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indoor experiments on such subjects as gardening and soil, plant-life, and very elementary chemistry and physics in relation thereto. If this instruction—as there is every reason to believe it does —broadens the child's outlook, quickens the interest, and imparts even the most elementary scientific knowledge of botany and biology, thus providing a foundation for and a stimulus to acquire future knowledge, then the instruction is of direct value both to the child and to the State. The following table shows that the number of district high schools providing a, course of instruction bearing on rural pursuits, has increased to forty-seven : —

The conditions under which the science subjects of the' rural course are taught are far from ideal, and will never be otherwise until a well trained'and enthusiastic science teacher on the staff is in charge of the course at every school in which itis taken. There is consolation, however, to be taken from the fact that in. mostcases science is systematically taught, and if " the special purpose which science serves is the inculcation of principles and balance, not facts," the utility of the instruction lies not in how much scientific knowledge of farming, botany, chemistry, biology, &c, has been imparted by the teacher, but in the mental discipline, quickened observational powers, and the stimulus to persistent effort the course has provided. It is to be expected that as normal conditions return an increase will take place in the number of classes in elementary science, instead of a slight decrease as is shown by the returns for 1918. The number of approved classes for swimming and life-saving shows a slight decrease for the year, due to the prevalence of the epidemic at the the classes would under normal conditions have commenced. Capitation earnings by Education Boards for the year amounted to £41,906, as compared with. £39,538 for .1917, while grants amounting to £3,596 in aid of buildings and equipment were received. The total receipts (including transfers from other* accounts) of Education Boards in respect of manual instruction amounted to £53,164, and the total, payments (including transfers to other* accounts) to £62,009. The monetary assets of the Boards at the 31st December, 1918, were £12,027, and these exceeded the liabilities by £5,639. The following table gives some particulars of the payments by Education Boards in respect of certain branches of manual instruction : —

District. Number of Schools. Number of Pupils, j Capitation earned. Auckland 'taranaki. .19.1.8. 1918. £ II. 381 2,629 1 68 479 6 146 860 3 125 845 6 226 1,335 13 282 1,841 7 185 1,183 Wanganui Hawke's Bay Wellington Canterbury Otago Totals, 1918 .. 47 1,413 £9,172 £9,172 Totals, 1917 .. 38 I ,229 £7,984

Subjects. Payments. Number of Schools. Salaries of Instructors. Workingexpenses. Totals. Woodwork and ironwork Domestic subjects Agriculture and dairy science Elementary science Swimming and life-saving Elementary handwork and needlework 494 500 1,390 133 134 2,135 £ 9,163 7,558 7,187 230 628 1,608 £ 2,475 4,078 3,088 . 178 264 7,213 £ 11,638 11,636 10,875 408 892 8,821 Totals .. 26,374 17,896 44,270