E.—2.

given had suitable aims and successfully followed them. Such work, though exacting, is stimulating both to staff and students. The system makes for a live College —dynamic, not static. In their own periods of practical teaching the students show themselves generally keen to try out their own ideas developed from observation of the lessons in College. Generally speaking, the reports on the students' teaching testify to their enthusiasm and growing power in their work. Athletic and Social.—The year has been a very happy one in College. The Social Committee has carried through the usual season's programme with marked success. The general improvement in bearing, dress, &c., as a result of the College social life is marked. I have never felt better pleased with the results achieved than this year. Only those who come into close personal contact with the students can properly realize the value of the good work the College is doing in this way ; for those of us who know it is gratifying. The tone has never been finer, I think. In sport, too, the season has been a happy and successful one. Our trophies-cupboard is full of cups and vases won by College teams in various branches of sport. The chief distinction, of which the men are rightly proud, is the winning, for the first time in the history of the College, of the Rugby Union Second-grade Championship by our senior football team. Not one match was lost during the season. On the women's side special distinction was won in basket-ball, our teams winning the Auckland Championships in both first and second grades. On the whole the physique of the students and their keenness in healthy sport has been a feature of the year. Never before have so many persistently kept themselves fit. Outside Activities. —Among these it will be sufficient to note the students' visits to the invalided soldiers of the open-air shelters, to the Veterans' Home, and to the Papatoetoe Orphanage. A party to the orphan children of Richmond Road Home and the crippled children of the Auckland Hospital was held at the annexe at the close of the year. Hostel.—The hostel grows in success and usefulness. As soon as funds will permit additional hostels should be established to provide accommodation for all students not able to live at home. WELLINGTON. f have the honour to submit the following report on the work of the College for the year 1925 :— The following shows the enrolment since the establishment of the College in 1906:—

Last year I drew attention to the increasing proportion of men students, and suggested then that the proportion was " probably just as high as is desirable to meet the requirements of the service." It will be noted that this year the proportion is higher still. It is not possible, with the information at my disposal, to speak with any certainty, but I would suggest that the continued increase in the proportion of men students is worthy of consideration. While it is undesirable that there should be a shortage of men teachers in the service, such a condition would be less difficult than a shortage of women teachers. The teaching of infants must always be in the hands of women, while a reasonable proportion of women should be found in the upper departments. The wastage from the ranks of women teachers is very considerably in excess of that from the ranks of men teachers. Consequently if the number of women in the service is to be kept equal to, or greater than, the number of men it is necessary that the number of women among the entrants should be greatly in excess of the number of men. An examination of the above table will show that the matter, though perhaps by no means urgent, should not be lost to sight. Staff. —Our staff has been again increased, and now consists of Principal, Vice-Principal, nine lecturers, and two assistants. Counting these latter as equivalent to one lecturer, we have twelve full-time teachers for 345 students, giving an average of 28-75 students per teacher. This improvement in staffing has fully justified itself in that it has enabled us to adapt our methods to the individual requirements of students to an extent much greater than in the past. The reduction in the size of classes and the better supervision and direction of " circle " work have resulted in a marked improvement in the quality of the work done and in the confidence gained by the students. The success of our work must be in the main proportioned to the extent to which the student is, and feels himself to be, an active participant. Consequently, as indicated in my last report, our efforts are directed towards a greater activity on the part of the individual student; and these efforts have been effective because of the steady improvement in our staff.

7—E. 2.

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Number of Students. Percentage of Roll. Year. j : : Men. Women. Total. Men. , Women. 1906 .. .. .. 12 34 46 26-1 73-9 1916 .. .. .. 21 93 114 18-3 81-7 1920 .. .. .. 44 142 186 23-7 76-3 1921 .. .. .. 49 147 196 25-0 75-0 1922 .. .. .. 74 203 277 26-7 73-3 1923 .. .. .. 67 227 294 22-8 77-2 1924 .. .. .. 100 223 323 30-9 69-J 1925 .. .. .. 120 224 344 34-9 65-1