MANUAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 50, 24 March 1909, Page 4

MANUAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

DIKIiCIOKS' AiNiNUAL IIEI'ORT. The a r Jinuil rejiort ou manual and technical education under the Taranaki Board for the year ended December 31st, I'JUS, was presented to the Board last llight by .Mr. \V. A. Ballantyne, tile director.

School Classes.—During the year there were SI schools ill operation 111 the district, and of these (J3 took up ha-.ulwoik in some form ur oilier. In addition to the ordinary handwork subjects, classes were carried 011 in woodwork 14, cookery 14, agriculture 24, physical measurements 0, dairying 2, botany 5, chemistry 2, physiology o, and first aid l:i, swimming and life-saving 3, advanced nedelework 3, schools. The classes in woodwork and cookery were well attended, and the success already met with lully justified the action of the Board in establishing these classes and appointing specially t|ualilied instructors. Elementary agriculture was conducted in 24 schools, an increase of The course followed was much 011 the same lines as last year, and Mr. Alorison, the .Hoard's instructor, reported that in most cases very satisfactory work hail been done. rSo far the Stratford school was the only one to take up dairying. This was the most important subject as far as the Taranaki district was concerned, and should receive greater attention at the hands of our teaehwt. Aiovision had beeu made by the Department whereby instruction in dairy work might be combined with the instruction in elementary agriculture, provided that not less than 20 hours' instruction in each subject was given to the class during the school year. This was a wise provision, for where this course was adopted teachers would he enabled to give instruction in dairy work during the period of the year when very little agriculture could be done. In order that the teachers might be better fitted to take up a course in dairying, it was intended during the coining year to establish at Stratford and New Plvmouth a course of lessons in this

subject at the teachers' Saturday classes. Teachers' Training Classes. —Teachers' Saturday classes were again held during the year at New Plymouth and Stratford, and instruction given in cookery, drawing, cardboard, nature siudy tetany, physiology and first aid, physiography and agricultural chemistry. The number on the roll of the several classes must be considered fairly satisfactory, 40 being m attendance at New Plymouth and 20 at Stratford, but the regularity, | especially towards the end of the ses-1 mod, fell oil" considerably. The director' suggested that when teachers were ap-: plying for preferment the question of attendance at the teachers' Saturday classes be given every consideration in making the appointment. Great interest was evinced by the students attending the class in physiology and Jirst aid under Dr. Fookes, to* whom hearty thanks were tendered. At the close of the class six teachers came up for the examination conducted under St. John's Ambulance Association by Drs. Blackley and Wylie. Four gained the certificate

awarded by the Society. Examinations in handwork were also conducted at New Plymouth and Stratford by the Education Department's inspector, and several of our teachers were successful in passing the test set. Mr. Ballantyne took the opportunity of impressing 011 teachers the advisability of sitting for such examinations as the City and Guilds and the South Kensington. Certificates from such institutions were recognised in every part of the world, and it was only reasonable to expect that in a few years' time the Department, instead of

appointing special instructors, would re

ijiiire public school teachers to give instruction in such subjects as cookery.

woodwork, etc., and in making appointments the various Boards would perforce give preference to candidates holding certificates in these subjects. He was pleased to note that ill the January examinations for the teachers' ''C" certificate two of the teachers, Mr. Richard Thomas and Mr. Joseph Thomas, received special mention in the examination iu agricultural chemistry. Those teachers had been two of the most regular attendcrs at the Saturday classes. Miss Mary E. Reed gnined special mention in the examination in English. Technical Classes.—Technical classes were held during the year at New Plymouth, Stratford, and Inglewood, and ■>:10 students were enrolled at New Plymouth. 80 at Stratford, ami ir» Inglewood. as compared with 181, 73, and 40 respectively in li>o7. As far as possible the course of instruction was mapped out to meet the requirements of the City and .Guilds, the South Kensington, the teachers' 1) and C, matriculation, and Civil service examinations. The report detailed the syllabus undertaken. Special mention was made of the classes recently established in commercial law, millinery, and chemistry of agriculture, which were well attended and pro veil both interesting and popular to the students. rive of the students attending the .plumbing classes secured the full pass and two a partial pass. The successes gained in the special examinations and in the examinations conducted by the instructors at the close of the session "ave a fairly true indication that during the. past year good, sound work had been done, and that the classes were fulfilling to some extent the object for which they were established. 11l con-

elusion, thanks were due to the instructors and others who had manifest' cd a7i interest iu the classes. The report was received.