E.—6

The average number of pupils taking the rural course during the year was, — First Year. Second year. Hastings .. . . .. . . . . 33 15 Waipawa .. .. .. . . .. 20 15 Woodville .. .. .. .. .. ~14 7 (17 37 Extract from Report of Inspectors of Schools. Hastings, Waipawa, and Woodville still remain the only centres where district high schools are in operation. These have continued to operate successfully on the lines indicated in last year's report. We consider that the scope of a secondary department might widened by the adoption of a specialized rural course of elementary agriculture, to which, should be added botany and a practical knowledge of the grasses that are best adapted to districts like Hastings, Waipawa, and Woodville. where the surrounding rooks are so widely different. The results of the annual examinations in each district high school Vere eminently satisfactory, as shown by the following : —

There is a growing demand for a district high school at Waipukurau, which is the centre of a rapidly increasing district, although situated so near to Waipawa, where there is an excellent school established. Unfortunately, the train arrangements between the two towns are bad, so that the Waipukurau Sohool Committee are prepared to guarantee a minimum attendance at the secondary classes should their application for a district high school be approved. Waipawa and Waipukurau form the centre of an important agricultural and pastoral district, and unless a suitable railway time-table can be provided an understanding between the opposing interests in the two towns might result in the establishment of a special school adapted to meet the wants of all parties. We again direct attention to the need for a district high school at Wairoa. The town is a centre of considerable and growing importance, but nothing is provided beyond the primary school. Manual and technical instruction, by reason of the isolation of the district, has made little progress. A district high school with a rural course of elementary agriculture would be of special value to the Native and European children of the entire county. Over one hundred Native children attend the Wairoa Public School, and the circumstances present special features for consideration. The County Council are fully alive to the need of something being done for the children in the county, and the annual scholarship established by them is a worthy effort to help the country children to attend a secondary sohool. Pending the establishment of a district high school for the county the suggestion is made that the Borough of Wairoa might grant a similar scholarship for the benefit of children living within the limits of the town. Extract from Report of Director of Manual Instruction. Rural Course in District High Schools. —The rural science course approved by the Department is now taken by all first- and second-year pupils in the district high schools. Agriculture, dairy science, and science of common life are taught by Mr. W. Morris, domestic science and dressmaking by Miss V. Hyde, and farm woodwork by Mr. Dandy. The other subjects of the course are taken by the staffs of the different schools. Last year has been the most satisfactory since the inception of the rural course. The standard of work in elementary agriculture and dairy science is that required for the Public Service Entrance Examination. During the year demonstrations were given in budding, grafting, pruning, and. the mixing of sprays, by Mr. W. Morris, assistant instructor in agriculture, and the practical work thus demonstrated was performed by the pupils. In the dairy-science work the local factory-managers have been of great assistance to tho instructor, inasmuch as they have arranged buttermaking demonstrations, &c, for the benefit of the pupils. The orchard at Woodville is looking very promising, and a number of the trees are bearing. During the year the Hastings School Committee has acquired an additional half an acre for agricultural purposes. This Committee has been greatly interested in the rural course since its introduction three years ago, and the raising of sufficient funds to purchase the extra ground as well as finding sufficient funds to keep going a large school like Hastings shows that in addition to being interested they are alive to the future needs in agricultural education. Although the rural course only extends over two years, provision has been made for continuing the agricultural science with third- and fourth-year pupils where needed. At Waipawa and Hastings special Matriculation classes in this subject were held, during the year. It seems necessary at this stage to emphasize the fact that our agricultural education in the district high schools makes no claim at turning out farmers. These schools cannot be expected to give boys a complete agricultural training—that is the function of a purely vocational school; but the district high schools are capable of giving, and do give, an excellent introductory training. I trust the time is not far distant when a purely agricultural high school will be established in central Hawke's Bay which would continue the work of the primary and district high sohools and carry it on. to the final or University stage.

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