13

E.—s*

in many of the classes continues to be taught by means of one or other of the various systems necessitating the use of special charts. No doubt these systems supply a need ; whether they should form the basis of a technical course in dressmaking is another matter. It is worthy of remark that at the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute in dressmaking, no charts of any sort are allowed, and it would seem that a course in dressmaking that claims to rank as a technical course should have a higher end in view than that of familiarising a class with the methods of a system necessitating the use of special charts based on principles a proper understanding of which forms no part of the course of instruction. If the course included practice in the construction of charts there would be little left to be desired. The remaining subjects of instruction dealt with in the classes in the various centres do not call for special remark. Art, science, and technological examinations were, as usual, conducted by the Department on behalf of the Board of Education, South Kensington, and the City and Guilds of London Institute. The results, which are given in a special table attached to this report, may be summarised as follows. At the art examinations 245 papers in 14 subjects were taken by candidates, and 38 certifi-cate-works were submitted for examination ; 170 passes were obtained and 18 works accepted. At the science examinations 82 papers in 10 subjects were taken and 61 passes obtained. The examinations were held at 9 centres. At the technological examinations, which were held at 8 centres, 173 papers were taken and 116 passes obtained. In connection with the National Competition a book prize was awarded to a student of the Wellington Technical School, and prizes to two students of the Dunedin School of Art. M. H. Browne, E. C. Isaac, Inspectors of Technical Instruction.

No. 4. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL INSTEUCTION IN THE SEVERAL EDUCATION DISTRICTS. AUCKLAND. EXTEAOT FROM THE REPORT OF THE EDUCATION BOARD. Manual and Technical Instruction.—The report of the Director of Technical Education presents a full and comprehensive statement of what has been accomplished during the year. The boys and girls of Standards V., VI., and VII. in eighteen of the town and suburban schools have received regular and efficient instruction in woodwork and cookery respectively, and the headmasters of those schools have cheerfully co-operated in assisting to carry out the arrangements made by the Director for such instruction. Thirty-nine schools have carried on instruction in handwork, and in fourteen schools (under the sole charge of male teachers) provision has been made for the instruction of girls in needlework. A large number of teachers have availed themselves of the Saturday classes in woodwork and cookery, some of them having to travel long distances weekly in order to do so. Arrangements will be made this year for the instruction of teachers and pupil-teachers in art and science. For manual and technical instruction (exclusive of buildings) the Board received a sum of £1,807 7s. Id., and expended £2,599 6s. 5d., leaving a debit balance of £791 19s. 4d. To this has to be added a debit balance of £396 os. 10d. on account of the Auckland Technical School, brought forward from the year 1902, thus making a total deficiency of £1,188 os. 2d. The capitation grants earned during the year, and since received, amount to £1,150 2s. 10d. For buildings the receipts amounted to £19,600 17s. 3d., and the expenditure to £20,639 11s. 10d., leaving a debit balance of £1,092 14s. 7d., to which should be added the debit balance of £1,156 18s. 6d. brought forward on Building Account from 1902, showing a total deficiency of £2,249 13s. Id. on this account at the end of the year. The building and fitting-up of the three manual-training schools proved more costly than was anticipated. Their total cost was £3,591 Bs. Id., towards which the Government grants amounted to £2,292. The Board has applied for a supplementary grant of £1,299 Bs. Id. to meet the additional cost, and the request is still under consideration. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. In many schools some form of handwork is now taken up, and in several directions teachers have got beyond the stage of feeling their way. Cane-weaving and paper-folding are often efficiently taught, and in a few schools creditable work in modelling and designing in plasticine has been seen. Much of the plasticine-work of primer pupils is rough and without finish, and appears a doubtful means of educative training. Brush drawing has been taken up in some of the larger schools and occasionally in smaller ones, and in general fair initial work is being done. Books containing definite suitable courses of work for the guidance of teachers, and for use by the pupils in at least the smaller schools, would be of service in connection with this new form of drawing and colour-work. In most of the Auckland and suburban schools the pupils of Standards V. and VI. have taken woodwork or cookery at the manual training-centres organized under the advice of the Director of Technical Education. Good work is being done at these centres, and in general the classes are popular and well appreciated.