15

E.—s

came because their parents paid their fees, and who had no real interest in their work. There' is no doubt that the work of the previous year has given the institution a reputation such that only those who were really in earnest and who were prepared to work hard joined the classes last session. The number of examination-papers worked was 407, of which 285, or over 70 per cent., obtained passes, compared with 211 passes out of 395 papers, giving a percentage of 53, last year. The outlook for technical education in Auckland is decidedly more hopeful that it was a year ago. The City Council has generously given an excellent site for a Technical College, and Auckland students, both in local and " Home" examinations, have shown themselves worthy of a wellequipped up-to-date building, in which they can prosecute their technical studies. That such a building is urgently needed is acknowledged on all sides, and a generous Auckland gentleman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has promised a sum of £500 towards a new building, provided that four others will donate like amounts. The Government seems unwilling to find money for a permanent structure, except in the way of pound-for-pound subsidy on voluntary contributions, and if Auckland is to possess within the next few years a Technical College worthy of the name, it will, I feel sure, be owing to the public spirit of its citizens. In conclusion, I wish to tender my sincere thanks to the Board for the generous manner in which they have received my proposals, and the very free hand that they have given me in the administration of my department. I wish also to express to my staff my deep appreciation of their loyalty to me personally, and of the earnestness and enthusiasm that they have shown in carrying out their duties. George George, F.1.C., F.C.S., Director of Technical Education. Summary of Income and Expenditure for the Tear 190//. Auckland Technical School. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Fees paid by students (less rebates) .. 679 16 3 Balance from 1903 .. .. .. 1,137 6 0 Capitation grants (1903) .. .. .. 347 12 1 Salaries of instructors, Ac. .. .. 1,493 16 9 Grant for special continuation and technical Buildings, furniture, fittings, &c. .. .. 1,107 12 0 classes at Thames .. .. .. 69 18 3 Incidentals .. .. .. 193 14 0 Grant for technical scholars at Thames classes 56 11 8 Materials .. .. .. .. 137 5 3 Grant for furniture, fittings, &o. .. .. 925 15 9 Rent and rates .. .. .. 108 5 0 Grant for materials .. .. .. 20 0 3 Donations and contributions .. .. 24 18 0 Micellaneous receipts ..' .. .. 46 4 2 Balanoe .. .. .. .. 2,007 2 7 £4,177 19 0 , £4,177 19 0 Assets. £ s. d. Liabilities. £ s. d. Capitation for 1904 .. .. .. 434 18 10 Balanoe brought down .. .. .. 2,007 2 7 Grants for materials (1904) .. .. 62 13 1 Subsidy on donations .. .. .. 10 18 0 Balanoe Dr. .. .. .. .. 1,498 12 8 £2,007 2 7 £2,007 2 7 Manual Training Department. Receipts. £ s. d. i Expenditure. £ s. d. Capitation on account of cookery and wood- Balance from 1903 .. .. .. 1,402 13 0 work classes .. .. .. ..977 12 0 ! Materials .. .. .. 101 4 9 Capitation on teachers' special cookery and ! Incidentals .. .. .. .. 87 19 9 woodwork classes .. .. .. 109 19 0 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 1,440 6 4 Grant (1902-3) for training of teachers .. 328 0 0 I Buildings, furniture, fittings, &c. .. .. 115 13 4 Grant (1904) for training of teachers .. 250 0 0 Payment to school classes .. .. 393 18 1 school classes (ordinary) .. 395 15 7 Miscellaneous receipts .. .. .. 31 3 1 Contributions and donations .. .. 9 9 0 Balanoe .. .. .. .. 1,439 11 7 £3,541 10 3 £3,541 10 3 Assets. £ s. d. [ Liabilities. £ s. d. Capitation for 1904 .. .. .. 92118 3 i Balance brought down .. .. .. 1,439 11 7 Balance .. .. .. 517 13 4 £1,439 11 7 £1,439 11 7 Vincent E. Rice, Secretary and Treasurer. Extract from the Report on the Technical and Continuation Classes at Thames. The excellent start that has been made with evening classes at Thames is deserving of every praise and encouragement. The number of students who availed themselves of Junior Technical Scholarships for so small a place was very gratifying. In the choice of subjects too great attention was paid to commercial subjects, and not enough to the engineering and handicraft side; but with the advent of a new Technical and Manual-training School for Thames this will be corrected in the future. On looking down the list of enrolments for each subject one cannot but be struck by the large numbers who took up shorthand and typewriting, compared with those who studied such subjects as commercial geography and commercial arithmetic. In my estimation, this is to be regretted, as shorthand is a subject of very little educational value, and of no practical value whatever to the student until he has acquired that proficiency which will enable him to write it faster than longhand, The knowledge of typewriting, too, is of little value except to those who