KING EDWARD TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3234, 8 March 1916, Page 27

KING EDWARD TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT. The following are the princpal clauses in the director's report to be submitted at the annual distribution of certificates and diplomas to-night: For the year ending December 31 the total enrolment for all the classes ill conjunction with the Technical College was 1581 individual students. The Technical High School was attended by 304 pupils, distributed over the coursed and classes as follows:—Domestic course: First-year girls, 34; second and third-year girls, 17. Agricultural course: First-year boys, 10. Industrial course: First-year boys, 30; tsecond and third-year boys, 20. Commercial course : First-year pup:ls—2B boys, 90 girls; second-year pupils—lo boys, 41 girls; third and fourth-year pupils, 24 girls. With regard to the domestic course, the same sound practical training continues, to be given in cookery, housewifery, dressmaking, needlework,, laundry work, elementary science, physiology in connection with hygiene and first aid, together with regular instruction in drawing, household accounts, and English. Second-year pupils of this course have scope for the development of their individuality in table decoration, in table-setting, and serving up luncheons and dinners. Further, the provision available for instruction in housewifery and house furnishing and decoration enables the instructors to instil fundamental principles regarding the selection and equipment of a home. In° the agricultural course the science lessons will hereafter be on more practical lines. A plot of ground for experimental work, however, is an urgent necessity. The industrial course, designed to give a preliminary training suitable for lads destined to become handicraftsmen, continues to attract a largo number of the lads entering the Technical High School. Most of the pupils have a preference for engineering, and. judging from the remarks of employers, I gather that lads who have taken the course are found on entering the workshops to bo not only more skilful in the use of took, but also alert in comprehending instructions and following directions. The staff of the industrial course was greatly strengthened by the appointment of Mr M'Fadyen, B.Sc, of Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh, who, at the bem'nning of the year, took charge of the engineering- department. Tho commercial course continues to attract the larger proportion of tho pupils attending the Technical High School, and the support accorded this branch of tho work has enabled the college authorities to engage a very strong teaching staff of specialists. Young people who havo passed creditably through a two-years' commercial training in the Technical College nro regularly sought by business firms. It frequently' happens, however, that commercial pupils,' either on the reputation of the college or through tho influence of friends, secure positions before completing the course, with the result that they thereafter learn special work at the expense of their employers, while, their general education is neglected. This premature withdrawal of pupils, not only from commercial work, but from all tho courses of training, is serious practical hindrance to the full development of our recently-established Technical TT'gh (Schools. Hundreds of pupils enrol, but the great majority of these-, before working half-

way through tho courses, depart, and their places are taken by others who do likewise. Thus valuable educational work is entered upon but not completed, and consequently the appreciable effect upon tho general community is small. The evening classes were attended by 1277 individual students. The following lists giva tho official classification of these students ; and the classes in the various subjects, with i the attendance thereat for each term :—Junior free place holders—2o9 males, 76 females; senior free place holders—loo males, 73 females; other than free place holders—3ss males, 444 females; scholarship holders, 15.

Last year the length of the session fop associated classes was increased from 27 to 36 working weeks, provision being made for three terms, instead of two as in previous years. The year was a rather broken one, and did not afford any reliable indication of the effect of the experiment. In the evening classes, as at the day school, the commercial classes receive most support; and a satisfactory feature of this branch of the school work is that students, with few exceptions, attend grouped courses of instruction —that is, they receive tuition in two -or more allied and dependent subjects—commercial arithmetio with bookkeeping, English with commercial correspondence, shorthand with typewriting, etc. The Domestic Department continues to maintain its reputation, and not only aro the colle<re' classes for cookery, needlework. dressmaking, laundry work, physiology, and hygiene well attended, but our teachers also conduct large classes at the convents, private schools, and Y.W.C.A. rooms. further, the University students of domestic science receive their instruction in cook-cry at the Technical College, while our senior students are prepared- in cookery and dressmaking for tho examinations conducted under the auspices of the City and Guilds of London Institute. Last year 15 students passed guild examinations in one or other of the subjects mentioned.

The attendance at the engineering course and at the trade courses generally was seriously affected by the war. but the smaller • number of students in these classes tended to more efficient work. Under the guidance of the new instructor, the engineering course was remodelled on lines beneficial to stiv dents of the theoretical and classes, and it is anticipated that equally satisfactory results will follow the appoint ment of Mr Walker as instructor of practi cal, electrical, and mechanical engineering. A new class was formed for pattern-cutting for bootmakers, and, also, that the class for commercial law waa again opened after having been closed for several years.

During the yea- Messrs .tames Smeaton. D. M. Eekho'ff. and Chas. Strancr. all teachers of bookkeeping, having joined the forces for active service, resigned their positions on the, staff Large numbers of the college students and ex-students are also at) the front, and I wish to rlacfl on record th 9 name of the late Robert R. Moss, one of the older ex-students who continued to take a keen Interest in the welfare and success of the oollego. Mr Moss was early at the front, and gave up his life for his country.

Associated classes at Students other centres. In attendance. 1st 2nd 3rd term term. termv Horticultural (Palmerston) — — 26 Woodcarving (Palmerston) -- — 10 Dressmaking and Needlework (Young Women's O.A. rooms) 2° 22 10 Cookery (South Dunedin Convent) 30 30 32 Dressmaking (South Dunedin Convent) 30 29 29 Physiology (South Dunedin Convent) '... — — 20 Cookery (Dominican Con- - vent) — — 26 Dressmaking (St. Hilda's) 13 13 11 Cookery (St. Hilda's — — 9 Woodwork (Christian Brothers' School) — 33 33 Dressmaking (Karitane Hospital) — 9 5 Cookery and laundry wor c (Karitane nurses) — 7 — Cookery (Port Chalmers Convent) 23 15 25 Associated classes hold in Technical College. English, senior 53 54 50 English, intermediate 116 110 100 English (engineering) 36 35 33 English, junior (four classes) K3 141 118 English, Standard VI work 22 . 24 19 Latin, senior 7 5 3 Latin, junior 19 16 13 French, junior 16 16 12 French, senior 6 7 5 Mathematics, matriculation and Civil Service 61 57 52 Commercial arithmetic, junior (four classes) 137 133 110 Commercial arithmetic, intermediate 108 103 25 Commercial arithmetic, senior 27 31 29 Commercial arithmetic, Standard VI work 23 26 20 Typewriting (three classes) 136 135 125 Shorthand (eight classes) 184 , 177 169 Commercial correspondence (two classes) 140 131 1 24 Book-keeping, senior and junior 185 176 155 Commercial geography and history 17 22 25 Commercial law ..._ ... 13 12 10 Physics (heat, magnetism, and electricity) 28 24 19 Chemistry 17 18 12 Chemistry (pharmacy class) ' ••• 8 6 —- Materia medica and botany (pharmacy class) s 6 -- Painters' work 9 7 5 Coachbuilding and blacksmithing ..' 10 8 3 Plumbing (theory and practical) ... 63 64 70 Practical mathematics 70 62 57 Patternmaking — 4 — Mechanical drawing and v machine construction 66 63 62 Engineering workshop (three classes) 54 47 45 Mechanics 33 32 23 Steam ;•• 16 14 14 Carpentry 33 27 22 Cabinctmaking (two classes) '. 38 53 37 Woolclassing 28 25 — Dressmaking 96 75 75 Needlework 20 15 17 Cookery and domestio economy ., 82 60 51 Physiology 18 12 8 Millinery 2.5 17 16 Pattern-cutting and designing for bootmakers — — 11