E.—s.

The cookery classes under Miss Ivey in Wellington and Miss Millington in the Wairarapa have been continued under the direction of Mr. Eiley as heretofore. The room now occupied by Miss Ivey's classes in the Technical School will, we understand, be required for other technical classes. To continue these classes applications have been made to the Department for grants in aid of buildings and apparatus for Mount Cook, and for apparatus, &c, for Newtown and the Terrace, the Board providnig the rooms in the two last mentioned schools. With these applications an application has also been made for apparatus and fittings for laboratory work in chemistry at Newtown and the Terrace. Ebport op the Director op the Technical School, primary instruction. The primary syllabus being under revision by the Department of Education, progress in drawing is practically at a standstill, the work being mainly on the level of past years. Increased activity in the direction of hand and eye work is generally manifest throughout the district, and when the departmental regulations are issued progress will be rapid, for the groundwork is gradually being prepared for a combination of drawing, brushwork, modelling, &c, in the various standards. The first-grade drawing examination has at last been dispensed with, and inspection substituted. With this object Mr. H. Bastings was appointed from the Technical School staff to visit the city and suburban schools, whilst I personally undertook the country work, it being impossible to spare any member of the staff for continuous work away from the technical classes. The majority of the schools of the district were visited during the year, and advice and assistance rendered upon the various sections of work. However, until the intentions of the Education Department are known with regard to the syllabus requirements, changes in the method of instruction will remain in abeyance in the larger schools. It would be unwise to issue a programme of our own under existing conditions. A considerable amount of extra work has devolved upon myself and the Board's Inspectors owing to the requirements of the Department as to the programmes of work, recognition of the classes, apparatus, &c, some seventy schools having applied for same. It is to be hoped, however, that these matters may progress more rapidly than in the past year, and that the syllabus will shortly be available. Mauriceville West School has successfully established a cottage garden and taken up agricultural chemistry. A considerable amount of apparatus is now in the headmaster's possession, and I anticipate excellent results. I should very much like to see classes in these subjects begun in other schools in the country districts. DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Cookery classes, under the instruction of Miss Ivey in the Wellington Centre, and Miss Millington in the Wairarapa and Forty-mile Bush, have been continued throughout the year. Wellington Centre. —494 pupils, drawn from 10 schools, received instruction. Wairarapa and Forty-mile Bush. —315 pupils, drawn from 11 schools, received instruction. One of the difficulties connected with the above classes is the irregularity in attendance, particularly towards the end of the year; this considerably reduces the financial assistance rendered by the Government. The irregularity of attendance is mainly caused by the children preparing for scholarship-work and leaving school after the annual examination. The general progress has been of a satisfactory character. The Wellington Gas Company generously devoted the sum of £25 towards these classes during the year. PRIMARY DRAWING FREE STUDENTSHIPS. The work of the sixty-two scholars holding free studentships has been satisfactory. The boys' course of manual instruction has been considerably improved. The scholars manifest a keen interest in this branch of the work. The girls' course included light and shade and colour-work in design from plant-form, as well as clay-modelling. Useful work is being done in this section, which acts as a connecting-link between the primary and the technical schools. As the first-grade drawing examination is discontinued, the free studentships are now awarded upon the basis of attendance at the various schools in the city and suburbs. Candidates are required to give a guarantee that they will attend during the whole of the year. The method of selection has been, as usual, by examination in freehand and model drawing. Forty-nine free studentships were awarded, the scale of award being as follows : Schools having 400 scholars, four free places ; schools having 200 scholars, two free places ; schools having under 200 scholars, one free place. This being the first year of the change in method of selection, a list of the next candidates in order of merit has been prepared irrespective of the school. Such vacancies as may occur will be filled from that list. The twelve second-year free studentships were awarded as formerly —by examination in freehand and model drawing of the second grade, taking into consideration the work done during the current year.

3—B. 5.

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