A YEAR'S WORK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 75, 31 March 1910, Page 3

A YEAR'S WORK.

THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL. In a review of the work done in the Wellington Technical School during the past year, the director, Mr. La Trobe. 1 states that the attendance during the year 1909 was on the whole cat i* factory. Tho total member* were in most clones as great as the room available would allow. The averago attendance wan good, being somewhat better than in previous" years, and the proportion of earnest students was also laiger than uraal. The ! number of tree places held at tho school was greater than in former year*, but the increase war confined to the evening classes. Owing to the recent opening of other schools to free place day students the numbers at this school have been afftcted to a slight degree and probably will not settle down to normal conditions for a year or two. "The results of the year's working," adds the director, "have further confirmed me in the opinion that the attendance of junior free place students between 14 and 16 years of age at evening classes should be discouraged as much as possible. Numbers of these who began wen were compelled, according to the statements of their parents, in some cases supported by medical opinion, to resign their free places in consequence of overstrain due to day and evening work. Indeed evidence of this overstrain was very strong in tome of tho classex. The difficulties of teaching are largely increased when students come to class in a tired and unreceptiye state, and it is often impossible to insist on homework being adequately performed. further experience makes it very plain that two yearm in the junior day classes forms the best preparation for the evening trade classes. Many of our best evening students in th.o trade and applied art classes are drawn from those who have completed a preparatory day course." The averages of class entries in the different department during the year were as follows : — Art, 1071 ; science, 772; trades, 479; commerce, etc.. 1861; domestic economy, 263; total, 4446. Mr. L* Trobe reports that satisfactory progress has been made m all departments during the past twelve months. The only works sent from the school for the national competitions were a set of drawings by a student of the Machine Design Clays, S. H. Higgs, for a 50 B.H/P. suction gas engine and producer. These obtained a book prize, and had they been specially prepared in the form required by the examiners, would probably in their opinion have obtained a medal. The only other award in any subject made to a competitor outside the United Kingdom was a commended. A bronze medal, one of the only two which were awarded in all the examinations to candidates outside the United Kingdom, was obtained by C. H. Hocking m the plumbing ordinary grade, City Guild of London examination. In tho competition for students, the school secured eleven out of fifteen prizes offered by the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Twenty-six students passed tho sonior civil service examination, and two candidates sent up for the associateship examination of the : New Zealand Institute of Accountants ! were both successful. j