MANUAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12502, 31 March 1909, Page 3

MANUAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT. At yesterday's meeting of the Nelson Education Board, Mr A. A. Hintz, Director of Technical Education; submitted his monthly report, from which tha following extracts are taken :— 1. School Classes : Recognition has been claimed for the 'following handwork and manual training classes for this year: — : . " ." ; • ■. Elementary handwork 24. .Needlework 5 2 agriculture 37, physiology 10, swimming and life saving 14j physical . measurements 7, woodwork (Nelson centre) 7, -woodwork (Reefton centre) 2, woodwork (Wakefield centre) 3, cookery (Nelson centre) 6, cookery (Rich-mond-centre) 1, cookery (Wakefield centre) 3, cookery (Reefton centre) 2. 2. An increase of five classes in agriculture, four in physical measurements, and one in woodwork at Nelson centre has been made upon last year's totals. Future . claims for recognition have yet to come 7 in/ Woodwork and cookery have commenced at Nelson and Reefton centres, and will start in the Waiinea district during the coming week. Mr Thompson reports that four classes from the Boys' Central School with an average of 24.3 attendance each, ■ have commenced work. The workshop has been entirely refitted with benches, the old .tools have been renovated,- and timber for requirements stocked. . i 4. Nelson Technical School. The school commenced work for the year ori March Ist, with a very great increase of students upon the numbers of the previous year. Details regarding the classes are submitted' as follows: — ■*•.'..■■ • o5 . ■•:...'§■> -:■■•■-• §.:| •■■ •■■■•■ -...■■.-. , .-.« ■< Trades' Classes. •* .... ■'•>■: Machine construction • -21- 21 Plumbing :. 14 20 Building Construction 10 10 Trades arith. and geom. 21: 21 Domestic. '."".. • •: ; Dressmaking (day) 16 19 Dressmaking (evening) _ 25 26 Cookery ■ "8 8 Science. -■ • ■■'■ Telegraphy 16.16. Electricity - 15 15 Commercial. Commercial (day) . 24 ,; 54 Commercial "(evening) 30 51 Shorthand (evening) 14 19 Art. . ..:• :"■ ;■ ■ ■■■■ : >'-■■ "/'■ Draw, and paint (day) 17 24 Draw, and model, (evening) 16 19 Continuation. : -■- . English, senior ' ' • 28 28 English, junior , 24 24' English, (afternoon) 9 9 Arithmetic, senior 14 14 Arithmetic, junior 14 14 , Com. geography 9 9 ■'Mathematics •■■■"." 7-7 French 6 ~6 Standard VI class 18,36 Teclinical. Carpentry 13 13 5. From this table it will be seen' tha_t the totaljoll of the classes is 389, while the number' of class entries (i.e. the number of two hour . attendances made weekly) is 483. It is further worth noting ; that^all but a small proportion of the enrolments are for the whole year, thus ensuring opportunities of covering full courses of work. •- ;>. '■- .*.''. 6. The number 6f free placeholders at the beginning of. last year was 24. This year it is. 61; sixteen of these .being holders of senior free -places.^ 1. The large infiuxrofiip'upils'has . seriously taxed the. accommodation of the school, it being' found " necessary' to conduct one or. two classes ih' rooms Qntirely unsuitable for them: The ; principal drawback has been the' shortage of seating accommodation.--8. The : classes in\ electricity and telegraph work mark an important development? of the scientific side of the school' s^work. 'Both classes are.,being well attended; the v former by trades and examination students and' the latter by post office officials. -;A very useful set of appliances foF elec- : trical testing -work. has-been forwarded by the Department, ; who are' giving every encouragement to tie formation of such classes iis_we are now for the first time conducting. In- addition ' to, the. testing apparatus an engineer's lathe (valned at £30) and "a hand drill-

ing machine have been added -to our . equipment-through the medium of the Education Department. :.• About £5 is stil' required to complete the equipment necessary for teaching of practical electricity; '■■•'■: . 9 A good course in building construction and- architectural drawing is now being carried on, on ohe lines customary in the larger technical schools of the Dominion. It is surprising, .however, to note the comparatively poor patronage that those engaged in the trade accord to this. class, Which ■gives them such excellent opportunities of going through a thorough course of the principles of every department of -their trade. From my. observations of this class during this and last year I should conclude that ths younger members of those engaged in the building.trade in Nelson desire to learn no more than may bo mastered during their day's work, tot ether with a limited idea of how to raw plans and elevations, of a simple nature: ■ 10*. A further mark of increased interest in the school is that several employers .have donated the Secretary sufficient sums of money to provide a scholarship for their apprentices. : 11. Commercial classes are now so full that I shall have to refuse further pivpils for this term. Two dressmak- , mg classes were started, but these were so largely attended, as to render the formation of another two classes : necessary. Mechanical drawing classes have made a decided increase on, last year's attendance. ..The only classes where attendance does: not-ap-proach paying point are those for mathematics and French, though there is not accorded to instruction in cook-' cry the support that such a class'deseryes. . . : 12. The Hospital authorities have; been making inquiries regarding , the 1 carrying on of a special class for nurses in invalid cookery, but I have re.quested them to lay certain proposals', before the Board at ' next .meeting.; . There have, also .been enquiries . regarding the carrying on of woodwork instruction at the -Board's school at Whakarewa. 13. Westport Technical School.— Mr Dalmer,_who was at last meeting appointed instructor of engineering sub-: jects, has; accepted a prior offer of a position at Canterbury College. Cor-' respondence regarding another, appointment will be laid before the ,' Board. ■ : ; - The Board -has now cookery centres' at Westport and Reefton. For the sake of efficient instruction and supervision thereat,- it would be advisable to have these rooms in charge of a . cookery instructress, whose whole ; time could be devoted to_ the work. Under, regulations governing conduct of cookery classes all the work required per year can be got through in 20 weeks,-two hours per week. It would thus be possible for a permanent instructress totake classes, at Westport (revenue £75) for one half of the year and at Reefton (revenue £25) for the other half: ;' Unfortunately,' the revenue for Reefton . . alone would not warrant a special teacher staying iri that district for six months. ' Greymouth and Reefton could, however, be conveniently worked together, and if an agreement «could~be come to betveen the" two Boards, a permanent teacher at a salaTy of .£l5O annually could easily be. financed: Unless "some scheme; of this 1 kirid is adopted I; understand that "Reefton will shortly 03 minus the services of a cookery teacher ;f or its centre. 15. Special "forms for regulations for material have now been sent to all schools. I propose to lay these before the Boara meeting each month for approval. About 160 vqlumes in the technical library have been catalogued and the. catalogues forwarded -to teachers throughout the district, so that they may procure. books from the library per. post. . : Mr Lock moved the adoption of the report, and spoke of the satisfactory progress the Technical. School was making. The success of the school had exceeded the most sanguine, expectations.' ».■■'■.'.■ Mr Beuke seconded the motion after expressing satisfaction with the reporti * . The motion was carried. Mr Shepherd, would like to see an .effort made to -secure more : qualified teachers, at the technical schools on the Coast. \ ' ■'-■ ; ;■. .-.'■■ _'■ Mr Fair said this matter was receiving the attention of the Director.. - .. Mr Franklyn also commented on the. liberal. support, accorded the Technical School. ' ' On Sir Munson's motion it was resolved .to advertise for a teacher of .cockery ; and dressmaking (combined), at Westport and Denniston Technical Schools, at a salary of £150, with railway and coach fares.— Carried.