STEADY PROGRESS

Evening Post, Issue 20, 23 July 1935, Page 4

STEADY PROGRESS

TECHNICAL CLASSES

DIRECTOR'S COMMENT

The continued good work done by the Wellington Technical College is evidenced by the support given the classes it offers in a variey of subjects. Reference to the different classes it offers in a variety of subR. G. Ridling) in a report he presented to the Board of Governors last night. "The return of classes shows," he said, "that there has been a steady decrease in the number attending the Technical High School, due to students being placed in industry. There has been a steady increase in the enrolment in the evening school which compensates for the high school reduction, and the increase is shown to be 142 individual students over the individual enrolments at this time last year. "It will be noted that a high average attendance is being recorded in the art section, for 83 per cent, of the students have been in regular attendance. It is interesting to note that the second landscape painting class held on Saturday afternoon is proving successful. There has been a large increase in the enrolments for drawing required for examination purposes. This is a. measure of the increase in classes where students are preparing for university entrance work.

"The board will be glad to note the increase in the enrolments in most .of the industrial classes. The building section in particular has a much larger enrolment than in previous years. The new sanitary science classes are well attended.

"Painting and decorating and mo-tor-car body-building are still very small. It is strange that in these industries where greater activity has been manifest for some time that more students are not enrolled. The average attendance in these classes is 75 per cent., but even with this 103 students more than last year are in regular attendance.

"There has been a large increase in the commercial section and continuation classes; English and arithmetic classes, salesmanship, and the various accountancy classes being largely responsible for this. "Additional classes in musical appreciation along with vocal practice have been established, and although these are not filled to capacity yet they are proving very helpful to the students enrolled. "In the home science section dressmaking and millinery have made a big advance over last year's enrolments and the attendance in millinery and cookery is particularly good. In July of last year the total number of technical classes was 133. This year it has gone up to 156. There is therefore, no doubt that the work in the evening school is proving of benefit to students. It is also interesting to note an increase in the average attendance from 76 per cent, to 78 per cent, over last year. It will be necessary to divide further some of the classes where the enrolments have been particularly heavy." The director reported that during the last two months 76 students had left the college, 56 going into industry, one to a private school, six to their homes, and 13 to unknown destinations. Of that total, 40 boys and 11 girls had enrolled in the evening school.