E.—s

40

The number of holders of free places in each term was 88, 94, and 91 respectively; the number of paying students was 120, 261, and 192 respectively; and the number of individual entries was 441, 672, and 571 respectively. As regards the nature of the work done, the great obstacle that has been met is the general absence of a good grounding upon which the purely technical instruction can be based. This is particularly true in the case of the older trade students, who in many cases have left school before reaching even the Sixth Standard, and have done little or nothing in the intervening years to train their minds. Students of this class are often very impatient of results, and frequently leave the work before they have obtained any real benefit. If this state of things is to be remedied, it seems desirable that a pupil who leaves the primary school and does not go on to a higher day-school should still be required to attend evening classes until a certain standard of attainment is reached. Such compulsory continuation education has been established with great success in many parts of Germany and Switzerland; but, however desirable, it is.more than doubtful if the recognition in this colony of the industrial as well as civic necessit}' for a wider spread of education is sufficiently general to warrant the adoption of compulsory methods. Much more may yet be done, both to emphasize the importance and to extend the scope of continuation work, by a system of organized co-operation between the continuation and technical school authorities and the teachers of the primary schools. As soon as greater facilities are available it is hoped that something may be done in this direction in Christchurch. Such a system is at work with signal success in Halifax, Yorkshire, where in a town of 107,000 people 60 per cent, of the boys who leave the primary schools between the ages of thirteen and sixteen attend evening classes. In 1904-5 over 90 per cent, of these attended three evenings per week, and one-quarter of the whole number did not miss a single attendance. It will be long before we shall be able to establish such a record in any town of New Zealand. Before much can be done the co-operation of employers must be obtained. To require children from thirteen to sixteen years of age to work for three or four evenings in the week after a day spent in the factory or shop is, in general, to place an undue physical strain upon them; and, whilst the fittest not only survive but profit by the struggle, many must suffer. If some relief during the day were given to those attending night-classes the results would be ultimately beneficial to employers as well as to employees. If compulsory adjustment of the hours of labour accompanied compulsory continuation education the best results would be obtained. During the past year the North Board of Education has provided continuation classes in three centres, so that all pupils who have left the primary school without gaining certificates of proficiency are enabled to do so. The classes have not been well attended, but they afford the opportunity for free technical education to all those who for any reason have been unable to qualify for it during their primary-school period ; and when the classes are better known they should be much valued by this large section of workers. The new buildings, for which a grant of £7,306 has been made by the" Government, were commenced in October last, and should be completed early in July. The classes will be transferred to these at the earliest possible opportunity. Thanks are especially due to the Press of Christchurch for its ready and generous assistance. W. Howell, Director. Statement of Receipts and, Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1906, in respect of Associated Classes conducted at Christchurch. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 7 2 9 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 952 11 6 Capitation on associated classes .. .. 245 8 3 Office expenses (including salaries, staCapitation on account of free places .. 213 18 9 tionery, &c.) .. .. .. 365 2 0 Buildings .. .. .. .. 1,150 0 0 Advertising and printing .. .. 59 17 2 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 168 4 0 Lighting, heating, and cleaning .. .. 92 19 2 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 73 17 0 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 192 8 2 Material .. .. .. .. 43 3 8 Material for olass use .. .. .. 58 17 7 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 481 10 0 Refund students' fees .. .. .. 16 0 Fees .. .. .. .. .. 290 7 9 Office-furniture .. .. .. 31 17 7 Voluntary contributions .. .. 555 11 0 Contracts (new buildings, additions, &0.).. I,l*o 0 0 Prize fund .. .. .. .. 4 4 0 Architect, &c. .. .. .. .. 48 13 10 Sales .. .. .. .. • • 0 411 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 72 10 0 Refund to contractors .. .. .. 102 2 0 Clerk of works .. .. .. .. 52 0 0 Sundries .. .. .. .. 10 11 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 247 0 1 £3,335 14 1 £3,335 14 1 T. Garrard, Treasurer. Extract from the Report of the Managers of the Ashburton Associated Classes. The past year has been marked by distinct progress in the work that has now been carried on for several years past. The old High School buildings were handed over to the Technical Classes Association about the middle of February, and these, though they are very far from suitable, enabled the Managers to start new classes in cookery, shorthand, typewriting, and book-keeping. The following shows the numbers attending the various classes in each term : Cookery, 29, 23; dressmaking, 18, 10; woodwork, 10, 9; shorthand, 23, 14, 8; book-keeping, 16, 7; typewriting, 15. Besides the above technical and continuation classes, five school woodwork and four school cookery classes were carried on very successfully, with average attendances of 106 and 86 respectively. A typewriting class was carried on during the first term with borrowed machines, but as no grant could be obtained from the Government for purchasing typewriters this class had to be