E.—s.

28

to which a few small sums have yet to be added. If brush work be taken up, the initial cost of apparatus must in future be met by capitation from other classes. A second grant of £125 enabled the Board to continue the instruction to teachers' classes, and under this head much good work has been done in free-arm drawing, model-drawing, brushwork, dressmaking, ambulance, and woodwork. In June new regulations were issued, granting in respect of continuation and technical classes a higher rate of capitation, provided that pupils working under certain conditions be taught free— i.e., be granted what are called Junior Technical Scholarships. We believe that these very liberal grants will result in attracting the services of highly qualified instructors. Sums of £500 and £1,000 respectively have been granted towards building technical schools at Reefton and Nelson. It is hoped that these schools will soon be in operation. The building at Reefton is now complete.

WESTLAND. Extract prom the Report of the Education Board. Manual and Technical Instruction. —Ten school classes in handwork have been recognised by the Education Department. Other schools also include handwork in the course of instruction. The Board supplies the necessary material and text-books for teachers, in order to remove as far as possible every obstacle in the way of progress in this part of the school course. The class in woodwork connected with the Kumara School continues to produce satisfactory results, and closed the year with twenty-four students. A similar class was instituted in October in connection with the Hokitika District High School, and a good beginning was made by the two divisions, which have an aggregate roll number of thirty-eight. Report on Woodwork Classes at Kumara and Hokitika. Kumara. —The number of students attending this class at the end of the year was twenty-four, of which number fourteen had joined during the year. The class has continued to make sound progress, and the work has been carried on with regularity and earnestness. The syllabus issued during the year by the Education Department has been strictly adhered to. Hokitika. —A class in woodwork has been instituted in connection with the District High School, and began operations on the 7th September, 1903. The number of students in attendance was thirtyeight. These were taken in two divisions, which met alternately on four days each week from 4.15 p.m. to 5.15 p.m. During the course considerable interest was displayed in the work by the students, and satisfactory progress has been made. The course of instruction was in accordance with the syllabus issued by the Education Department. The following are statements of accounts for the year ending the 31st December, 1903, in connection with the two classes :— Hokitika Carpentry Class. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Government grant for building, tools, &0... 110 15 0 Fitting up workshop .. .. .. 69 0 6 Grants from Education Board .. .. 211 7 Tools .. .. .. .. 42 7 6 Fees of students .. .. .. 415 0 Timber for class .. .. .. 1 18 7 Balance .. .. .. .. 4 15 0 £118 1 7 £118 1 7 Kumara Carpentry Class. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance .. .. .. .• 3115 Salary of instructor .. .. .. 73 14 7 Fees of students .. .. .. 5 4 0 Timber for class .. .. .. 114 9 Government capitation .. .. .. 73 14 7 Balance .. .. .. .. 712 8 Sale of furniture .. .. .. 0 12 0 £83 C 2 0 £83 2 0 A. J. Morton, 8.A., Inspector.

NORTH CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. Manual and Technical Instruction. —The technical classes at Christchurch, Ashburton, Lyttelton, Rangiora, and Leeston have continued in operation during the year, the subjects of instruction rinding most favour being woodwork and cookery, though towards the close of the year signs were not wanting that dressmaking would in future be also taken up at most centres. At Leeston, in addition to woodwork, instruction in ironwork had been carried on throughout the year. The teachers' handwork and woodwork classes held at the Normal School have been well attended. The Christchurch School of Domestic Instruction has continued to give instruction in cookery to a number of large classes from the Board's schools. During the year 1903 developments promised in connection with technical instruction, owing to the establishment of the Christchurch Technical Classes Association, have taken definite shape, resulting in the successful formation and carrying-on of a large number of technical and continuation classes by the association, to which body much credit is due for the steps taken to afford