K.—s.

Extract from the Report ok the Director or the Petone Technical School. Excellent progress has been made- throughout by the pupils, and generally they have shown a spirit of enthusiasm and keenness which is very much to be commended. In some cases pupils have attended every night in the week on which the school has been open. In not more than three eases would one have to report that the work of free pupils has been unsatisfactory. Even in these cases they have on occasions shown that there might eventually awake in them a desire to do better work, and for that reason I have not recommended a discontinuance of any free places. However, unless better work is done by these particular pupils they must have their free places snipped, as they at times do far more mischief to the rest of the class than an outsider can imagine. In some cases great assistance has been given by parents with regard to ensuring regularity of attendance, but in a few cases parents are either ignorant of the fact that their children do not attend the school or they are woefully apathetic. The reports sent out at the end of each quarter on the pupils' progress serve a useful purpose, but they fail to accomplish much good in the case of the careless pupil. In his case, if the report is unsatisfactory, it probably never reaches the parent, and if it does little notice is taken of it. What must be aimed at is to educate the parents io the fact that they have at their very doors an institution capable of improving their children mentally and morally. During the year an "open night" was held, and a large number of parents and others took advantage of looking at the various classes at work. Next year it is proposed to have at stated times " open nights " for the various classes. The wool-sorting was kept going very satisfactorily during the year. Two of the pupils have received positions as wool-classers, and this fact in itself should show that the class is doing good work and that it is a financial advantage for young men to attend this class. There is still a number of pupils who pass Standard VI with proficiency who do not take advantage of their free places. Much litis been done in the past, but much yet remains to be done to induce these pupils to attend the school. The greatest helpers in this respect must be. the teachers of S. VI in the primary schools, together with the head teachers. Young people naturally look forward to the day they can leave school and go to work. If, however, it can be shown to them that they are only starting their eduoation and not finishing it, much will be accomplished. I have had great assistance in this respect from the headmasters of the Petone District High School and the Petone West School as well as from some of the assistant masters. I hope that they will continue to belli '" 'his respect. I hope, too, that the Chairman of Committee will bring the matter under the notice of householders at their annual meetings. Very few parents appear to know that junior free pupils can after two years' honest work obtain Senior Free Places tenable for three years. The reports from the various instructors are very satisfactory, and show that a keen interest is being taken in the work generally. The instructors throughout have given mc every assistance, and it has been a pleasure to be- associated with them. The attendance at the plumbing class has been of the usual haphazard character. It is difficult to know what to do in this matter, as in some cases the plumbers are away for a month or so at a time. A number of the pupils in this class are quite young and in time should do excellent work. The electricity class is becoming one of the most useful classes in the school, and during the past two years has made good progress. The students have during the year done good practical work. They have also paid visits to the Gear Company and the Wellington power-house under the guidance of their instructor. The class meets for three hours a week, instead of two hours as in former years, and I recommend that this be extended to four hours. New apparatus has been purchased during the year, and the workroom is now becoming fairly well equipped. One of the drawbacks to the practical work, however, is the fact that this has to-be done in the main building. The noise interferes with the work of other classes. During the year apparatus for wireless telegraphy has been ordered from Home. This, no doubt, will further tend to popularize the class. The class next year will no doubt be attended by pupils from the Petone and Hutt Post-offices. A knowledge of the theory of electricity and magnetism should be invaluable to them. The Matiiculation class continues to do satisfactory work. Most of the pupils in this class attend at least three nights a week. I hope next year to be able to take extra subjects in this class such as precis-writing, economics, and hygiene. By doing so it will enable students and others who wish to'sit for the Senior Civil Service Examination to do so under more advantageous conditions. lam arranging a two-years course for the latter examination, namely : First year (1) Precis-writing, (2) economics, (3) commercial geography j second year—(l) Precis-writing, (2) constitutional history. (3) hygiene. The chemistry class has been practically full during the year, and a partly new scheme of work will have to be introduced next year to meet the changing requirements of the Civil Service and Matriculation Examinations. This class occupies an important place in the school curriculum. The art class continues to do good work considering the class of pupils we get. They are all very young, chiefly children. The machine-construction class was during the year amalgamated with the instrumental drawing class. This is a most useful class, and it will always command a satisfactory attendance as it is practically compulsory for all junior free pupils who are taking a course in electricity, plumbing, or woodwork. The second-year pupils in this class did very creditable work, and next \ear should see a vast improvement. The woodwork class has done well during the year, pupils and teacher alike being most enthusiastic. The class is not a large one, but the percentage of attendance was very high. It seems a pity that the pupils who have had a two-years course at a primary school should give up woodwork on leaving school. They have just reached the stage where they would find that if they attended our school for another two years they would not only In- able to make useful things for themselves at very little expense, but also appreciate good work when they saw it. It seems to mc that the system of woodwork in the primary schools should

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