16

E.—ll

fessor Kernot, Melbourne University ; " Natural History as aßecreation," C. A. Topp, Esq., M.A.; "Tenants of Space," B. L. J. Ellery, Esq., F.8.5., Government Astronomer ; " Story of Australian Exploration," A. Sutherland, Esq., M.A. ; " The Drugs which kill or cure us," A. H. Jackson, Esq., D.Sc, Director College of Pharmacy; "Taxation, its Purpose and its Limits," Professor Elkington, Melbourne University; "A Lump of Common Clay," illustrated, S. H. Wintle, Esq., F.L.S.; " Story of Australian Settlement," A. Sutherland, Esq., M.A.; " Architecture," P. Oakden, Esq. ; " The Art of Beading," Bev. Alex. Macully, M.A., LL.B.; " Music, with Illustrations," Henry Keiley, Esq.; "Photography," illustrated, redelivered, L. Hart, Esq. ; "Physics of the Atmosphere," illustrated, E. Lloyd Marks, Esq., F.C.S.; "Alpine Climbing," Bev. T. F. Ewing. It is pleasant to find a large number of trades and societies subscribing towards the funds of the college, considering the great benefit likely to be derived from such classes. I think this is as it should be, and is a worthy example, which I trust the New Zealand societies will ably follow, and not allow themselves to be outdone by Victoria. A library has been started in connection with the college. The Government kindly furnish copies of all papers and works issued from the Government Printing Office. Maps from the Lands Department, papers from the Secretary for Mines, 135 volumes from the Trustees of the Public Library, and nearly 250 volumes from private persons and booksellers, have been presented. The daily papers, from the proprietors, and the " Victorian Engineer " from the proprietors, are also supplied. 3. Schools of Aet and Mines. Schools of art and design are held under the auspices of the Boyal Technological Commission : cost of Commission, £1,400. At the end of 1886 the number of schools or classes under the Commission was thirty-six, located in various towns, and meeting in schoolrooms and town halls. Of these thirty-six schools twenty-nine meet only once a week, and only one—Sandhurst—is open every day. The Boyal Technological Commission pay 2s. 6d. per head for all students who attend eight nights per quarter. Four quarters in each year. The fees are low, ranging from 2s. to 2s. 6d., 35., 55., 7s. 6d., and 10s. 6d. ; five schools only charging 7s. 6d. or 10s. 6d. During the session ending December, 1886, there were in the schools : Total students, 2,238; number of students attending eight nights during last term, 1,783. Fees received during 1886, £1,345 13s. Bd.; local encouragement, £116 135.; amount of aid from Boyal Technological Commission, £990 Bs. 3d.: total income for year, £2,452 14s. lid. Expenses: Amount paid to teachers, £1,642 6s. 9d.; expended on schools examples, £269 155.: total, £1,912 Is. 9d. Leaving a balance of £540 13s. 2d. for workingexpenses, &c. At the time of my visit none of the schools were at work : I therefore take the following extracts from the report of Mr. Gill, of Adelaide, who made careful inspection, and reported to the Board of South Australia appointed to inquire into the system of technical and agricultural education : — " These schools are under local Committees, and the examinations, when held, are under the separate local authorities, and consequently vary and are inconclusive. The local management is in the hands of some energetic local person or persons. I saw three schools: South Bichmond (1885), 168 students4-4 =42 per quarter; Hotham (1885), 742 students-f-4=185 per quarter ; and Fitzroy (1885), 822 students-f-4=205 per quarter. I was accompanied to the Fitzroy School by the Chairman and the Secretary of the Victorian Boyal Technological Commission. It is held in the large Town Hall, divided down the centre by a curtain ; females on the left and males on the right, and the platform filled with boys. There were nine teachers. Attendance below the average —74 males, 65 females; total, 139. Forty per cent, of the students were children who attended the State schools, and who prefer the art-school to bed. Of the remainder, the girls were in four divisions, and each division contained beginners, elementary, middle, and advanced students, mixed; there was no attempt either to classify students or to give the teachers definite work. The same appeared to be the case with most of the males, with the following exceptions : An architectural class contained four students, two of whom had advanced as far as printing, one was copying build-ing-construction, and one was working at geometry. One teacher was intelligently working, and had two classes at blackboard-work, three students at machine-construction (screws), and eight working at conic sections. Beyond the eleven students last named, there were not twenty who were doing work of value. A very few were copying from casts or drawing flowers. Of 139 students present, more than a hundred were engaged in work which was useless and deceiving, and would not fit them in any way for technical work—the aim of the Commission. Hotham is considered inferior to Fitzroy. There were large classes of building- and machine-construction, but all the students were working separately, and from flat copies. There were neither models nor sections of machinery. South Bichmond possessed the best appliances, casts, &c, for teaching. Fitzroy and Hotham, beside flat copies, may be said to be perfectly destitute of all appliances for teaching. The following causes are against these schools of design : (1.) The masters have not, with scarcely an exception, had any training. (2.) The schools have no appliances worthy of the name, and the large schools no conveniences for dividing the classes. (3.) The time of meeting, one evening per week, is too short. (4.) That, as the appliances of the school are so inferior, and the teaching so unsystematic, it can hardly be expected that the future teachers, often raised from the present students, will be able to improve the work of their schools. (5.) The inflated number of these schools is due to the low fee and the regular attendance of children for whom the Government already provides State-school teachers : these earn the 2s. 6d. grant from the Boyal Technological Commission for the night teachers. (6.) Many students remain only one session. (7.) To omit or debar the children, and raise the fees, so as to give a regular course of work, would cause an immediate loss of three-fourths of the students, bring the school to financial ruin, and the present masters would never be able to satisfy the remaining students, who might be willing to pay a higher fee. From what I saw lam led to think that the schools of design, as at present, are not fulfilling the expectations of the Boyal Technological Commission ; and I understand that it was intended to