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classes. The wood-carving classes were held as usual. Waverley: Mr. Andrews conducted successful wood-carving classes during two terms. Kaponga: Very little success attended the classes here, an epidemic of typhoid fever at the commencement of the term adversely affecting the attendance. //. Central District. —Wanganui: With the increased accommodation at command no difficulty has been experienced, as in previous years, in arranging the various classes. The number of individual students attending has varied during the four terms of the school year, being as follows: First term, 545; second term, 603; third term, 520; fourth term, 452. Classes have been recognised by the Department during the year divided into art, artisan, commercial, domestic, and general classes. Art Classes: Much very good work has been done, especially in design. It is to be regretted that so many students wish to learn painting before a thorough preliminary course in freehand and model drawing lias laeen mastered. Now that special instructors have been secured for the machine-drawing and architectural drawing classes, these branches should be increasingly useful to the mechanics and builders who take advantage of the opportunities thus afforded. Models are now to hand which will undoubtedly lead to greater success than has previously been possible. Artisau Classes: The plumbing classes have had a very successful year, as the examination results show. Mr. F. Carlisle, under whose instruction excellent work was accomplished in the theory of plumbing, resigned in October in order to take up a Government appointment, and Mr. C. Carroll was appointed to succeed him. There is still need for more earnest application on the part of some of the students, who cannot possibly hope to succeed unless their attendance is more regular. The painters' class has done some really first-class work. The Master Painters' Union takes great interest in the class, most of the employers paying the fees of their apprentices, and encouraging them to attend the classes regularly. Both the decorating and plumbing classes suffer in attendance through country work. A carpentry class, conducted at the District High School, was fairly successful until the lesignation of Mr. Grant in July. Now that the new woodwork room is ready at the school, more advantage will be taken of the practical course of instruction provided. A class for tailors was opened in June, and has undoubtedly supplied a long-felt want in the town. Ten students were enrolled, and the class is doing capital work. Commercial Classes: These are, unfortunately, the most popular classes, almost all boys and girls, on the completion of their day-school course, desiring to prepare for situations in offices. It would be much better for themselves and the community did a greater majority of the latter pay more attention to the domestic sciences, and of the former to some form of manual instruction or to agricultural science. There is no doubt that in the majority of cases really good work has been done, but one cannot help thinking that in some instances the students would have been more profitably employed in other branches of study. It is gratifying to find that so many wish to continue their book-keeping and law studies for the purpose of qualifying for an associateship of one of the New Zealand Institutes. An examination for Pitman's certificates for shorthand was held at the end of the year, the results of which are not yet to hand. Domestic Classes: The cookery classes have been well attended, and the instruction given cannot have failed to have been beneficial. Mrs. Martin resigned in June, and Mrs. F. WebbJones was appointed to fill her place. Both these ladies are to be complimented on the interest they have displayed in their work. Dressmaking and millinery classes have as usual been well attended. At the close of 1906 Miss K. Johnston resigned, and Miss Bohim was appointed her successor. Home nursing was introduced at the beginning of the year, and Nurse Pitt, of the Hospital staff, took charge of the class, into which she infused a great deal of enthusiasm. The practical physiology and the invalid cooking lessons, and those on the nursing and care of children were most useful and interesting. General Classes: The lack of accommodation for teaching science has been greatly felt, but now that a properly equipped science room is available more attention can be devoted to individual practical work. Botany and magnetism and electricity classes have been most successfully conducted, the first under Mr. J. Grant, 8.A., the Board's agriculture expert. In conjunction with the photography class many instructive outdoor lessons were given. During the year thirty-five students have taken twenty lesson courses in photography. The classes have been most successful. Classes have also been held in English, French, Maori, arithmetic, and mathematics. The woodcarving and modelling classes as usual have been well attended, and some very good work has been done. It is gratifying to find more students than usual taking design and modelling in connection with their wood-carving. During 1906 a grant of £1,000 was made by the Department for the renovation of the science room and the erection of woodwork and engineering workshops. These were completed in September, and the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, performed the opening ceremony. Mr. S. Steele, B.Sc. in Engineering, of Canterbury College, has been appointed to take charge of the engineering classes to be established. Mr. E. C. Isaac, Organizing Inspector for Manual and Technical Instruction, visited the school in December, and made valuable suggestions regarding the equipment of the engineering room and the courses of study to be adopted. The school reference library now contains several hundred volumes of works on technical and commercial subjects, and will undoubtedly prove of great benefit to the students. The day classes for instruction in commercial subjects proved successful, twenty-one being enrolled. 'Now that the school is so well equipped for technical instruction, it is hoped that day classes on a much larger scale will be established. Much assistance is given to the school by the various local bodies, and also by townspeople who generously contribute to the geneial and prize funds. Our thanks are especially due to the Borough Council, which, besides granting an annual contribution of £50, has generously donated two gas-stoves, gas-rings, and gas-irons to the cookery classes, and also granted the use of water free for driving a Pelton wheel, and gas at half the current rates for cookery purposes,