E.—s

6

taking the course for the diploma and twelve that for the degree. Three students completed the former and one the latter course. Government bursaries were awarded to nineteen students who had signified their intention to qualify as teachers of domestic subjects. Seven of the students who have completed their courses are now engaged in teaching in various parts of the Dominion. With the view of affording special facilities for training in housecraft a hostel has been established in connection with the University. The number of students in residence is fifteen. The elementary and advanced courses in pure and applied art provided by the schools in the larger centres continue to attract a satisfactory number of students, many of whom show considerable promise. Classes having special reference to the application of art to industries are becoming increasingly popular. Some of the work of the students attending these craft classes gives evidence of originality and skill. That the instruction in art, generally, is on right lines is evidenced by the successes gained by students in connection with the National Competitions of the English Board of Education, referred to elsewhere. Controlling authorities and Managers of technical schools continue to provide facilities for instruction in subjects relating to rural pursuits, and it is gratifying to note that their efforts in this direction appear to be meeting with some success. During the year classes attended by over 1,500 students were held at over sixty centres. Instruction was given in wool sorting and classing, shearing, dairying, veterinary science, agriculture, and horticulture. The classes were, for the most part, taken by itinerant instructors at convenient centres, and, if the attendance and the voluntary contributions of the farmers are any criterion, they were fully appreciated. Table Jc.—Number op Students taking Group Courses op Instruction occupying not less than Four Hours a Week and Eighty Hours a Year. „ - T . ~ Number of Students. Course pi Instruction. . „.,, , „. . Elementary and higher commercial, and general (including 1,980 2,117 public examinations) Practical mathematics and science .. .. .. 105 97 Mathematics and science applied to trades and industries .. .1,149 1,378 Domestic science .. .. .. .. .. 401 583 Arts and art-crafts .. .. .. .. .. 655 646 Totals .. .. .. .. 4,290 4,821 ,jj Capitation in respect of group courses, as above, was earned by thirty-nine schools. About 29 per cent, of the students took such courses, the total number doing so being over five hundred more than in the previous year. The attendance of students at evening classes must be regarded as satisfactory, in view of the fact that attendance is for the most part voluntary. A gratifying feature is the number of students who find it worth while to attend on three or more evenings a week. Regulations requiring the attendance of young persons between the ages of fourteen and seventeen who are not otherwise receiving a suitable; education, or who are not specially exempted from attendance, were in operation in seven school districts in Wanganui, in two in Auckland, and in one in Hawke's Bay. The classes established under these regulations were attended by 436 students, of whom 256 were males. In the following table are given the number and sex of pupils receiving free education under the Regulations for Free Places :—

1913. 1914. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Female, Total. T . . ., (First year Junior free pupils | geoon^ year fFirst year Senior free pupils j Second year (Third year 840 471 341 190 73 506 264 276 131 79 1,346 735 617 321 152 847 555 374 247 95 510 365 306 208 77 1,357 920 680 455 172 Totals 1,915 1,256 3,171 2,118 1,466 3,584