E.—.2

[Appendix C.

Extract from the Report of the Supervisor of Manual and Technical Instruction. Manual Classes. Under this heading were included all the classes recognized under the Manual and Technical Regulations, (..'lasses in cookery, dressmaking, and woodwork were taken by special instructors. Two instructors in woodwork and two in dressmaking were, employed by the Board during the year, but if this branch of work develops as it should during the coming year at least three new instructors in both subjects will be, required. The work in woodwork continues to improve steadily at Hastings and the southern centres. The drawing is particularly good, and compares very favourably with the best specimens from other districts in the Dominion. The work in wood is also very good. The Board during the year fixed a minimum requirement for all boys taking woodwork. This was a step in the, right direction, and will tend to increase the pupil's interest in this work by allowing him to make a certain number of models each year. In domestic science the, value of the specially trained instructor is just becoming apparent. In future years less scientific work should lie attempted in Standards V and VI, and nearly the whole of the time should be given to practical work in cookery. The, third- and fourth-year pupils, however, should devote more time to practical laboratory practice in domestic science. At least three, hours a week should be given to cookery and domestic science. If the, girls in the rural course were exempted from taking agriculture, the arrangement suggested above could easily be carried out. Classes in, Elementary Agriculture and Dairy Science. In order to improve the science work' of the primary school, refresher courses for teachers were held at Gisborne and Waipawa. The class at Gisborne was held at Easter, and was well attended, and some very good work was done. At Waipawa the class had to be abandoned owing to the curtailment of the railway time-table. The numbers of classes and pupils receiving instruction during the year were as follows : Classes, 322 ; pupils, 2,1.00. Elementary Handwork.— As in the past years, the Education Board supplied all the material necessary for the carrying-on of classes in elementary handwork. Owing to the, disorganization caused by the war, the Board has been unable, to procure full supplies of knives, scissors, and cardboard for cardboard-modelling. The increased cost of these articles is also a very serious matter for the, Board. Most articles have, increased over 120 per cent., arid, the capitation grant has only recently been increased by 20 per cent. CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report of the Super visor of Manual Training. Elementary handwork has again received due attention, and at every school in the, district some form of handwork was taken up, correlated with other subjects of the school curriculum. To a great extent the subjects taught depend on the bias of the teacher, but generally all schools took up modelling in plasticine, design and colour work, with constructive work in cardboard-modelling. The difficulty of supplying material and apparatus has still been very apparent, as the shipments ordered in 19.18 did not arrive till about the middle of the present year. However, it is expected that a full supply will be available for the year 1920, as the Board has indented all the material required ; and it is hoped by this means to be able to supply better material at less cost. The cost shows no signs of reduction, and unless the Department makes an increased capitation grant it will be impossible to make, income meet expenditure, as Is. per head is not nearly sufficient to meet the cost of all requirements for elementary handwork. Elementary handwork was taken at 400 schools with an attendance of about 28,200 pupils. The interest in what is known as advanced handwork subjects was well maintained during the year. Included in this list are classes forming part of the rural course of instruction, classes in woodwork, ironwork, cookery and domestic economy, hygiene, home science, laundry-work, and so forth. At twenty-two centres in the. district woodwork and cookery classes were, taught by competent instructors, and every available pupil was conveyed by rail, coach, or tram to receive, instruction. The need is still felt for the, establishment of new centres to cater for the wants of country pupils, and for increased accommodation and better facilities at already established centres. During the early part of the year the new building at Southbridge was completed and fully equipped, and successful classes have been carried on during the year. Unfortunately, owing to the great cost of building at the present time, it was not found possible to erect a manual-training building at Kaikoura with the funds in sight, but as a temporary arrangement the Kaikoura County Council has granted the use of the old library. The, work of fitting this up is now in progress, and the building should be ready for occupation at the beginning of next year. At Hokitika a new woodwork building has been erected, and considerable alterations have been made to the cookery and science rooms, all of which enable the work to be earned out under more ideal conditions than formerly. This is now an important centre, and pupils are conveyed from all the surrounding schools to receive instruction. At the Amberley centre classes have been carried on in the past under great disadvantages, as only one room is available for both woodwork and cookery, but a grant has been obtained from the Department, and a new woodwork-room is to be, erected forthwith, the local, association contributing .€5O towards the cost. An attempt has also been made to have a woodwork-room erected at Oxford, as the woodworkroom there is far too small and inconvenient for the carrying-on of the classes. This is considered one of the most important smaller centres, as it caters for a large number of small schools situated in the backblocks. The increased attendance at the Christohuroh centres had made it extremely difficult to dovetail in the classes and cater for all the pupils offering. Although a, grant has been approved for the erection of a building at Phillipstown, the matter is still delayed, as the Department has decided that the building shall be erected as a separate unit and not as the, nucleus of the Phillipstown Main School.

VI