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drawing. Needlework and dressmaking is taught in this division of the room. The former artroom, 20 ft. by 26 ft., is now used for wood-carving and modelling in clay. The workshop has been fitted with benches to accommodate ten * students; saws, planes, and all the necessary tools have been provided by the Board, together with a lathe, 6 in. centres, for wood-turning. In the wood-carving and modelling room, a complete set of carving tools for the use of the instructor, six benches for carving, and the necessary stands and stools for modelling in clay have been provided, together with a supply of excellent clay obtained from the Milton Pottery Company, of Otago. In the art-room we now have four full figures—the Fighting Gladiator, the Discobolus, the Dancing Faun, and the Venus de Medici—the minimum number required by the Science and Art Department for their examination in antique work. Although the new work was not commenced till the quarter just ended, and therefore a report thereon belongs to that of this year, it may be advisable to mention the different classes now being held in the school. In addition to drawing, painting, machine-drawing, and building construction classes formerly carried on, and which numbered 152 last term, 127 new students received instruction in the following subjects : Wood-carving, 14; modelling in clay, 2 ; bench woodwork, 18 ; needlework, 5; dressmaking, 11; mathematics, 18 ; experimental science, 25 ; botany, 3 ; shorthand, 5 ; Latin and English, 18 ; university work, 8 : total, 278—more than double the number (132) for the preceding term. This must be considered a very satisfactory beginning ; and, although it is to be hoped that these numbers will not only be maintained but increased, the continued success of these classes depends very largely on the instructors. This success is determined not so much by the capability of an instructor to execute first-class workmanship in any particular branch of handicraft as by his ability as a teacher to impart his technical knowledge and manual dexterity to the different students of his class. And although these qualifications are by no means common in an every-day workman, especially when he is new to his duties as a teacher, they may be acquired to a certain extent by patience and experience. In closing this report I wish to express my thanks to the Board for these long-delayed additions, and for the liberal manner in which my suggestions in connection with the increased usefulness of the school have been adopted. To Mr. Babbage, who has been my assistant for over three years, my thanks are due for his courteous manner and his willing work. I have, &c, The Chairman, Wanganui Education Board. David Blaie, Director.

■ WELLINGTON TECHNICAL SCHOOL. Dieectoe's Eepobt. Sib,— 10th March, 1898. I have the honour to submit my report upon the primary drawing and manual and technical instruction under my direction : — Primary Work. Drawing and kindred subjects have progressed very satisfactorily during the past year. Schools having over thirty scholars have this year received a visit of inspection, and have thus been placed in a position to carry out the requirements more efficiently. Clay-modelling and flat-tinting have both received considerable attention; in the latter case I hope to see the development of brush work in colour in a marked degree upon the lines suggested by Prank Jackson's drawing-cards, as published by A. M. Holden, of London. Scholars having passed the four drawing sections will find these cards interesting and instructive. The cards may also be used to enlarge from, and for design in its simplest form of borders and patterns of various kinds. In clay-modelling an interesting series of exercises for the standards is published by E. J. Arnold and Son, of Leeds, but in all cases where possible it is better to let the children handle the object to be copied than to work from printed examples, which should only be used as suggestions for the teacher. I shall be glad to see this work considerably extended. In freehand drawing there is a tendency to draw only from Bacon's charts. This is not altogether advisable; enlarging the example from small cards (Bacon's or Jackson's) should also be practised, particularly by those likely to present themselves for examination. Geometrical and scale drawing are of about the same quality as last year. lam anxious that more work in the latter subject should be done from actual objects : there is great danger in using a chart or copy that the aim of scale work will be utterly defeated. Every alternate sketch should be made from actual measurement of some object or portion of the room, as school furniture, door, window, shelter-shed, school-ground, fireplace, &c; and, in case of copies, surveyors', carpenters', or builders' plans should be used. The use of scale, chart, or book only is not sufficient. Greater attention is required to the condition of the instraments used in geometrical and scale drawing. Model-drawing is making a steady advance. First-grade Drawing Examination. —ln this examination the following were the results: The total number of papers issued was 7,020, and the number worked 6,381: passed, 3,856 ; failed, 2,525. Freehand, 1,988 papers worked —1,165 passed, 823 failed; geometry, 2,052 papers worked —1,331 passed, 721 failed; scale, 1,489 papers worked —931 passed, 558 failed; model, 852 papers worked —429 passed, 423 failed. Number of papers " excellent," 359; number of papers " good," 528 ; individual candidates, 4,532 ; individual passes, 3,082 ; schools presenting candidates, 127. 792 papers were taken by schools not under the Wellington Board, and 489 passes were recorded. The total number of papers worked, 6,381, shows an increase upon that of last year of 775 papers. The following shows the result of this examination in 1895-96-97 in the

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