MANUAL TRAINING.

I ' PROPOSED AtTCKXAND CEHTKES EDUCATION BOARD REPORTS. The supervisor of the manual and technical branch under the Auckland Education Board (Mr. Kalaugher) has submitted to the Education Board reporte on the proposed centres for the establishment of manual training schools. He states that such a school built at Avondale would have pupils from Point Chevalier 85, Avondale 110, New Lynn, 54, Waikumete 30, Henderson 30, and Swaneon 15, totalling approximately 300 children. A building of two rooms (woodwork and cookery), with pantry and teachers' room, would cost about" £1,100. If local contributions, amounting to, say, £350, were raised, the Department would probably agree to have the building erected and equipped. Teehiiical and continuation classes could be inaugurated at Avondale, and the Pchool Committee there, under section 124 of the Education Act, 1014. would be consulted regarding regulation* requiring attendance of all children between 14 and 17 years of age. The site suggested for the school was on or adjacent to the Avondale public school, and should be provided free to the Department. The Avondale Road I Board, Point Chevalier Road Board, New I Lynn Town Board and the Waitemata I County Council could be asked to contribute towards the new school. Mr. Kalangher said he knew the Avondale Road Board would give the projecthearty support. TN ONEHUNGA DISTRICT. Reporting on the proposal for a school in the Onehunga. district, the supervisor said: — "At present pupik from Onehunga, Mangere Bridge, Te Papapa and Onehunga Convent travel by rail to Otahuhu manual training centre, and pupils from Mount Roekill by tram to Newmarket centre. The train journey, owing to the break of journey at Penrose junction, is inconvenient, arid has an element of danger. If a manual training school were built at the Royal Oak corner, pupils from the following schools could attend:—Onehunga 110, Onehunga Conj vent 25, Te Papapa 50, Mangere Bridge j 3.->, Mount Roskill 65, and possibly Ep- , som 110, or a total of i? 35 children. A I building consisting of two rooms (wood- ' 'Aork and cookery) with porches and pantry and teacher's room ivould cost ! about £1,100. If local contributions amounting to, cay, £350. were raised, the Department would probably agree to have the building erected and equipped, i Technical and continuation classes could i he established at Onehunga. and the OneI hnnga School Committee ehould be con- : stilted with rrjrard to making rejnilai tions under section 124 of the Education •Act. 1914, requiring attendance at thoee ! classes of young persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years. Site: Two sites have been mentioned, one being the part of the grounds attached to the headmaster's house, Onehunga, and the other near the Royal Oak corner. The site at the master's house is already the Board's property—a site at thp Royal Oak would cost a considerable sum. From the point of view of establishing technical and continuation classes at Onehunga it would be preferable to have the manual training building erected on the site at the master's residence, as then pnpils attending evening classes would be able to attend with a minimum loes of time. Onehiinsa (135), Mnncere Bridsre (35). Te Pnpapa (501, children would also be better suited by this arrangement, while Mount Roekill (65) children could travel on the tram (penny section X to Onehnnea. a total of 285 children. The following local bodies should be asked to contribute: Onehunga Borough Council. Mnnsrere Road Board, Mount Roskill Road Board." CITY MANUAL INSTITUTIONS." Another report was:—"The present system by which a qualified instructor with an assistant has charge of woodwork and cookery classes ranging up to .1 maximum of 36 pupils is not considered to be in the best interests of efficiency, the present woodwork and cookery rooms at each of the Newton, Newmarket and Ponsonby centres are 54ft. by 26 feet. It is proposed that these rooms be lengthened by 12ft... each room then to be divided into two rooms. This would enable two cookery and two woodwork classes with a maximum number of J twenty-six pupils in each woodwork class, and twenty-four pupils in each cookery class, to be held. A qualified instructor would be in charge of each class. The cost of alterations to centre would be approximately £650, made up as follows: Addition to building £450, levelling floors, altering ga« fittings, etc., £40, plumbing work £70, chimneys, £50 pantries £4(1. Extra equipment would be required. If the Department approves of the proposed changes, this equipment would be Provided by the Department. The following local 'bodies should be asked to contribute: Auckland City Council Mount Eden Borough Council, Mount Albert Borough Council, and New- | market Borough CntfKnil, and also* possibly the Auckland Saving Bank and the Auckland das Company." The reports were approved and left to !Mr. Kalaugher and Miss Juniper for 'further report to the Board.