WIDE RANGE OF STUDIES

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 9

WIDE RANGE OF STUDIES

WORK OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS

HANDWORK AND NATURE 'STUDY.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS’ EXHIBIT.

Working under much more difficult conditions than last year, the schools of North Taranaki have given a display which covers a wide and interesting field. The results of the studies of the children in agriculture, nature 'study, forestry and handwork are still exhibited, in spite of the fact that much of the handwork is made from waste material and the work of the boys’ and girls’ clubs has been restricted for the present year. Owing to the economic stringency this year the boys’ and girls’ clubs decided tb curtail their plot competitions, but several schools carried on, under their own initiative, providing everything for the work themselves. The result i‘s that the schools were still able to table this year a fine array of mangolds, carrots and swedes. The schools exhibiting have done fine work and are reluctant to abandon their plots. The quality of the roots chosen for competition showed that the instruction the children had received- in the best type of root had not been wasted.

The Agricultural Society’s challenge potato shield competition this year was competed for by a group of schools, and the history of their experiments is recorded in interesting charts which are exhibited. The high standard of the chart ' work is particularly noticeable this year. Included in the exhibit are wall chart records of experiments on the school grounds. It is usual for a school to study one family of farm plant each year, studying the soil plant history and insect and fungoid pests. The charts include cultivation notes as well. The Westown School gives the results of experiments with the cultivation of the onion and the Waitara School of experiments with the potato. The handwork display of the schools covers as wide a range as ever in spite of the fact that the Education Department has been obliged to with-hold supplies of materials. ■ The ingenuity of the teaching, in putting was material to use is most marked. Old motor tubes have provided objects as various as boys’ braces and ladies’ handbags, with interesting decorative designs on all of them. Canvas material's, rushes and most of the things that cost nothing have been used in providing material. Needlework, knitting and colour designing, besides writing, plasticine work, and basket-making are included among the exhibits. .

The principal exhibit in the Forestry Section is one from tin Lincoln Road ISchool of native forest trees, wrenched and ready for planting, and a collection of native leaves with samples of flora fit the native forest.

The Lower Mangorei School gives result's of interesting observations of the relative growth, over a term of four years, of. exotic forest trees such as gums and pines. Samples of trees raised in the school nurseries, including cypress and pine, are exhibited in trays. Nature study in the schools has produced a number of notable exhibits. From the Tataraimaka School there is a model nature study muse .m where natural history objects are placed in a glass case. Among the objects are a heron, a penguin and an albatross, the nest of a fantail and berries strung into a necklace. Alongside is a stuffed kiwi, exhibited by the pupils of the Newall Road School.

There ,is a collectio of eggs made by pupils of the Lincoln Road School, which includes the eggs of the grey warbler, the New Zealand robin, the kingfisher, the thrush, the sparrow and the silver eye. Other exhibits are collections of the leaves of native trees and weeds.