20

E.—s

School of Abt Account. Receipts. £, 8. d. Exp&niiture. £ s. d. To Students'fees .. .. .. 542 5 0 By Balanoe, lat January, 1833 .. .. 156 11 1 Grant from Museum, Library,and School Salaries .. .. .. .". 950 0 0 of Technical Science Endowment Fund 600 0 0 Subsidies to lite classes .. .. 50 10 0 Grant from Boys' High School for in- Insurance .. .. .. .. 10 0 8 struction in drawing .. .. 50 0 0 Gas .. .. .. .. 41 8 11 Grant from Governmant under Minual Contribution towards expenses) of Regisand Technical Instruction Act .. 166 9 0 trar's office .. .. .. 10 0 0 Examination-fees .. .. .. 315 0 Repairs .. .. .. .. 12 1 6 Examination-fees, South Kensington Advertising .. .. .. 20 6 4 examination .. .. .. 12 3 0 Printing, stationery, &o. .. \. 15 10 7 Sale of clay models .. .. .. 013 0 Fuel .. .. .. .. 816 5 Interest .. .. .. .. 017 5 Sundry expenses .. .. .. 42 8 0 Balance .. .. .. .. 20 8 4 Lantern slides .. .. .. 6 0 0 Casts .. .. .. .. 11 0 5 Lantern, tank, &o. .. .. .. 13 8 0 Expenses of South Kensington Examination .. .. .. .. 18 8 10 £1,396 10 9 £1,396 10 9

CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL OF DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION. The year now closing has been quietly prosperous. The work of the school has been continued on much the same lines as before, with similar success, and, as far as the means at the disposal of the Committee of Management permitted, its scope has been extended to embrace a wider utility. The chief developments have been in the direction of making special provision for the instruction of large classes of children from public elementary schools in the city or suburbs, and in the extension of our country connection by providing a visiting teacher for additional centres. For the four calendar quarters into which, for the purpose of complying with the terms of "The Manual and Technical (Elementary) Instruction Act, 1895," the year is divided, the following are the number and character of the classes, and the total enrolment and average attendance:— First quarter —Twelve classes (eight cooking, four dressmaking), 181 pupils enrolled ; average attendance, 1533. Second quarter—Eleven classes (eight cooking, three dressmaking), 165 pupils enrolled ; average attendance, 1395. Third quarter—Sixteen classes (thirteen cooking, two dressmaking, one laundry work), 313 enrolled; average attendance, 284-98. Fourth quarter —Thirteen classes), eleven cooking, two dressmaking), pupils enrolled, 281; average attendance, 249-8. Of the courses of lessons given (each consisting, it may be noted, of a set of ten weekly lessons) the greater proportion, as shown, has been in cooking, the number of persons desiring instruction in dressmaking and laundrywork being for various reasons very much smaller. For the great increase of attendance in the third and fourth quarters the elementary school classes account. One such class has been in attendance throughout the year, and three others have been regularly taken during the last two quarters. Each class consists of a number of Sixth Standard or Fifth and Sixth Standard pupils, furnishing approximately an average of forty' in each case. For these classes no fee is charged to individual members, but an arrangement is made with the District School Committee concerned for the payment of a small total sum annually to cover part of the expense. Apart from these elementary school classes the attendance at the several courses of lessons given by our teachers has been satisfactorily maintained—pupils from private schools, those who have just passed through the elementary school course, domestic servants, shop-assistants, married ladies and young people without special occupation making up the number in fairly even proportions, and furnishing a fairly steady supply of aspirants to increased knowledge or skill in domestic duties. A specially gratifying feature of the year is the substantial increase in the number of attendants seeking to qualify themselves for certificates of competence in cooking. The certificate examination has been conducted, as in former years, by Mrs. E. D. Harman. An examination for teaching-certificates has also been held, with the result that one young lady, Miss N. Wright, has the honour of receiving the first teaching-certificate given by the school. The tests in the latter case included not only practical work in cooking under a time restriction, but demonstration lessons before the examiner and a committee of ladies on the board of management. As a further indication of the work done by the school, it may be noted that during the year an examination was held under the auspices of the City and Guilds of London Institute, the theoretical part in July, and the practical part, as required by the rules, at a later date. Of the thirteen candidates examined information has been received that twelve have satisfied the examiners in the former section ; for the result in the latter we have yet some time to wait. As regards our country connection, an arrangement previously made with the residents of Ashburton for supplying a teacher was renewed early in the year, and later on a similar undertaking was agreed upon with the residents of Leeston and Amberley, where classes have been conducted by one of our teachers for the past two quarters. At Leeston and Amberley a good attendance has been secured, especially at Amberley, though to some extent at the expense of our own classes, and the interest taken locally in the enterprise in both places is very gratifying. With our slender staff provision made for classes at a distance, depriving the school, as it does, of the services of a valuable assistant for three days weekly,, has made a material addition to the work and responsibility of our principal teacher—an addition for which the Committee has sought to make some compensation by such an increase of salary as its resources afforded. Of the services