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APPENDIX. "MANUAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE SEVERAL EDUCATION DISTRICTS. AUCKLAND. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. During the year steady progress was made in manual training and technical instruction. Technical classes were carried on in Auckland City, as in previous years, in temporary buildings, on account of the Seddon Memorial Technical College not having yet been completed. This building should have been finished in November, 1910, but, owing to unforeseen difficulties, it is not yet ready for occupation. The number of individual students in attendance at technical classes in Auckland City last year was 1,348. Manual-training schools were opened during the year at Hamilton and Cambridge, and others will be opened shortly at Devonport, Pukekohe, Helensville, and Waihi. The awarding of special prizes to schools making a special feature of school-gardens has given a considerable impetus to the teaching of nature-study and elementary agriculture in the primary schools, the number of classes recognized in this subject for last year being 140, as against 73 in 1910. Handwork was taught in 197 public schools, and swimming in 12. In schools below Grade IV, taught by a male teacher, 75 were recognized for needlework. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. Rural Education in District High Schools. —We regret to say that, owing to a number of vexatious, though, perhaps unavoidable, delays in providing accommodation and equipment, it was found impossible to introduce into our district high schools before the end of the year the full scheme of rural education to which reference was made in our last report. Two of these schools, however, have already entered on the course, and, with the erection and equipment of manual-training centres at Waihi, Pukekohe, and the Northern Wairoa, the schools in the immediate neighbourhood of these centres will follow, so that the close of the present year should witness a considerable expansion of the work already begun. We are most anxious to see this particular form of instruction more widely diffused, feeling sure that its introduction cannot fail to be of very real and direct benefit to our young people. Instruction in Agriculture. —The newly appointed instructor in agriculture entered on his duties at the beginning of the year, and by his energy and enthusiasm has already stimulated teachers to further effort, and has become a very real factor in the promotion of greater efficiency in that phase of school-work coming more directly within his sphere of influence. During the progress of the year two short courses of instruction in elementary agriculture were provided, and gladly attended by an adequate enrolment; whilst at the beginning of January another course was specially arranged for those teachers who were unable to attend previously. Considerable benefit was undoubtedly derived by all who were able to take advantage of the instruction thus imparted, though both instructor and students felt the absence of a suitable garden in which to demonstrate, experiment, and observe. With the object of making some provision for this necessary part of the special work to which reference is herein made, the Board applied to the City Council for the use of a plot of ground in the Domain; this we trust the authorities will see their way to grant, so that before many months have passed greater facilities for enabling teachers to understand the details of gardening operations, and appreciate the possibilities opened up by this phase of school-work, it is hoped, will be forthcoming. It is proposed that the ground in question be made available not only for teachers attending future courses of instruction, but also for students at the Training College and pupils taking up work in elementary agriculture at the Technical College. School-gardens and Playgrounds. —The Board's offer of prizes for the best school-gardens and school-garden courses had. the effect of drawing a large number of schools into the competition. In appraising the work special stress was laid on the degree to which the garden became a means of education, teachers' aims and methods, pupils' notes and drawings, co-ordination of garden-work with other school subjects, the utility and success of the operations undertaken being duly considered in making the final award. In quite a number of cases highly creditable work was done, both inside and outside the building, and very pronounced interest was displayed by pupils in the operations involved ; the appearance of the playground, too, was greatly improved —to the undoubted benefit of school and neighbourhood. During the course of his visits the instructor in agriculture emphasized the importance of regarding the playground as the unit, the garden being a highly important portion thereof, and working in the direction of improving the entire school environment. This should undoubtedly be borne in mind when considering any general plan having for its object the evolution of the schoolgarden : i.e., the position of the garden should be determined by its surroundings— e.g., school buildings, approaches thereto, entrance to grounds, neighbouring roads—and not merely, as is frequently the case, be made to depend on aspect, quality of soil, or a desire to utilize a hitherto unused and possibly worthless corner. The preparation of the garden, in short, should form part of a scheme for making school environment more attractive, and should be undertaken concurrently with such other work as will tend towards the gradual improvement of school surroundings,

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