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lII.fMANUAL TRAINING. Attendance. The number of pupils receiving instruction in woodwork, metalwork, and domestic subjects at special manual-training centres rose from 39,098 in 1927 to 44,265 in 1928. Of this total, 7,816 came from junior and senior high schools and district high schools, and 3,492 from private schools. In advanced nature-study and elementary agriculture, involving practical work in experimental plots, 45,313 pupils in the upper division (Standards IV to VII) of 1,939 schools received instruction under the supervision of itinerant instructors, who visited the schools in general at least once in each term. These instructors also supervise the science teaching in the upper division of forty schools, generally situated in the cities, where provision cannot be made for instruction in elementary agriculture ; in such schools some 3,300 pupils took the general elementary science course. It is noteworthy that approximately half the total number of these schools are situated in the Wellington District. Staffing. At the close of the year there were in the service of the several Education Boards 143 classified instructors in manual-training subjects, including twenty-three instructors supervising the teaching of advanced nature-study and elementary agriculture. Twenty per cent, of the men and 38 per cent, of the women specialists possessed University degrees or equivalent qualifications entitling them to be classified as Division I teachers. At thirteen technical schools teachers of woodwork, metalwork, and domestic subjects devoted part of their time to the instruction of classes from neighbouring primary and secondary schools. The headmaster of an isolated district high school took the instruction of his own woodwork classes. Where no more suitable method is possible, resort is had to local part-time teachers, and of these four men and twenty-seven women were employed during the year, the latter number including instructors in needlework at country schools where there is no woman teacher on the staff. There is usually little difficulty in filling vacancies in the ranks of woodwork instructors. The system whereby in two of the larger cities qualified assistants are trained under experienced teachers continues to work well, and in most cases these men receive first consideration in the making of appointments, but it is found that many men in the trade are desirous of taking up teaching service, and the range of choice is generally extensive. Suitable men for positions as teachers of metalwork are much more difficult to obtain. Losses through marriage and from other causes are frequent on the domestic-subjects side ; early in the year university-trained applicants for positions are usually sufficiently numerous, but later on it is found that the supply of the best-qualified teachers is not fully sufficient for the demand. Two women student teachers were in training at manual centres during the year. The student-teacher system is not favoured by the Department unless there is some definite intention on the part of the entrants to pass on to a period of training in the trade or at the University before taking up positions as teachers. For the Handicraft Teachers' Examination an increasing number of candidates, particularly from the ranks of the present instructors in woodwork and metalwork, are presenting themselves. At the August examination seven candidates secured a pass or a partial pass in two of the three sections, two passed in the first section, and one completed the examination and was awarded the certificate. One of the candidates was specially mentioned for his work in chemistry. Buildings and Equipment. The only additional manual-training centre established during the year was that at Opunake; but new woodwork and cookery rooms were completed and brought into use at Foxton centre, and a woodwork-room at Mount Cook (Wellington) centre. Grants were authorized for new buildings and improvements in various quarters, and in some instances the necessary work was commenced. Thus provision was made for new centres at Ruawai, Newton East (Auckland City), Piopio, Featherston, Winton, and Wyndham ; new buildings at Tauranga ; the transfer of the practical rooms at Rotorua to the grounds of the junior high school; the leasing and equipment of woodwork and cookery rooms at Cromwell and Roxburgh ; the erection of cookery-rooms at Martinborough and Southbridge, and of an additional woodwork-room at New Plymouth Boys' High School; and additions and improvements to the Normal (Christchurch), Fairlie, and Gore centres. The new block at the Marlborough Junior High School, including practical rooms for woodwork, metalwork, and cookery, was carried so near to completion as to be ready for use at the opening of the following year. Generally speaking, the workrooms and equipment at manual-training centres have been kept in good repair. In some districts the Education Boards have made desirable improvements, particularly in the kitchens, where floorcovering has been laid, and new cooking-appliances and general utensils installed in addition to or in replacement of existing equipment. The regulation grants to cover incidental working-charges are sufficiently liberal to enable improvements of this nature to be made, and there can be no excuse for disrepair of any kind in either buildings or equipment. As far as the teachers are concerned, it is the exception to find any who do not give regular attention to that part of the equipment for the care of which they are directly responsible. In some instances the janitors scrub the cookery-room floors neither sufficiently often nor sufficiently well. Increasing use is being made of the woodwork, metalwork, and cookery rooms of technical schools where such can be spared for the accommodation of manual classes for which no room can be found at the ordinary centres. In this way provision is made not only for the overflow from the State primary schools, but also for classes from large private schools, and even for classes from secondary schools.