport were again earned on last year. The subjects taught were arithmetic, English, bookkeeping and commercial correspondence, dressmaking, and woodwork. Most of those attending were compulsory students, but in addition others beyond the compulsory age availed themselves of the classes. A special class for farmers was also held ; this was conducted by Mr. A. V. Donnan, late of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College. The mimbei of faimers enrolled, was nineteen. Veiy considerable enthusiasm was evirced by the (students, who thoroughly appreciated the efforts on their behalf, and several local contributions were made towards the upkeep of the classes, largely as a direct result of the farmers' recognition of the value of the course of instruction. The number of individuals in attendance at the classes was sixty-two, the number of class entries being 107. Thames. —Technical classes last year were well attended, there being ninety-five individual students. The subjects taken and the number of students in each were as follows : English, 49 ; arithmetic, 49 ; bookkeeping, 32 ; shorthand, 28 ; typewriting, 38 ; dressmaking, 22 ; woodwork, 20 ; plumbing, 7 ; commercial geography, .10 ; and mathematics, 10. At the beginning of the year the local superintendent, Miss Murphy, who had done such excellent work for the last three years and a half, resigned, and Mr. W. 11. Hammond was appointed in her place. Eighty-three students sat for the examinations of the Auckland Technical College at the end of the year, and of these sixty passed. Whangarei. —The classes which are under the local superintendence of Mr. F. J. Layzell, were attended by forty-one individual students. The number of students who entered for the various subjects were as follows : English, 11 ; arithmetic, 11 ; dressmaking, 15 ; cookery, 6 ; art, 22 ; and woodwork, 10. Fourteen students sat for the examinations of the Auckland Technical College in December, and all of these were successful. Waihi. —As in the previous year, classes were conducted under the local superintendence of Mr. A. T. Smith. The number of individual students attending was seventy, the class entries being as follows: English, 26; arithmetic, 27; bookkeeping, 25; shorthand, 22; dressmaking, 19; woodwork, 21 ; and commercial correspondence, 25. The number of papers worked at the December examinations of the Auckland Technical College was thirty-four, and twenty-four successes were obtained. The itinerant dressmaking instructor, Miss M. Noble, also held classes in dressmaking at Cambridge, Morrinsville, and Paeroa in addition to those which she conducted at Thames and Waihi. The number of students in attendance at Cambridge was twenty-five, at Morrinsville ten, and at Paeroa nine. Two '•'" students from Morrinsville and one from Cambridge sat for the dressmaking examination of the Auckland Technical College in December, and ail were successful. Seddon Memorial Technical College. —The number of pupils attending the day technical school of the College last year was 397, as against 345 in the previous year ; 207 of these were boys and 190 girls. The object of the day technical school is to offer to boys and girls who have passed through the primary school course a practical education in the, training of all the faculties. By a combination of hand and head work the pupil is able to find and exercise his best powers whilst obtaining accurate information in many practical matters. The work is broad*and liberal in its scope and universal in its applications. The school aims at surrounding the boys and girls with the realities of life not only in thought, but in things, and to fit them for their environment. By the proportion of intellectual, manual, and art work which the courses provide the pupils are trained mentally, physically, and aesthetically. The shop exercises are planned to embody many constructive principles, and give the pupil that kind of skill and constructive ability which will enable him to take up any trade. An educated hand, like an educated head, is not limited to a single line of effort, but can shift and adapt itself to the (•hanging conditions of life. The courses of instruction given in the day technical school last year were (I) agricultural, (2) commercial, (3) domestic, (4) science and technological, (5) mechanical and electrical engineering. The agricultural course, which was instituted at the College for the first time in 1912, has already proved an unqualified success. It is intended specially to attract the boy from the farm, and also the boy from the town who desires to make his living on the land. It will meet the requirements of all who intend to get a living from the land, whether as farmets, farm-managers, creamery-men, marketgardeners, nurserymen, or fruitgrowers. The scope of the work covers those subjects that will prove of direct practical value to the students when, having finished the course, they return to the land to carry on their work in life. The College aims at teaching the joy of farm life as well as the proper scientific methods and practices. It tries to instil into its students that enthusiasm for the work on the farm that will cut the dull edge of drudgery by which haphazard farming is characterized ; it endeavours to teach its students " how to make the most of farm life." The acquisition of the 3-acre paddock adjoining the Otahuhu Railway-station, which has been specially loaned for experimental purposes by the Auckland