15

E.—s

MISS BEECROFT'S ART CLASSES AT HASTINGS. Sir, — Hastings, Hawke's Bay, 11th December, 1900. I have the honour to submit a report on the work of my classes for the year 1900. The first quarter commenced on the Bth February. The class was held on Tuesday afternoons. The subjects taught were freehand and model drawing, drawing in light and shade and still life. The number of students for the four quarters was five ; all attended regularly. At the Horticultural and Industrial Society's Show four prizes were taken by the pupils in the art classes. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. M. M. Beecroet.

NAPIER TECHNICAL SCHOOL. Annual Report, 1900. The above school was reopened for this its second year on the 9th February. The attendance has been regular throughout the year, and, though not quite as large as the previous year, the scope of the school's work has largely increased, and now embraces classes for advanced drawing and design at the Spit Public School, as well as at the Napier Boys' High School and the Napier Main School. Another important addition is the establishment of special classes for the students in training at the White Road School, who attend the technical classes by arrangement of the Education Board. The subjects of instruction during the year at the various classes have been : Saturday morning pupil-teachers' class —Freehand, model, geometrical, and light-and-shade drawing. General evening classes —Light-and-shade, design, model, mechanical, geometrical, scale, and freehand drawing. Students in training at White Road School —Model-drawing and elementary design. Saturday afternoon —Drawing from life, sketching from nature, painting still life. At the South Kensington Examination of last June about forty-seven students presented themselves ; of these about twenty-seven were scholars of the Napier Main School from the special classes held there for more advanced drawing, colour-work, and design. Being now in the employment of the Hawke's Bay Education Board as technical instructor and examiner of drawing, and with the advantages offered by the new Technical Education Act, I hope largely to increase the scope of the school-work next year. I have offered to establish a system of Technical School drawing scholarships, open only to scholars of the Board schools, by granting (on the result of examination) ten scholarships in the form of one year's free tuition at the local Technical School. If arrangements can be successfully made, the boys holding the said scholarships will receive tuition for six months of the time in practical carpentry, use of tools, &c. Little has been done this year in the way of clay- or cardboard-modelling, there not having been sufficient inducement to form classes for the subject, and also on account of the difficulty of obtaining material. The class for carpentry at the Boys' High School, of which lam instructor, continues to flourish, and is much appreciated. In conclusion, my first notion in establishing a technical school here, two years ago. was to give the children of the Board schools of the district a like advantage to those of Wellington and other large centres re technical education. This to a certain extent has been realised, and the scope of the work so successfully begun is steadily increasing, so that in view of the new Technical Act, and with the authority of the Education Department, I hope to be instrumental next year in bringing about the aforesaid desirable state of things. R. M. Anderson, Master.

COOKERY CLASSES, NELSON. Sir, — Education Board Office, Nelson, 29th November, 1900. I beg to forward herewith the report of the Nelson School Committee. Again the only classes held under the Manual and Technical Instruction Act have been those for cooking at Toi Toi Valley School, but this year a small fee was charged for the course of lessons. The total cost was £21 2s. 3d. The sum of £6 was received in fees, and the Government subsidy was £5 7s. 6d. The balance, £9 14s. 9d., was refunded to the Nelson School Committee by the Board. Stead Ellis, Secretary to the Education Board. The Secretary, Education Department, Wellington.

[Enclosure.] Sir, — Town Schools Committee, Nelson, 29th November, 1900. The only classes held under the Committee coming under the designation of manual and technical instruction were cookery classes, held under the tuition of Miss Mabel Tendall, at the Girls' School, Toi Toi Valley. These classes lasted for twelve weeks, ending Bth September last, the time occupied being two hours per week. Forty-eight pupils were enrolled, each paying a fee of 2s. 6d. for the course. They were divided into two classes, of thirty-two and sixteen each, and the average attendance was 29-08 and 14-18 respectively. The instruction given was both practical and demonstrative. Yours, &c, The Secretary, Nelson Education Board. G. R. Selby, Secretary.