Appendix C]

E.—2.

Instruction of Uncertificated Teachers. —We are pleased to report that the Department has come to the assistance of the Board by making a grant for the instruction of uncertificated teachers. This is a step in the right direction, as it affords an opportunity to those teachers who are in districts remote from the larger centres to qualify for the teachers' certificate. Arrangements have now been made to establish classes for instruction at Stratford, Urenui, and Opunake. Teacher's Saturday Classes. —Saturday classes for the training of teachers were again held during the year at New Plymouth and Stratford, and included, among other subjects, drawing, cookery, physiology, dairy-work, cardboard, plasticine modelling, and chemistry. In all eighty-two teachers attended the classes, forty-one at each centre. As far as numbers are concerned, this is very gratifying, although the regularity of attendance was somewhat disappointing. This was surprising, seeing that the teachers are so accustomed to exact regular attendance from their pupils. As evidence of the benefit of these classes, it may be mentioned that at the end of the session several of the teachers qualified for certificates in handwork at the examination conducted by the Education Department's Inspector. For the City and Guild's Examination in cookery six teachers presented themselves, and were all successful in securing a first-class pass. Two teachers were also successful in gaining a second-class pass in freehand, model, and geometrical drawing at the South Kensington Examination. A number likewise qualified in the subjects of dairy-work and physiology for the Teachers' Certificate Examination. We feel, however, that a large proportion of those who attended the classes have not earnestly endeavoured to take full advantage of the instruction imparted, otherwise a greater percentage would have presented themselves for these examinations. School Manual Class. —During the year there were ninety-five schools in operation in the district, and the greater number of these took up handwork in some form or other. In addition to the ordinary handwork subjects, instruction in woodwork, cookery, agriculture, dairywork, chemistry, physiology and first aid, physical measurements, advanced needlework, botany, swimming, dressmaking, elementary surveying, ironwork, &c, was recognized in 142 cases. The classes in cookery and woodwork conducted at Stratford and New Plymouth as centres continue to be as popular as ever. During the year Inglewood was also made a centre for these classes. Instruction in agriculture and dairy-work has been made a special feature. Thirtynine classes have been in operation throughout the district during the year. Most of the schools taking up these subjects are now well equipped with the apparatus necessary for carrying on the experimental work so essential in these subjects. We are pleased to see that teachers are beginning to recognize the importance of giving prominence to these subjects in a district such as ours, the prosperity of which depends almost entirely on agriculture and dairying. We are of opinion that no child who intends to follow rural pursuits should be permitted to leave school without having an intelligent grasp of the principles of agriculture and dairy-work. The rural classes that have been carried on at the Stratford District High School for the past two years have now got beyond the experimental stage, and have fully justified their establishment. Fifty-six pupils (twenty-seven boys and twenty-nine girls) were enrolled, with an average of forty-seven for the year. Punctuality and Regularity of Attendance.—We are glad to see that many of our teachers recognize the importance of inculcating habits of regularity and punctuality, and in our best schools various devices are adopted to achieve this end. A few teachers, however, make no effort in this direction. They do not even take the trouble to obtain the Department's certificates for those pupils who attend regularly. Much can be done to secure regularity and punctuality by arousing the interest of the parents in the work of the school. In some districts good results have been obtained by keeping the parents in closer touch with the progress of their children by means of quarterly reports showing, inter alia, the pupils' marks, times late and times absent. These reports, after being signed by the parents as evidence that they have perused them, are returned to the school. The Tisch Shield. —The shield presented in 1909 by the late Mr. Tisch to encourage schools to improve their surroundings was this year secured by the Korito School. The following schools were also highly commended for the efforts put forth to beautify the school-grounds and premises: Kaimiro, Marco, Oaonui, Frankley, and Huiakama. In connection with the improvement of the school-grounds, it is now quite a common occurrence to hear of a " working bee," when parents assemble at the school, and, under the teacher's direction, set about improving the grounds. The tactful teacher has no trouble. Schemes of Work. —We are impressing on the teachers the absolute necessity of preparing definite and comprehensive schemes of work, not only as a guide to us when we examine the work, but also as a means of preventing random teaching and the overlapping of the instruction in the various standards. Though in many instances there is still much room for improvement, we are pleased to record a marked advance in the way these schemes are drawn up. It is provided by the Board's Regulations that a teacher, on resigning his position, must leave in the school a copy of his schemes of work for the information and guidance of the incoming teacher. We regret to report that in some instances teachers have overlooked this regulation, with the result that the new teacher has been largely in the dark as to the ground covered by the pupils prior to his taking up his duties. Returns. The following extract from the report of an Inspector of is not without some bearing on the accuracy of the returns furnished by the teachers in this district: "I cannot report favourably on the manner in which returns are compiled. I have not in any year known so many errors in the returns sent in at the end of each quarter. Ten only of my thirty-seven schools'succeeded in furnishing, at first try, four correct quarterly returns during the past year,

ii—E. 2 (App. C).

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