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Dominion Museum ; and the Inspector-General of Schools. Local bodies and the people generally were much interested, and showed their appreciation by subscribing nearly £100 towards meeting the expenses of teachers whojittended from the remotest parts of the district. The work attempted may be set down as real progress in training teachers, and it would be a great thing in the way of advancing the work of education were similar classes held in other parts of the district in alternate years. Extract from the Report of the Director of Technical Instruction. During 1908 school classes for manual instruction have been held in the following subjects : Brush drawing, stick-laying, brick-laying, paper-folding, carton-work, modelling in cardboard, modelling in plasticine, chemistry, physical measurements, physiology, swimming and life-saving, and agriculture. The majority of the schools have taken brush drawing as a subject, and very satisfactory work has been done. The exhibit of brush drawing and of woodwork which was made at the November show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society was much admired. It is now intended that such classes shall be brought into a system under which those schools whose higher classes take woodwork shall follow a graduated course of training which shall best prepare for it, while those which take agriculture in the upper standards will take those subjects in the lower which may be of the most benefit in such a course. The schools which took agriculture have in many cases done very encouraging work, and it is intended that in future all the rural schools of the district shall take this subject. To assist teachers in dealing with agriculture and the kindred subject of dairying, the Board has decided to appoint an itinerant instructor in agriculture, who shall visit the various schools, give lessons, and assist the teachers in the working of these classes. Classes for training of teachers in agriculture will also be established in the central technical schools of the district. Under these conditions it is expected that a great impetus will be given to this most important branch of our education system. Instruction in woodwork has been given in the schools of the district by Mr. Levy at Gisborne, and by Messrs. Gardiner and Smart in the middle and southern portions of the district. The centres in which this instruction has been given are Gisbotne, Napier, Hastings, Waipawa, and Dannevirke. Specially equipped rooms are now in use at these centres, and the results have justified their erection. The public schools from the surrounding districts send their pupils to these classes, where they are taught by itinerant instructors. Classes in cookery and dressmaking have also been held at these centres. In addition, classes in these subjects have also been held in Waipukurau and in Woodville. They have been conducted under the same arrangement as the woodwork classes, Miss Millington and Miss Lousley having taught cookery, while Miss Higgens and Miss Thomas taught dressmaking. In order to bring the work of these classes and of the special technical classes more in line with a domestic science course, and in order to facilitate the Board's administration, it has been decided that in future instructors shall be qualified to teach both cookery and dressmaking, and where possible hygiene and physiology. The practice of admitting pupils below Standard VI to these classes has been discontinued as far as possible, as it was found that in many cases they were too small to reach up to the benches or tables for their practical work. They are to be engaged for the future on more- elementary handwork, which will prove of greater benefit for them, and prepare them to do better work in the woodwork class when they are admitted to it. The same may be said of dressmaking. Many pupils in Standard V were not sufficiently advanced in ordinary plain needlework, and it was thought desirable that they should have another year at this before they were admitted to classes in dressmaking. At Napier special evening technical and continuation classes have been carried on in the following subjects : Building construction and drawing, machine construction and drawing, practical plumbing, arithmetic and mensuration, English, book-keeping, shorthand, geometrical drawing, cookery, dressmaking, needlework, painting and decorating, carpentry and joinery, and art. A class was also formed to enable those who had not obtained their Standard VI certificate at the primary school to qualify for it at the evening classes. The attendance was for the most part fairly good, but a much more successful result is anticipated for the coming year. Local interest in the work of the school has been aroused, and the various local bodies have contributed £350 towards the expenses of the school for the coming year, electing representatives for the Board of Managers. This, together with the increased interest shown in the institution by employers of labour and by trades-unions augurs well for its future. It is proposed to extend the work which has been done in the Napier School to Hastings, and a class in plumbing has been started in a well-equipped room. This class will be continued during 1909, and will be supplemented By various others, for the success of which there is every reason to be sanguine. It is proposed that classes in wool-sorting and agricultural chemistry, or any other subjects connected with local interests, will be placed on the lists of classes for the coming year, and it is hoped that they will receive satisfactory support. Sufficient is already promised to insure the success of classes in w 001-sorting, which should be of the greatest benefit to this the leading wool-producing district of the I'orninion. Special day technical classes were held at Napier during the year in the new Technical School, and these were attended by forty pupils, the number admitted by the Board for the first year's work. Owing to the fact that the apparatus and equipment of the school was not complete, it was not found possible to give more than a general course in the school, and this naturally had a leaning to what might be termed commercial work. At the end of the year an exhibition of school-work was held at the Napier Technical School, and was well attended by the public, who showed great interest in the work exhibited. Napier has ODe of the largest engineering-works in the Dominion, several smaller engineering firms, and a Government Railway Workshop, and there seems to be a desire among the youths to follow mechanical pursuits. This tendency is increased by the port's large general shipping and coastal shipping trade, which brings the youth of the district into contact with machinery of one