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CA NTERRURY DISTRICT. Extract from the Report of the Supervisor of Manual and Technical Instruction. The attendances at technical and continuation classes were still very much affected by war conditions. In spite of (his. however, successful courses of instruction were carried out at Waimate, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Ashburton, Greymouth, Hokitika, Kaiapoi, and Rangiora. These classes were well supported by local bodies making liberal voluntary contributions, thus exemplifying the fact that the classes arc supplying a want and meeting the requirements of the district." Besides, individual technical and continuation classes have been conducted at Fairlie, Pleasant Point, Doyleston, Leeston, and Lakeside. The Ellesmere Technical Association is to be congratulated on the successful organization of classes it has carried on during the year. The increased facilities provided in the Regulations for Technical Instruction for the award of free places to studenls taking up courses of instruction in agricultural, industrial, and domestic subjects were largely taken advantage of by pupils attending some of the technical schools in the district. With the exception of Greymouth and Lyttelton, most of the centres in the district have been or are to be supplied with a technical school building; Lyttelton is in a fair way to be provided for, and it is probable that Greyinouth's wants will be attended to before the end of the incoming year. The requirements of pupil-teachers, probationers, and uncertificated teachers have not been lost sight of. Classes for agriculture, drawing, and hygiene were conducted at Timaru and Christchurch. The drawing class in Christchurch was taken at the School of Art, but was supervised by the Board. At Greymouth classes for agriculture, mathematics, English, drawing, and school method were held. These teachers' classes have been well attended, and the instruction given has been very useful to the younger teachers, both in their actual teaching-work and in their examination work. There is evidence to show that manual and technical work throughout the district has made a steady advance in spite of the adverse conditions brought about by the war, the very severe winter, and the epidemic. No doubt there are many defects in the system which can only be remedied as time goes on, but the experience already gained should lay the foundation for greater success in the future. Ritohings Grant, Supervisor. Extract fro.m the Report of the Director of the Christchurch Technical School. It is very gratifying to be able to report an increase in our numbers exceeding that of any other year of war. Our Technical High School, which in 1917 surpassed the highest previous record by forty-two, has now passed its last year's record by no less than seventy-nine. Even the evening school and special classes, which have, of course, suffered heavily owing to the war, have shown a small increase of eleven. Our total enrolment for the year has been 1,820, as compared with 1,730 in 1917. Technical High School. —The 542 pupils in the Technical High School were divided between the various courses as follows: Commercial. 197; home science, 76; industrial, 121; Public Service, 99; agricultural, 49. It will be seen that the policy of offering facilities to our pupils to enter for the Public Service Examination has been amply justified, and I trust that, now the syllabus has been modified to give encouragement to both industrial and home-science work, more students will be encouraged to take the course in these departments. It is proposed to modify the curriculum, however, by the inclusion of French. It will be admitted that where pupils are definitely entering upon a secondary course of at least two years it is desirable that they should have the training which the study of a modern language affords. Until the Public Service course was introduced it was not. possible to say that the majority of pupils in any of our classes would be with us for two years, and therefore the introduction of French did not seem justified. Since the Public Service course implies staying at school at least two years, the time has arrived for broadening the curriculum. Owing to the appointment of a specialist in agriculture to the staff it has been possible to strengthen greatly the course of instruction in this department, but the position will never be satisfactory until parents realize that a stay at school of more than one year is really necessary if the instruction is to be carried to a paying-point. It has, unfortunately, been our experience that a smaller proportion of agricultural boys stay for a second year than is the case in any other course, and this, no doubt, has been due to the great demand for their labour. In order to safeguard the interests of our country workers who are to form the rural population of the future, the raising of the school leaving-age is especially imperative. The growth of the school has made it a difficult problem to find sufficient playing-space on sports days. The Board is laying down two new hockey-grounds at Ensor's Road, but it will be necessary in future to take the girls' sports and boys' sports on different days, and to continue to make use of Sydenham Park as well as our own fields for the boys' games. The pupils have again been very active in various ways to help war causes. Altogether during the year the sum of over £200 has been raised in connection with our Old Boys' Parcels Fund and Old Boys' Memorial, while much help has been given to the Red Cross, Lady Liverpool, ami other funds. Great preparations had been in progress during the session for a two days' bazaar in December to raise money for the Old Boys' Memorial, but unfortunately, owing to the epidemic, this had to be postponed. It is gratifying to be able to report that no members of the school lost their lives during the epidemic, nor did any serious case occur, while the hostel was entirely free from the trouble. One may hope that the light which has been thrown upon household methods in New Zealand will lead the public to recognize how important it is that emphasis should be laid upon training in the care of the home.