E.—s

8

The large drop in numbers due to this latter cause is a clear indication that compulsory attendance was mostly unpopular, and that the pupils did not recognize the benefits to be obtained by continuing to attend. Considerable assistance was given locally to the schools, particularly by the business men in Stratford for the improvement of the grounds of the Technical High School. A sum of over £800 was raised for this purpose, and a subsidy of £1 for £1 was granted by the Government, payment being spread over a period of three years. Wanganui District. In this district also two of the three larger technical schools were for the first time directly under the management of Technical School Boards. About 422 pupils were in attendance at the Wanganui Technical High School, an increase of seventy on the previous year's numbers, the majority taking a commercial and. general course, work being done up to the standard of the higher lcaving-certificate. In the evening classes there was a considerable falling-off in numbers, due partly to the discontinuance of compulsory attendance. The general quality of the work done was, however, considerably improved. The school was conducted with skill and energy, first by Mr. 0. J. Park, and, on his transfer to Auckland, by Mr. I. E. Newton ; Mr. E. H. Clark, for some years supervisor of evening classes, acting as Director and hostel-master during the period which elapsed between Mr. Park's departure and Mr. Newton's arrival. Mr. Clark performed the duties of Acting-Director very efficiently. The Feilding Technical High School completed its first year, and in the opinion of your Inspectors the foundations have been laid on which a technical high school of more than local usefulness in agricultural and kindred subjects may be built in the near future. The staff, which is very strong on the side of agricultural science and practice; the hostel for boys now in course of erection at a cost of some £15,000, together with a useful site of 20 acres of level ground provided by local effort; and the continued monetary support of the borough and surrounding counties, should enable the Board to develop a vigorous school with a decided bias towards agricultural science. Considerable sums were raised locally for the purpose of improving the grounds and providing playing-fields, &c. The Palmerston North Technical School continued during the year the steady development of previous years, and was one of the few schools which experienced an increase in numbers attending evening classes. The accommodation was increased during the year by the addition of an engineering class-room, rendered necessary by the growth of the day classes in the engineering course from twenty-two in 1921 to fifty-four in 1922. A considerable portion of the cost was provided locally. The day engineering classes were conducted in the businesslike way which has always characterized the management of the school : for example, a substantial part of the fittings and apparatus for the science-room was made in the workshops, as exercises, by the boys. The dressmaking classes are worthy of special mention, not only for their enrolment of some three hundred students, but for the quality of the work done. Contributions came in freely from local bodies both public and private, besides which over £130 was raised by means of a bazaar in aid of the school funds. The results obtained in outside examinations confirm the impression formed by your Inspectors that the school is well conducted on sound linos. Hawke's Bay. District. There was an increase of twenty in the number (279) attending the Technical High School in Napier as compared with the previous year, while the evening classes, though, smaller on account of discontinuance of compulsory attendance, were very successful, and exhibited a marked improvement in the quality of the work. During the year the art teaching of the school was placed on a permanent footing by the appointment of Mr. Roland Hipkins, A.R.C.A., in accordance with the policy of the Department by which young men of sound art training have been brought out from London during the year to take charge; of classes in Dunedin, Auckland, Napier, and Wanganui. Towards the end of the year Mr. Newton resigned the Directorship of the school, and Mr. R. McLaren was appointed in his place, Mr. M. H. Dixon acting as Director until Mr. McLaren could take up his duties, and performing his work with skill and care. The Hastings Technical High School, established in the jjrevious year, showed a considerable increase in numbers in spite of the fact that many pupils were still allowed to attend high schools in Napier. Additional accommodation was provided by means of portable buildings. The courses taken were commercial and general, though agricultural science was included for the boys and domestic science and arts for the girls. The rapid growth of the school fully warrants a start being made with new buildings on the new site of nearly 20 acres which was bought some three years ago partly by local efforts and partly by Government grant. Wkllington District. The principal development in connection with the Wellington Technical School was the completion, about the middle of the year, of the first part of the new buildings on the Mount Cook site. The cost of the part completed during 1922 was over £46,000, of which £10,000 was provided by the City Council, over £35,000 by Government grants, and about £1,400 by contributions. This cost included, however, some further material and building not yet available for class use. The conditions of work in the new building will be nearly ideal so far as lighting, ventilation, and quiet are concerned, while the rooms will be sufficiently large to meet all probable developments in methods of teaching.