E.—s

13

At Taihape the total enrolments were 215, classes being conducted in eight subjects. One pupil gained a senior free place. Electric light, and an electric oven were installed during the year. The compulsory clause came into operation at the beginning of the year and worked smoothly. Classes in woodwork and cookery were held at Foxton, and in dressmaking at the other small centres. Wanganui Technical School.—At the close of the year there were 318 pupils on the roll of the day school, which is the highest number yet reached. In 1915 the roll was 190, in 1916 250, in 1917 270. It is encouraging to notice that the day-school pupils now remain longer at the school than in the past. The number of second-, third-, or fourth-year students last year was 157 :in 1915 the number was only 19. The capitation earned in 1915 averaged £10, and in 1918 £11 4s. 6d. , ' . , ■ , , The enrolments in the evening school totalled 1,583, the number of .individual students being 565. These numbers are somewhat below lhose for the preceding year, but the attendance was more regular, as the capitation claims show a slight increase. During the year the school buildings were used by 1,409 individual pupils, including teachers in attendance at Saturday classes and primary-school pupils in attendance at manual classes. In addition, the summer and'winter schools for teachers were held at the College. At the various public examinations passes were secured as follows: Accountancy Professional, 3; Matriculation, 12; Public Service Entrance, 10; Senior r}ational Scholarship, 3; Junior National Scholarship, I ; Public Service Shorthand-typists. 1.3; Education Board Bookkeeping, 27. Under the will of the late Miss Alexander the sum of £2,000 was bequeathed to the school for the establishment, of scholarships. Miss Alexander during her lifetime was a good friend lo the College, and her bequest was but the last of many similar acts that were for the benefit of that sect ion of the community that has mosl need of benevolence on the part of our wealthy citizens. A motor-engineering shop, which is also used for electrical practice and primary-school metalwork classes, and a carpentry, joinery, and cabinetmaking shop were completed. A woodworking machine shop was partially equipped, and a new lobby, with hot-water service, added to the engineering workshop. A rifle range was constructed. The playing-fields were fenced and topdressed, and shelter-trees planted. An endeavour is to be made to provide a small pavilion for sports purposes. The boys' and girls' hostels were continued, the former having a roll of twenty-six and the latter fifteen. The boys' hostel has now been.open for three years, and at the present time has a roll of thirty-nine. The arrangements for the accommodation of the boys are quite inadequate, and application has therefore been made for a Government grant for the erection of a suitable building. Tho school is saddled with a heavy annual charge for rent, as the buildings are erected on leasehold ground. Application was made to the Department for a grant to meet this expenditure, but the request was refused. Fortunately, local public bodies, associations, and private citizens have continued to give freely, otherwise it is doubtful if the institution could have maintained a sufficiently large staff to cope with the increased numbers in attendance. Compulsory Continuation Classes. —These classes have been held at Wanganui for the past seven years. The attendance and conduct of the pupils during the past year were satisfactory. A number of prosecutions for irregular attendance were necessary, but in most cases reasonable excuses were forthcoming in Court, although great difficulty was experienced in getting the parents to respond at an earlier stage. Eighty-six summonses were issued. Convictions were recorded in the thirty-three cases proceeded with, the fines totalling £16 Bs. 6d. Day classes for girls were conducted on Saturday afternoons and on week-days. Of the pupils who attend classes in the, evenings under the compulsory clause there are many who would attend voluntarily. With these the results are satisfactory, and in some cases excellent work is done. In other cases the work is of the poorest kind; the pupils give much trouble, and the school would be better without them. After a fair experience of the compulsory system the Director of the school is of the opinion that the unsatisfactory students usually come from homes where the parental influence is negligible. However, if such students were not compelled to attend classes and be subjected to discipline they would probably roam the streets and spend their time in other unprofitable ways. In the majority of cases compulsory students are amenable to discipline. It is seldom necessary to institute proceedings on account of misconduct. It must be admitted that a considerable degree of hardship is put upon many of the young persons who attend these classes. They are all between fourteen and seventeen years of age, and many of them work as long hours as their fathers. They are required to hurry home after the day's work, and then hurry back lo be in time for classes on two evenings and drill on one evening per week. In addition many of them have a late night at business. This means that on four days per week the working-hours of young persons are prolonged, and, as in some cases health is not of the best, the hardship is real and noticeable. Attendance at least partly in the daytime, and exemption from military training during the period covered by compulsory attendance at technical classes, would remove the objections that exist under present conditions. Compulsory classes are now in operation at Wanganui, Feilding, Marton, and Taihape. Voluntary Contributions. —During the year the sum of £353 6s. Id. was received in voluntary contributions. In this connection the thanks of the Board are due to the Feilding, Marton, and Wanganui Borough Councils, the Kiwitea, Manawatu, Oroua, Pohangina, Rangitikei, Waitotara, and Wanganui County Councils, the Feilding and Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Associations, the Feilding and Marton Chambers of Commerce, the New Zealand Farmers' Union, the Wanganui Builders' Association, the Wanganui Plumbers' Association, as well as to many individual donors. ~, TT Q,„ .„p,„„ VV. li. aw anger,. Director of Manual and Technical Instruction.