27

E.—s

established in the Wanganui District, and the attendance of young farmers and those engaged in butter-factories may be regarded as satisfactory. We note that agricultural and pastoral associations are doing a good deal to encourage the work in the primary schools, and we think if similar encouragement were offered to adult classes a stimulus might be given to the work. It is a matter for regret that through a misunderstanding the attendance of butter-factory managers at the winter school, organized for their special benefit by the Auckland Education Board, was so small. The course of instruction, both from theoretical and experimental standpoints, was an excellent one. Speaking generally, the number of students in attendance and the work done at the classes for carpentry, joinery, cabinetmaking, and carriage-building may be regarded as satisfactory. There are, however, certain matters connected with the classes in the smaller centres to which it is desirable to refer: (1.) The marked absence from these classes of those who are engaged in the trades; the students are mostly drawn from the ranks of amateurs. No objection can be advanced to a course of instruction of amateur carpenters and cabinetmakers forming part of the work of a technical school —on the contrary, such a course has its distinct advantages; but the class is technical in name only unless instruction in principles forms part of the course. Of these principles drawing may be regarded as fundamental, and no practical work at the bench, however simple, should be undertaken by a student unless he has first made a drawing of it in, at least, plan and elevation. In addition to this, the ordinary workshop practice of setting out details full size on suitable setting-out boards could with advantage be adopted. (2.) Circumstances seem to call for a closer co-ordination between the classes in carpentry and joinery and those in building-construc-tion. In the solitary class for carriage-building the principles of the subject and the drawing connected therewith are taken on one evening, and the practical work on another. At the latter parts only of a vehicle are made, in order to illustrate the principles of construction, and to give students an opportunity of obtaining an insight into work (some of it very difficult) which in the ordinary course of their daily work would seldom come under their notice. Surely there is as close a relationship between building-construction and carpentry and joinery as between the theory of carriage-building and carriage-construction, and it is suggested that a similar mode of procedure might be adopted in the carpentry and joinery classes. Similarly, students taking build-ing-construction should also have some instruction in practical work, and part of the practical exercises in the advanced course might be the construction of a series of models to scale of architectural details. The construction of such models would afford an opportunity for the exercise of the highest manipulative skill, and when the models were completed they would be of considerable value for elementary students. Surely the time has arrived when we should not be compelled to import models for elementary work. As the work in the advanced classes reaches a high standard it should not be a difficult matter to arrange for a supply of models to be constructed at the main centres for the smaller schools in the district. It may be said that the courses of instruction in commercial work are fairly complete, and from the standpoint of attendances of pupils the commercial classes may be regarded as most successful. Reference to Table A shows that the total average attendance at classes for- commercial subjects has again been considerably greater than at any of the other groups of subjects specified therein. For many reasons, this condition of things does not appear to be in the best interests of a country such as ours. Our national resources are only just beginning to be exploited, and in the near future the demand for an increasing number of skilled workers must arise; if, therefore, those who at the present moment should be undergoing a training which will equip them to eventually take their place among the workers are acquiring an equipment which will enable them to become distributors only, the consequences to the nation from a purely economic standpoint cannot be other than disastrous. In endeavouring to discover adequate reasons why so many students choose commercial rather than industrial courses at our technical schools, the question presents itself, have the facilities provided by controlling authorities for commercial instruction created a demand for it or has a popular demand made it necessary that the courses of instruction should be provided? In other words, has the supply created the demand, or has the demand created the supply 1 There is no doubt that to provide instruction in book-keeping, shorthand, typewriting, commercial history, and commercial geography, and kindred subjects presents few organizing difficulties to controlling authorities. The establishment of commercial classes does not call *or a large expenditure of either mental energy or money, while suitable instructors are more easily obtained than in the case of most other subjects. A large proportion of the pupils in attendance at classes for commercial subjects are young rrirls who are either already in offices or looking forward to employment in an office as a means of livelihood For economic reasons most of these young girls are called upon at a comparatively early age to contribute to the household expenses of the family, and, as there is an increasing demand for female clerks, the possibilities of employment after passing through a two-years course of systematic instruction are fairly certain. The avenues to what is regarded in some quarters as polite employment present few obstacles, and the ranks of the workers in what used to be regarded as "woman's sphere " are steadily becoming depleted. That it is part of the function of a technical school to provide systematic instruction in subiects related to commercial pursuits cannot be questioned, since both the business man and the distributor have an equal right with all other workers to facilities for acquiring a knowledge of the principles governing the conduct of a business; at the same time, it does seem that, whatever the reason may be, the number of. students taking commercial subjects is unduly large when compared with the number taking other subjects of technical instruction. There is no very marked increase in the number of attendances at classes in cookery, lhis is probably due to the increased facilities provided for the instruction of pupils in this subject at