E.—6

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The special grants to Education Boards for the training of teachers have been continued this year. A special feature in the arrangements made for the instruction of public-school teachers in subjects of manual instruction prescribed for school classes has been the organization of special courses in the shape of winter and summer sessions. Several such courses have been held during the year, with results that seem to suggest the expediency of adopting this method where practicable in preference to the more usual Saturday classes, especially as the training colleges, which are now in full operation in the four centres should as time goes on render Saturday classes less necessary than heretofore. At the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute 39 teachers passed the examination in cookery, and 15 that in woodwork. The Science and r Art Fixaminations of the English Board of Education, and the Technological Examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, were held as usual, the former at 16, the latter at 15 centres. The number of candidates at the Science and Art Examinations was 626, of whom 403 passed ; while at the Technological Examinations 330 candidates presented themselves, of whom 233 passed. Although the time, May to July, at which these examinations require to be held is not altogether convenient from the point of view of the schools, the number of schools making use of these examinations is increasing every year. The following is a summary of the expenditure by the Government during the year on manual and technical instruction : — Capitation,— £ s. d. £ s. d. School classes .. .. .. .. 17,402 4 6 Technical classes.. .. .. .. 17,601 2 7 Free places .. .. .. .. 6,908 0 6 11,911 7 7 Subsidies on voluntary contributions, — School classes .. .. .. .. 225 4 8 Technical classes.. .. .. .. 6,156 17 6 6,382 2 2 Grants,ior buildings, equipment, and rent, — School classes .. .. .. .. 3,633 10 0 Technical classes.. .. .. 21,961 10 8 Grants for material for technical classes .. 1,535 17 3 27,130 17 11 Railway fares of instructors and students .. .. .. 2,973 0 0 Examinations .. .. .. .. .. .. 580 1 0 Inspection and other expenses.. .. .. .. .. 1,096 5 1 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £80,073 13 9 The total expenditure by the Government in the way of capitation, subsidies, and grants was—for school classes, £21,260 19s. 2d. ; and for technical classes, £54,163 Bs. 6d. No. 2. REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. Sir — We have the honour to make the following report on the state and progress of manual and technical instruction in the Dominion during the year ending 31st December, 1908. A. Manual Instruction. Recognised school classes for instruction in various branches of manual instruction were held at 1,200 primary schools during the year. The number for the' previous year was 1,134. In the lowei classes of the primary schools the branches of handwork to which most attention is being given aer modelling, brush drawing, paper and cardboard work, and free-arm and blackboard drawing. There is evidence of an increasing desire to correlate handwork with other suitable subjects of the .syllabus. The appreciation by teachers of the value of certain forms of handwork as educational instruments referred to in previous reports is becoming more pronounced each year. There is, however, one matter in connection with the work to which we desire to call attention. In certain districts some