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E.—s

Agriculture, being such an important national industry, it is to be regretted that a larger number of boys do not take up the agricultural course. This, to some extent, is due to the fact that, on account of lack of facilities, we are unable to give a great deal of practical farm training in the course, as the Small area of 3 acres of land at Otahuliu, whilst serving admirably for experimental purposes, gives very little scope for the practical study of the ordinary farm operations. If the Government could see its way to provide, in connection with the Technical High School, a small farm of from 50 to 100 acres for experimental purposes, I am quite sure that a very much larger number of students would avail themselves of the agricultural course, and that the benefit which would accrue to the country would greatly outweigh the initial expenditure. Although very much handicapped through want of class-room and other accommodation, the work done in the Technical High School during the year was, generally speaking, quite up to the standard of that of previous sessions. During the year several unsuccessful applications were made to the Minister of Education for a grant for new workshops. These are greatly needed, particularly in connection with the Technical High School. The swimming-bath, the erection of which was begun some years ago, is still uncompleted through lack of Funds. If it is ever finished it will be a great boon to the institution, and give a fillip to the teaching of swimming. Everything that is possible is being done in this direction at present, but. a great deal of time is lost on account of the students having to travel to and from the city tepid baths. Last year every boy in the school, unless exempt by medical certificate, passed the 100 yards swimming' test, whilst forty-nine obtained silver medals for swimming a distance of three miles, and fifteen obtained bronze medals for swimming two miles. The girls, though not so successful as the boys, made a very good showing, twenty obtaining silver medals for swimming a distance of two miles, and fourteen bronze medals for swimming one mile. The school championship for boys was won by the engineering class, the average being 3,746 yards per pupil. The first-year championship for boys was carried off by first-year agriculture class, with an average distance of 2,614 yards. The school average for boys was 2,220 yards. The school championship for girls was won by second-year business training "A" class, with an average of 816 yards; the first-year championship being won by first-year business training " A " class, with an average of 501 yards. The school average for girls was 524 yards. As I mentioned in my report last year, one of the greatest necessities in connection with the Technical High School is'the provision'of hostels for boys and girls respectively. On account of their being unable to find, at a reasonable price, suitable boarding accommodation where the boys and girls would be under supervision, many parents in I he country prefer to keep their children at home, whereas if hostels were provided they would be quite willing to send them to the citato secure the advantages of technical education. External Examinations.— -Twenty-one students of the High School passed the Public Service Entrance Examination; 156 were awarded senior free places by the Education Department; one obtained a Senior National Scholarship; two passed the Matriculation Examination" of the New Zealand University; three the special examination for shorthand-writers and typists held by the Public Service Commissioner; one obtained a book-keeper's diploma; fifteen passed Grade 1. Division 2, in Mechanical Engineering, City and Guilds of London Institute; two students passed in one group of teachers' D examination. . Evening and Special Day Classes.— -The total number of individual .students in attendance at evening and special day classes of the school is 1,285, as against'l,l77 for the previous year. This increase was largely due to the enrolment of returned soldiers, of whom there were 170 in attendance during the year. The bulk of these attended classes in motor engineering, and in business training, many"of them doing excellent work, and finding no difficulty in obtaining suitable positions at the expiration of their course of training. Speaking generally, the work of last year in the evening classes seemed to suffer to some extent from the compulsory shortening ot the session during the previous year on account of the influenza epidemic. In the absence of examinations at the end of 1918, students who had done satisfactory work during the year were credited with a pass It would appear that the examination test is also necessary, as several students who were passed into higher classes on account of this "credit pass" showed themselves quite unfit to take up the more advanced work. Had the examinations been held the weaker ones would have been weeded out. Thirty-two nurses from the Auckland Hospital attended courses of instruction in invalid cookery at the College, and twelve boys from the Blind Institute received instruction in woodwork. , . , . . . „ ~ ■ There were 131 students attending continuation classes, which were provided for those who through backwardness or lack of opportunity, had been unable to pass the Sixth Standard; ot these twenty-five obtained certificates of proficiency and seventeen certificates of competency. 'External Examinations.— Students attending the evening and special day classes ot the school were successful in passing external examinations as follows: Public Service Entrance, 3; Intermediate Examination, 2; Matriculation Examination ot New Zealand University, 15, partld pass in Matriculation Examination, 4; Examination A of Pharmacy Board, 4; Examination B !,f Pharmacy Board, 5; Book-keepers' Diploma, New Zealand University, Fifty-eight students attending evening classes were awarded senior free places by the Education Department. CcW Chsses.-AM in previous years, the students from the Auckland. Training College attended classes under our instructors in art, domestic science, and manual training (woodwork). The total number of individual students in attendance was 169 Pupil-teachers and probationers from the city and suburban schools attended special classes at the College in botany, hygiene, drawing, vocal music, &c. in preparation for the D examinations Classes in physiology, botany, English, &C„ were also provided for candidates for the C eX \'t ll ihe Education Department's examination thirty-six students obtained the full D certificate, and thirty-nine a partial pass; six passed in four groups, thirty in three twenty-nine in two, and eleven in one. In the C examination one student obtained a full certificate, two passed in four subiects, eleven in three, and seven in two. Technical-school Teachers.-Ko class of teachers has been harder hit by tfie increase in the cost of living than those on the staffs of technical schools and colleges. Whilst it is generally acknow-