9

E.—s

Thus, in the case of " special " classes the total receipts amounted to £35,241 and the expenditure to £31,438, while for " associated " classes the total receipts and the total expenditure were £57,683 and £59,374 respectively. ■ The following is a summary of the expenditure by the Government on manual and technical instruction during the year ended the 31st March, 1915 :— Manual instruction— £ £ Capitation on classes .. .. .. .. .. 32,007 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. .. .. * 193 Grants for buildings, equipment, rent, &c. .. .. .. 3,205 35,405 Technical instruction— Capitation— Day technical schools .. .. .. .. 18,854 Other classes (including free places) .. .. .. 26,209 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. .. .. 5,427 Grants for buildings, equipment, material, rent, &c. .. .. 22,665 73,155 Manual and technical instruction—• Railway fares, &c, of instructors and students .. .. 9,046 „*. Bursaries .. .. .. .. ..'... 1,142 Examinations .. .. .. .. .. .. 475 Inspection and other expenses .. .. .. .. 1,136 — 11,799 120,359 Less recoveries (examination fees, &c.) .. .. 178 £120,181 This total includes £8,270 fiom national-endowment revenue. The total expenditure for the previous year in respect of capitation, subsidies on voluntary contributions, and grants for buildings, &c, was —For manual instruction £35,290, and for technical instruction £64,198. Of the total capitation paid during the year, 30 per cent, was on account of classes of primary grade, 36 per cent, on account of classes of secondary grade (i.e., classes of secondary schools, secondary departments of district high schools, and day technical schools), and 34 per cent, on account of classes of technical schools. The Science Examinations of the Board of Education, London, and the Technological Examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute were held as usual, the former at fourteen and the latter at nineteen centres. The total number of '*■ entries was 426, and the number of passes 264. The percentage of passes was 62. At the National Art Competitions of the Board of Education, London, one bronze medal, two book prizes, and twelve certificates of commendation* were awarded to students of technical schools in the Dominion.

No. 2. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. Director op Education to the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education. Sir,— I have the honour to report as follows on the branch of education represented by the Regulations for Manual and Technical Instruction : — The reports of. the Inspectors of Technical Schools, together with the tables relating to manual and technical instruction attached hereto, set forth in considerable detail the present position of this branch of education. So far as the larger centres are concerned the technical schools' may be said to be meeting in a fairly satisfactory way the needs of the localities they serve. It has been said that the curriculum of a properly organized technical school should reflect the industries of its district. To a large and increasing extent this is the case in the centres referred to, while as many of the smaller centres vigorous institutions are in process of development. The day technical schools, eight in number, that are carried on in connection with the technical colleges and schools continue to flourish. They occupy an important place in the scheme of secondary education as it exists to-day in New Zealand, widening as they do the opportunities of further education that await the young student on the completion of his primary-school career. Since 1900 the year in which the Manual and Technical Instruction Act came into operation—the system of manual and technical instruction has, as the reports for the various years indicate, been gradually and surely expanding. The progress made has in some respects been unequal :

2-E. 5.