E.—s

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asked for posters to assist in the recruiting movement, and the staff and students responded with enthusiasm. The usual extensive programme of art subjects was provided for day students — freehand, model, geometry, perspective, design, light and shade, drawing and painting from life, still life, landscape, &c. On the whole the interest of the students was as well maintained as could be expected. The art-craft classes were fairly attended during the day, and some excellent work was done in all branches, more especially in modelling. The departure of the instructor for the seat of war unsettled work in this department during the latter portion of the year, but satisfactory arrangements were made for carrying on the work, during the period intervening between his departure and the appointment of a, temporary instructor. Elementary instruction in free drawing, brush and colour work, design and simple original stencil-work was afforded to juveniles at a convenient hour. The attendance at these classes could be much increased by a little encouragement from teachers in city schools. The fee is nominal, and the capitation earned is nil; but they serve the useful purpose of initiating young people into an art atmosphere, thus making them possible future art students. The classes for pupilteachers and probationers was well attended, and much solid work in preparation for the D examination was done, apparently with good results. The students in training had a course of study provided which included free drawing from objects both natural and fashioned, memory drawing, light, and shade, brushwork, plant and animal form, instrumental drawing, and blackboard illustration. On, Saturday mornings teachers outside Dunedin were enabled to take a course of study in drawing and handwork. Modelling in clay and plasticine, wood-carving, design, stencilling, &0., were the principal handworks taught, while in drawing much stress was laid on the representation of objects through mass estimation in different media of expression. A series of lectures on " Drawing in schools and the new syllabus " was delivered, and the capacity of the largest room in the School of Art was severely tested by the number of town teachers who were present. So much interest was taken in the Director's explanation of the aims of the present syllabus and the steps necessary for the proper provision of instruction to satisfy its requirements, in spirit as well as letter, that, advantage was taken of the presence of teachers from outlying districts in the autumn camp for physical training to repeat the lectures for their benefit. The demonstrations and detailed suggestions for work in the various divisions of the school were followed keenly by large gatherings in the Victoria Hall and in the Kempthorne Hall. Questions were answered, and teachers expressed their thanks at the opportunity provided by the ventilation of the subject to correlate and unify their efforts to deal with the subjects of drawing and handwork. Instruction in freehand, model, and object drawing, geometry, perspective, light and shade, drawing from life, painting in oil and water colours comprised the chief branches of study provided in the evening art classes. For tradesmen, courses were arranged including sign and ticket writing, drawdng for cabinetmakers, mechanical drawing and machineconstruction, building-construction, &c. The architectural, course was amplified by devoting the whole of one evening to each of the subjects, "History of architecture" and "Architectural design." Students take also freehand, geometry, perspective, light and shade, and building-construction—a course approved by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. The evening classes in all these courses and in. the art crafts were, on the whole, well attended, though suffering from the causes already mentioned. A more determined effort was made during the year to make all students take a course of related subjects rather than isolated ones, and the result was entirely satisfactory. The annual exhibition of students' work was held in June in conjunction with the Otago Art Society. A most creditable display of drawings, paintings, sculpture, and art, crafts brought eulogistic comment from the Press, and reflected credit upon the students and the staff. At the annual students' competition of the Otago Art, Society we were again successful in carrying off the whole of the prizes awarded. R. Hawcridge, Director. Extract from the Report of the Dunedin Technical School Board. The. number of individual students attending the Technical College continues to increase from year to year. The number for 1915 was 1,581, an increase of ninety-eight. This number includes 303 technical-high-scliool pupils. Although the number of students entering is a matter for congratulation, the regularity and continuity of their attendance cannot always be regarded as satisfactory, and at times it seems as if the provision for free education is not appreciated to the extent it should be. The Managers are of opinion that free-place holders should be required to deposit at the beginning of each year a small fee, say, 10s., on the understanding that it will be refunded in all cases where the student makes, say, 80 per cent, of the possible attendances. During the year the staff of the College has been considerably strengthened by the appointment of two instructors of Home training and experience. In this connection the Managers express the opinion that in the Dominion system of education provision should be made for the training of teachers for our technical schools. In the domestic and commercial branches the school has been well served by students and probationers of its own training. The regulations of the Department, however, do not mention probationers for technical schools, and thus these students in training are practically without recognition or assistance in the completion of their studies. It seems to this Board not unreasonable to ask that probationers in technical schools should, in view of the difficult nature of their work, be granted the same facilities and concessions at training colleges and universities as are afforded to the probationers and pupil-teachers engaged in the primary schools. When mention was first made of the necessity for providing training in civil occupations for disabled returned soldiers the Managers at once gave their hearty support to the movement, and informed the Hon. Mr. Herdman, the Minister in charge of the Department, of their desire