E.—s

15

set squares, one pair wing compasses, one two-foot rule, one claw-hammer, one bevel square, one dozen lead-pencils, four bits, one oil-stone, one punch, one wood-rimer, two German bits, one jackplane, one smoothing-plane, three gauges, one screwdriver bit, three squares, six gauges, eight chisels, fourteen bench-stops, four mallets. In addition to the above I lend the pupils my tools, including one grindstone, two iron bench-screws, one iron block-plane, brace, bits, saws, planes, &c. Visitors to the school still express great satisfaction with the introduction of manual instruction, and I understand that boys who have left school find the knowledge they acquired in the use of tools of great benefit. Yours, &c, The Director, Technical School, Wellington. Chas. E. Joplin.

NAPIER TECHNICAL SCHOOL. Report fob 1899. The school opened on the 20th February, 1899. Since that date the classes have been well attended, especially during the third quarter, when the roll of the evening classes reached the goodly number of thirty-seven. The attendance in the evening for the fourth quarter has fallen off slightly, on account of the summer sports; but, on the contrary, the classes for teachers and pupil-teachers have increased to forty-two, as against nineteen for the second quarter. Of this number about sixteen are teachers who attend a special class for instruction in kindergarten technical work, such as modelling, colour-work, &c. The subjects taught during the year in the teachers' and pupil-teachers' classes have been as follows : Pupil-teachers—Freehand, and model drawing, colour-work or elementary design, light and shade, perspective and geometry. Teachers—Colour-work and modelling in clay. Evening Glasses (the students of which are for the most part boys and young men). —Freehand and model drawing, perspective, light and shade, scale-drawing, geometry, elementary design, modelling in clay, wash-drawing, and mechanical drawing. These evening classes have been greatly appreciated by those attending them. Most of the students who joined at the beginning of the year have attended the school regularly light through, and with excellent results, as shown by the work at present on exhibition. Other classes in higher-art subjects, such as drawing from life, painting from nature, still-life painting, modelling in clay, kc, are also flourishing. The authority granted by the Education Department to hold examinations and issue drawing certificates to teachers (under recognition of the Government) has been taken advantage of for the first time, the examinations having been held on the 2nd December, under supervision of the Inspector and other gentlemen. Six candidates passed in freehand drawing, five in model-drawing, two in geometry, and one in perspective. At the South Kensington examinations held at the school last June, under the auspices of the Eduoation Department, about seventy candidates presented themselves. Out of this number, twenty-eight were children I had chosen from the district school for elementary freehand. The results of this examination are not yet to hand. A special class was established at the district school in more advanced technical drawing, the subjects being elementary design or colour-work as taught in the London Board schools, perspective, freehand, and model drawing. As master of the technical school, I would add, in concluding this report, that I am highly gratified at the progress made during the year in the various branches of the work, and at the enthusiasm shown by the students in the evening classes, and also the teachers' classes, which has much encouraged me. My efforts have been made entirely without assistance from the Education Board. E. N. Andebson, Master.

COOKERY CLASSES, NELSON. Sib,— Education Office, Nelson, 6th February, 1900. In reply to your memorandum of the 11th December last, I have the honour to inform you that the cookery classes held in Nelson last winter were entirely managed by the Nelson School Committee, a copy of whose report on the subject, forwarded to the Board, is enclosed herewith. The Board took no further part in the matter than to authorise the holding of the classes and defraying all expenses. No fees were demanded from the pupils who attended, and the only receipt was the Government subsidy of £10 17s. 6d., while the expenditure, as stated in the report, was £33 os. 7d. I have, &c, Stead Ellis, Secretary. The Secretary, Education Department, Wellington.

[Enclosure.] Sib, — Town Schools' Committee, Nelson, 23rd December, 1899. In reply to your favour of the 21st instant, I have the honour to inform you that cookery lessons were given to girls attending the State schools here under the tuition of Miss Tendall, from Christchurch. The classes began in the fourth week of June last, and continued for ten weeks. Ninety girls were enrolled, and were divided into two classes of forty-two and forty-eight girls respectively. Each class had ten demonstration and ten practice lessons of one hour each. The average attendance was 39-55 in the former class and 47-35 in the latter. The sales of articles made by the girls covered the cost of material used. The expenditure for utensils, rent, gas, cleaning, &c, was £8 os. 7d., and Miss Tendall's fee was £25. The utensils are carefully stored for a future occasion. I have, &c, The Chairman, Nelson Education Board. J. P. Kempthorne, Chairman.