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jects : Linear drawing by aid of instruments, 4 examples ; freehand outline drawing from the " round," 1 ; shading from the " round," or solid forms, 2 ; drawing the human figure or animal forms from the "round," or from nature, 7 ; anatomical studies of the human figure or of animal forms, 2; drawing flowers, foliage, landscape details, and objects of natural history, from nature, 1; painting ornament from the cast, &c, 1 ; painting direct from nature, 2 ; painting (from nature) groups of still-life, flowers, &c, as compositions of colour, 3 ; painting the human figure, or animals, in monochrome from casts, 1 ; painting the human figure, or animals, in colour, 2 ; elementary design, 6 ; drawings from actual measurements of structures, machines, &c, applied designs, technical or miscellaneous studies, 14. The following is a statement of the payments made in the year 1896, on account of manual and technical education: Education Boards —Wanganui, .£227 10s. Bd.; Wellington, £270 6s. 3d.; Grey, £6 16s. 9d. ; Otago, £5 ss. Technical Classes Associations—Auckland, .£257 17s. 7d. ; Dunedin, £312 6s. 3d.; Balclutha, £111 3s. lid. School of Domestic Instruction, Christchurch, £143 4s. 6d. Mr. W. I. Robinson, £7 4s. 10d. Messrs. Bickerton Brothers, £9 3s. 10d. Expenses of Examinations—South Kensington, £31 6s. 10d. ; City and Guilds of London Institute, £16 14s. Bd. Translation and condensation of Belgian report (E.-1d of last year), £25. Total, £1,424 Is. Id. A statement of the expenditure for the financial year ending 31st March is contained in the Appendix (p. 8). From an examination of the returns and statements made by the various classes that have obtained recognition under the Act up to the date of this report, it is estimated that the average attendance at these classes is about 2,690. No accurate statement of the number can be made, because in some cases formal returns have not yet been sent in ; nor can the number of individual students be stated, for the reason that many students attend two or more classes. In this estimate, no account has been taken of attendance at classes which, for one reason or another, have not yet been recognised. In the administration of the Act a practical difficulty has been experienced in the provision which limits the periods for which claims for capitation may be made to the four regular calendar quarters. Greater latitude in this respect is required. In reviewing the field of technical education, reference must be made to the important work that is being carried on outside the operations of the Manual and Technical Elementary Instruction Act. The annual Report on the Goldfields of New Zealand (C,-3), issued by the Department of Mines, will contain information with respect to the Schools of Mines, two of which are maintained in districts in which mining is actively carried on, and another is a department of the Otago University (vide E.-6). The number of students in mining in 1896 was about 229. The Government gives two scholarships of £30 or £50 a year in this subject. The annual report of the Department of Agriculture will show what is being done in the way of technical instruction at agricultural experimental stations, fruit farms, and dairy schools. The number of students at dairy schools in 1896 was 128. The Canterbury Agricultural College had 43 students in 1896, and the School of Engineering and Technical Science, a department of the Canterbury College, had 87. Information respecting these two last-named institutions will be found in the report of the Canterbury College (E.-7). Secondaey Schools. Of the twenty-four incorporated or endowed secondary schools, the year's receipts, leaving out credit and debit balances, amounted to £57,642 15s. 5d., of which £26,934 14s. Id. was derived from interest on investments and rents of land (the latter including £2,760 13s. Id. paid over to them by School Commissioners), and £22,450 18s. sd. from fees for tuition. There were 2,614 pupils on the rolls of the schools at the end of 1896, 93 per cent, of whom were above 12 years of age. The following table contains statistics of staff, attendance, &c, in respect of the schools that were in operation during the year. The reports and accounts are printed in E.-9.

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