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No. 1. EXTRACT FROM THE THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. Manual Instruction in Public Schools. Recognized classes were held in connexion with 70 per cent, of the public schools, an increase of 2 per cent. The percentages for the various education districts were as follows :— Percentage of Schools jy . ■ . at which Instruction was given. 1912. 1913. Auckland ... ... ... ... ... ... ..52 56 Taranaki ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 72 76 Wanganui... ... ... ... ... ... ... 92 95 Wellington ... ... ... ... ... ... 76 71 Hawke's Bay ... ... ... ... ... ... 74 81 Maryborough ... • ... ... ... ... ... 65 48 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 52 Grey ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 57 Westland... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 24 North Canterbury ... ... ... ... ... ... 74 75 South Canterbury ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 59 Otago ... ... 75 77 Southland... ... ... ... ... ... ... 97 97 Classes were held at 1,572 schools, an increase of 64. The number of classes was 6,441, as compared with 6,297 for the previous year. Payments by way of capitation and subsidies on voluntary contributions in money or kind totalled £30,691, an increase of £6,000. The average rate of payment per class was £4-7. Special grants in aid of buildings and equipment totalling £4,538 were made to controlling authorities during the year. New buildings or additions to buildings for manual instruction have been erected during the year, or are in course of erection, at Waihi, Waipawa, Sydenham, Lawrence, Tokomairiro, Balclutha, and Invercargill, while necessary equipment has been provided for classes at Helensville, Pukekohe, Waihi, Eketahuna, Otaki, Tapanui, Mosgiel, Tokomairiro, Lawrence, Balclutha, and Invercargill. The various forms of elementary handwork in which pupils in classes up to Standard IV receive instruction, affording as they do valuable opportunities for concrete illustrations, are being largely taught in conjunction with other subjects of the syllabus, such as arithmetic, instrumental drawing, nature-study, and geography. Of the subjects of manual instruction taken in the higher standards, woodwork, cookery, and laundry-work continue to be taught on the central system, and by special instructors. There are now about eighty well-equipped rooms for instruction in these subjects. In the larger centres special manual-training schools have been provided. In the smaller centres the rooms form part of the local district high school, secondary school, or technical school, as the case may be. During the year 419 classes for woodwork, 403 for cookery, and 117 for laundry-work were in operation. There were also 95 classes for dressmaking. Compared with the previous year, the number of classes for domestic subjects shows an increase of 7 per cent. It is gratifying to note the increasing attention that is being given to instruction in subjects bearing on the home. While the opportunities for such instruction are being widened as circumstances permit, improved methods of instruction are also being introduced. The scarcity of properly trained teachers of domestic subjects, to which reference was made in last year's report, is not now so pronounced, and is likely to disappear altogether in the near future, as the result, mainly, of the establishment of full courses in home science at the Otago University and of the special bursaries provided by the Government in connexion therewith. Elementary instruction on subjects bearing on rural occupations was given in 1,009 schools, as compared with 917 in the previous year. The instruction in the case of ten of the thirteen education districts is supervised by itinerant instructors having a special knowledge of agriculture. There are now eighteen of these