2

E.-5

primary and secondary schools, while 1,173 were special, associated, and college classes for instruction in various subjects of science, art, and technology. Technical classes were held at about seventy-eight different places. An increasing amount of attention continues to be given to instruction in handwork in connection with primary- and secondary schools. Cookery and woodwork, among other subjects, are now being taught in nearly every education district. During the year 214 cookery classes and 188 woodwork classes were in operation. These classes are taught usually- at properly equipped central schools. This system, though not without disadvantages, has much to commend it. It has the merit of economy, and thus enables controlling authorities to arrange for the instruction of a much larger number of children than would otherwise be the case. Considerable attention is also being given to instruction in primary schools in subjects relating or leading up to rural pursuits. A large number of schools—over three hundred—are now provided with gardens and experimental plots, affording excellent opportunities for gaining a little knowledge at first hand by bringing children into contact with things rather than with other people's description of things. The action of certain controlling authorities in appointing special instructors to train the teachers and to supervise the work in the schools should do much to increase the value of what is a most important factor in the all-round education of the child. When it is remembered that until recently facilities for the training of teachers in rural science were almost if not entirely absent, it is pleasing to be able to record the fact that the work accomplished in connection with not a few of the school gardens has been distinctly beneficial to the general work of the school. In two education districts, in addition to school gardens, instruction is now being given in the principles connected with the processes common to dairying, and to a smaller extent in the processes themselves, with gratifying results. As a result of this preliminary training in the schools, controlling authorities should experience little difficulty in arranging later on for more specialised instruction in connection with classes for y 7 oung people who have left school not unacquainted w T ith some at least of the facts of their surroundings. The special grants to Education Boards for the training of teachers in subjects of manual and technical instruction have been continued this year. The grants have, on the whole, been wisely used, and full advantage has been taken by 7 teachers of the opportunities provided for instruction. The curriculum of the training-colleges in the four large centres also includes instruction in various branches of handwork. At the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute thirty-eight teachers passed the examination in cookery, and twenty-nine that in woodwork. Free places at technical schools were held by over 1,600 persons, as against about 1,000 for the previous year. A fair proportion of holders of junior free places have qualified by examination for senior free places, entitling them to three years further free education, at the end of which period they should have passed through a fairly complete course of technical instruction. The specimens of handwork from public and secondary schools, and of the work of some of the technical and art schools, exhibited at the International Exhibition at Christchurch afforded an opportunity of gauging to some extent the value of what is being done in the way of manual and technical instruction in the colony. The exhibits, though not as representative as they might have been, gave in many instances evidence of sound instruction and of progress along right lines. The total expenditure by the Government on manual and technical instruction for 1906 was £63,416 2s. 3d. The details are as follows: Gapitation on all classes, £25,363 Is. 2d.; grants for buildings and equipment, £24,905 3s. lid.; grants for material for class use, £951 4s. 4d. ; subsidies on voluntary contributions, £3,225 15s. lid. ; training of teachers in subjects of manual and technical instruction, £2,415; training-colleges on account of instruction in handwork, £923 12s. 5d.; railway fares of instructors and students, £647 9s. 5d.; expenses in connection with the examinations of the Board of Education, South Kensington, and of the City and Guilds of London Institute, £701 os. 2d. ; inspection, £899 19s. ; free places, £3,336 os. 7d. ; sundries, £47 15s. 4d. The sum of £160 12s. 6d. was recovered by way of examination fees and from sale of material used at examinations, leaving a net expenditure of £63,255 9s. 9d.