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Extract from the Report of the Dean of the Faculty op Home Science, Otago University. The year was a very satisfactory one on the whole, in spite of the insufficient accommodation at Studholme House and the wholly inadequate rooms and equipment at the University. Twentynine students were in residence at Studholme House during the winter session, 1917, and four of the staff, while twelve students were living with their parents or relations in Dunedin. Three students completed the diploma course in September, 1917, and all three were appointed to good posts before the end of the session. Four students completed the degree course, and sat for the final examination in November. The appointments for the year were as follows : Miss Borrie to the Wanganui Girls' College; Miss D. McKenzie to the Whangarei High School; Miss Bell to the Wellington Girls' College; Miss Bruce to Westport, under the Nelson Education Board; Miss Ellis to the Hawke's Bay District, under the Hawke's Bay Education Board; Miss Richardson to the Waitaki Girls' High School; Miss. Loy to the Ashburton Technical School. All the posts to which students have been appointed after leaving the College are very satisfactory, and at least seven of our old students are now receiving salaries of more than £200 a year. Since the inauguration of'the home-science course fifteen students have gained the degree, and sixteen the diploma. Of these, twenty-seven are teaching, and one is organizing and conducting club-rooms for women and girl workers in Sydney. During the year the Principal of the Girls' College, Benares, wrote asking me to send the syllabus of the home-science course followed at the Otago University, as she was trying to get the Hindu University to establish a domestic-science course for the B.A. degree, I sent her full particulars, and she has since let me know that a course has been established there. 1 need hardly refer again to the insufficiency of accommodation, as the Council is fully aware of the facts. W. L. Boyes-Smith, Dean. SOUTHLAND DISTRICT. Extract from the Report of the Director of Manual and Technical Instruction. For many years very successful classes in wool-sorting under the direct control of the Board have been regularly conducted in various centres throughout the district. This year, however, it was recognized that conditions were altogether unfavourable to the establishment of such classes, and it being practically certain that a sufficient number of students would not be forthcoming it was reluctantly decided to discontinue the classes for the year. It is hoped, however, that in a subject so vitally affecting the interests of the district it will be possible to have work resumed at no distant date. Teachers' classes in the following subjects were held, the numbers attending being given in each case: Drawing (five classes), 119; vocal music (two classes), 46; advanced needlework (two classes), 54; agriculture (two classes), 37; mathematics, 13; English, 16; cardboard modelling, 30; school method, 19; elementary hygiene and first aid (three classes), 89; elocution, 12. I have to acknowledge the fairness with which all applications and claims have been dealt with by the Department. I have to express also my indebtedness to the Inspectors and the Secretary for willing assistance at all times, and to record my appreciation of the way in which -the various instructors have striven to make a success of the different classes under their control. R. Brownlie, Director of Manual and Technical Instruction. Extract from the Report op the Director of the Invercargill Technical School. The greatest difficulty that the Board had to face during the year was the shortage of accommodation for classes, due to a considerable increase in the number of students. A. building has been rented for the class for motor-car drivers, and two additional rooms have been made available by the removal of manual-training classes to other buildings, so that the difficulty has to some extent been overcome. The necessity still exists, however, for the provision of more class-rooms for general work, and more playground space is urgently required in the immediate vicinity of the College. The alterations in the railway time-tables which came into force in May also created difficulties by making the school day very short for country children travelling on several lines, but it is satisfactory to record that these have been settled by considerable reorganization of the school time-tables and by the reversion of the service from Clinton to its original time in the morning. Technical High School. —The school year just ended has been the most strenuous yet experienced. Early in the session the two senior teachers resigned, ami as both had been on the staff since the opening of the school their departure meant a considerable break at the time. The special railway services arranged in May on account of the coal strike, and later through the necessities of the war, interfered with the attendances of country students and the work of the school; these troubles were, however, partially -overcome. One of the greatest difficulties to be faced during the year was the instruction of a larger number of students than ever with insufficient class-rooms. Although one of the cookery-rooms previously used for primary-school classes was vacated for our use, this gave insufficient accommodation, owing to the fact that the roll number of the Technical High School was greater by forty-eight than in the previous year. The total number of students was 271; these took courses of instruction as follows : Commercial, 74 boys, 108 girls; domestic science, 32 girls; trades, 45 boys; agricultural, 12 boys. Since