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H.—l

In all civilized countries schools of art and design are recognized as an important means of cultivating the taste of the people ; and, regarded from this point of view, they are perhaps more necessary in a young colony than in older countries. But, independently of such considerations, they have a high practical value in their relation to several professions and to manufacturing industry. The most fully-equipped school of this kind is at Dunedin; and we may refer to the last published report of the drawing-master as illustrating the variety of occupations in which a knowledge of drawing, colour, and design is required and highly valued. He gives an analysis of the list of students attending the evening classes in the School of Art during 1878, as follows: Three architects, 4 bricklayers, 6 blacksmiths, 4 boiler-makers, 2 brassfounders, 1 banker, 18 carpenters, 6 clerks, 5 coach-painters, 6 civil engineers, 3 drapers, 1 gardener, 2 goldsmiths, 8 joiners, 2 ironmongers, 8 iron-turners, 2 jewellers, 4 lithographers, 21 mechanical engineers, 5 masons, 5 painters, 5 plumbers, 4 pattern-makers, 2 plasterers, 3 photographers, 7 surveyors, 4 tinsmiths, 4 teachers, 2 tailors, 1 wood-carver, and 16 students. These classes were held on four evenings in the week, from seven to nine; and (to use the Avords of the report) " Mondays and Wednesdays were devoted to freehand drawing from fiat examples and from the round, drawing from the antique, painting in monochrome, and modelling in clay ; and Tuesdays and Thursdays to practical plane and solid geometry, mechanical and architectural drawing." We cannot doubt that if similar facilities were afforded in other towns, a similar demand for instruction would show itself, and similar satisfactory results would ensue. The operations of the school are not confined to these evening classes. The report shows that during the year 1878 no fewer than 3,710 persons were under instruction, including forty-one members of a ladies' afternoon class, thirtyone uormal-school students, sixty-four pupil teachers, and 3,407 pupils in the primary schools of the city and suburbs. The school is accommodated in the upper part of the normal-school buildings, and maintained at the expense of the Board of Education. The cost is exceedingly small as compared with the work accomplished. The Board's accounts for 1878 show an outlay of £800 165., against which is to be set a sum of £110 received from fees. We are of opinion that the action of the Board of Education in this matter is worthy not only of high commendation, but also of general imitation throughout the colony; especially in view of the importance of drawing as a part of the normal-school course, and of the advantage of securing the services of competent visiting masters for the larger schools. At the same time we see no objection to a different plan, which it is proposed to adopt at Christclmrch, where the Board of Governors of Canterbury College have it in contemplation to institute a school of art, to be supported out of the funds set apart for a technical school; but we recommend that the Board of Education be invited to co-operate with the Board of Governors, so as to secure some substantial advantage for the teachers and pupils of the normal and primary schools. There is a School of Design at Auckland, which, at the time of our visit, had an attendance of from fifteen to twenty. The institution of the school is entirely due to the public spirit of Dr. J. Logan Campbell, by whom all the expenses are borne, except that the Auckland Institute provides a room at the Museum for the rise of the school. The Wellington Board of Education has made a beginning in the same direction, by voting a salary of £100 for one year to a lady who teaches drawing in her own rooms to some of the primary-school teachers. We cannot but regret that our list of public institutions for instruction in this important branch of education is such a short one.

chools of art and deslsu-

IV.—EVENING CLASSES. Evening classes liave been frequently established in different parts of the country, for instruction in subjects ranging from those proper to the primary school up to the work of the University. These classes, in many cases, have not