E.—s

48

Attendance, &c. —The numbers attending the various classes of the College show a small increase over those for the previous year, notwithstanding that many intending students were refused for lack of room. The total number of students who received instruction has, however, substantially increased, owing to the spread of extra-mural work done by the College. As in previous years, the number of class entries in the associated classes shows a respectable increase, mainly due to a larger proportion of the students taking grouped courses. The increase in total class entries is about 9 per cent., whereas the increase in students is less than \\ per cent, so far as associated classes are concerned. There was also an increase of 5 per cent, in the numbers attending the day Technical School. As regards regularity of attendance the record for the day Technical School is very satisfactory, while in the associated classes the majority of the students made good attendances, except during the fourth quarter of the year, when the attendance was badly affected by industrial disturbances in the city. The total of class entries—viz., 2,387 —is a record for the associated classes of the College. The average class entries for the year were as follows: Art and art crafts, 269; building-construction, 26; painting and decorating, 4; carpentry and joinery, 48; plumbing, 91; engineering, 235; science, 325; domestic economy, 109; English, Latin, and arithmetic, &c, 655; commerce, 455; " Amokura " classes, 170 : total, 2,387. The numbers of those who took grouped courses during the year 1913 and attended well enough to earn higher capitation were as follows: Elementary commercial, 158; high commercial, 116; science and mathematics, 56; trades, 231; domestic, 35; art and art crafts, 72: total, 668. Adding 45 " Amokura " boys and 250 day Technical School students it appears that, out of 1,430 students enrolled during the year, 963 took grouped courses of some value, a percentage of 67"4, as compared with 66 - 3 per cent, for the year 1912, showing a slight improvement, mainly due to the increase in free-place students. Leaving out paying students in day classes who were compelled to attend grouped courses, there remain 690 fee-paying students, of whom 243 took grouped courses. On the other hand, only about twenty free-place students out of about 690 failed to take a grouped course. I would submit that these facts have some bearing on the question of compulsory attendance at continuation and technical classes. It is necessary to remember, however, that free places obtained under present conditions are likely to be held by students more interested in education than would be the case if all those who had left the primary schools were compelled to attend. The following is an analysis of the numbers of students during the year 1913 : Day Technical School—Free students, 240; paying students, 10: total, 250. Associated classes—Junior free students, first year 109, second year 105; senior free students, first year 137, second year 67, third year 30; paying students, 732: total, 1,180. Students taken elsewhere, 391. Grand total, 1,821. Of the 1,180 students in associated classes 770 were males, 410 females These include students taking woodwork and drawing at the Wellington Boys' College, students in drawing and design at the Wellington Girls' College, students in drawing, blackboard illustration, &c, at the Teachers' Training College, and probationers and public-school teachers taking drawing, illustration, &c. Associated Glasses. —Art: Good work continues to be done in the art classes, as is shown by results obtained in the British National Competitions. The close co-ordination which is now possible between the work done in drawing, &c, in the secondary schools, in the Teachers' Training College, and in the Technical College is having a good effect, and should have considerable influence on the development of art in the city. In addition, it is fortunate that the industrial students of the Technical College, training for callings such as architecture, building, plastering, painting and decorating, &c, should be able to attend both pure and applied art classes in an institution which also takes care of their science and technical work, and should thus come into intimate contact with students whose aims and ideals are often different from their own. The widened outlook and clearer perception possible in these circumstances must have a beneficial effect, apart altogether from the actual knowledge acquired and manual skill developed by the student. On the other hand, association with students who have a definite industrial aim in their studies is valuable to those whose interests in art or science are purely platonic. Science and Mathematics. —The classes in science and mathematics continue to increase in numbers, and a satisfactory feature is that the increase is made up largely of students who are taking engineering, .building architecture, or other industrial courses. Engineering. —The engineering classes show,a satisfactory improvement, and larger numbers of trade students now take classes in science and mathematics. The want of suitable mechanicalscience laboratories is being more felt every year, as it is practically impossible with the present equipment to prepare a satisfactory scientific basis for the work of the students. Building Trades. —The improvement noted in 1912 continued through 1913, and good work was done by several of the students. Commercial Glasses. —These classes show a small increase for the year, which would undoubtedly have been much larger but that the College was obliged to refuse many applications at the beginning of the year. Judging by results in Senior Civil Service and other examinations, sound work appears to have been done by a large number of the students. Continuation Subjects. —There was a considerable increase in class entries, largely due to the increase in the number of free-place students. In English alone the number of entries was over 350. Apart from other more important considerations, there is little doubt that a sound knowledge of the mother-tongue is a good commercial asset to the young tradesman or clerk, and even from the lower standpoint fully justifies the regulations which "make English a compulsory subject for_ Junior Free Place students. It is to be noted, however, that less than half of the students taking English were compelled by regulation to do so.