61

E.—s

cation to teachers, to enable them to procure any necessary books or articles for school use beyond what could be claimed as manual and technical apparatus. Physical measurements was taught in only three schools. However, as teachers' classes in this subject will be taken early in 1909, a considerable increase in the number of children taking physical measurements may be anticipated. Elementary agriculture was taken in thirty schools, an increase of five over the previous year's total. Initial grants for the proper equipment of classes have been received during the year for four schools. In the past teachers and School Committees have in many cases devoted so much of the initial grant towards the fencing of an experimental plot that insufficient money has remained to provide not only garden tools, but also the chemical equipment necessary for the proper teaching of the subject. While a well-fenced garden is certainly necessary in most districts, it should be borne in mind by those interested that, where future initial grants for elementary agriculture are concerned, the full amounts will be devoted to the procuring of equipment for outdoor and class-room work, and that the cost of fencing must be borne locally, amounts contributed carrying a pound-for-pound subsidy from the Government. The completion of the Westport Technical School will during 1909 provide adequate facilities for manual instruction for pupils of the District High and surrounding schools. A feature of the manual training at Westport will be the substitution of ironwork for woodwork as the special subject for boys. The Westport ironwork classes will apparently be the only ones of their kind in the Dominion, and, while their adoption is certainly an experiment of which time alone will prove the value, I feel sanguine that, under a capable instructor, and viewed from their probable effect on the industries of the district, these classes must prove a decided success. For convenience in administration the Board's district has for the purposes of technical instruction been divided into five subdistricts—(l) Nelson City ; (2) Waimea District, including the Waimea Valley and the settlement on the railway-line to Tadmor ; (3) Bay District, including the Motueka and Takaka Valleys and Collingwood ; (4) Westport District, embracing the settlement on and adjacent to the railway-line as far <as Seddonville ; (5) Reefton District. In previous years little in the way of technical instruction has been attempted outside of Nelson City, and, though during the past year several new (hisses were inaugurated on the West Coast, thoTe yet remains a big field for the development of instruction throughout the district, provided such instruction is in the hands of capable teachers, and on lines suited to the requirements of the district. As in many other parts of the Dominion, the chief obstacle to progress has been the dearth of capable instructors. Of the twenty-one teachers of technical classes employed either temporarily or permanently by the Board during 1908, all, I believe, entered into their work with commendable enthusiasm, but my observations have led me to conclude that only a proportion possessed that special faculty of imparting instruction which is so necessary to produce the best educational results from any course of work. In making these remarks Ido not in any way wish to reflect on a body of teachers who have so whole-heartedly assisted in the development of technical work during the year, but I desire to emphasize the fact that to produce the most satisfactory result in any branch of work requires the trained teacher, for whom there is a demand throughout both Islands—a demand in many branches much ahead of the supply. Some scheme of training whereby we could be assured of securing persons qualified both in knowledge and in methods of imparting it would do more for the advancement of technical instruction in districts such as ours than has been accomplished by the many beneficial reguktions introduced during the past few years. There is scope for still further increase in the permanent staff, for, provided a trained instructress in cookery and dressmaking were procurable, the revenue derived from such classes on the West Coast would easily enable the payment of a satisfactory salary. The following remarks apply to the work conducted in the various centres : — Nelson. —The possession of a building of eight rooms, more or less satisfactorily designed and equipped for special work, has naturally led to special development of technical work in this centre, where various classes have now been conducted for several years, often under disadvantageous conditions. On taking charge of the school in May last, I found a number of continuation, art, and commercial classes in operation, and doing satisfactory work, the chief disadvantages they laboured under being lack of equipment, and want of such definite schemes of work as would encourage a student to pursue a course of study over such a period of time as would enable him to reap full advantage of it. However, requests to the Department met with favourable consideration, and enabled the apparatus of the carpentry and plumbing workshops, and of the cookery, art, and class rooms, to be brought more up to date. Financial assistance from various sources led to the formation of a small technical library for use of technical students and school-teachers. I trust that from this small beginning the library will increase in size and usefulness each year. I did not deem it advisable to remodel the work of classes half-way through a session, so, with the exception of establishing classes in building and machine-construction, little was done in the way of improvement of the curriculum. For the coming year, however, I hope to adopt such classification as will enable students to start on definite courses of work extending over fixed periods, with examinations covering the work of these courses at their conclusion. The principal improvement during the year at Nelson Technical School has been the erection of a commodious room for laboratory purposes. The fitting and equipping of this room for chemical work has just been completed under the personal supervision of Mr. Bruce, who was also responsible for designing the excellent interior arrangements, which are as up to date as any in the Dominion. Waimea District. —Dressmaking classes have been held at Richmond, Brightwater, and Wakefield, with but moderate success. A class in agriculture at Wakefield produced good results, and similar classes at the same centre are assured of good support in the future. There is scope for considerable increase in technical work throughout this district, and. with the staff available for the coming year, I hope to see a great improvement both in the classes provided and the quality of the instruction. Bay District. —A dressmaking class at Motueka and a short course in agriculture comprised the total work in this district, in which the primary interests to be catered for are agricultural. In order