E.—s

45

Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. Handwork is practised in most of the larger and in a considerable number of the smaller schools. It is liked by the children, and would be by the teachers if their classes could be reduced to manageable size—say, to thirty pupils at most for this kind of work. It is work that grows upon pupils and teachers, and the pity is that it should have to be carried on under circumstances so chilling to enthusiasm. Since the issue of the revised regulations for manual and technical instruction, we have inaugurated in the city and suburbs and some of the larger towns classes for physical measurements, and added largely to the number of country schools giving instruction and practice in elementary agriculture, departments of work which, if we may judge from experience, are going to prove highly successful. Gardening, including the study of plant and insect life, has for some years been a conspicuous feature in the work of some of our country schools, and the results given below, besides being interesting in themselves, show that the economic side of the work is not disregarded. Research of this kind is of great educational value, for it embraces the cardinal principles of the methods of science—(1) a statement of the purpose for which the experiments are performed here, to test the capacity of the soil for the growth of selected plants under certain conditions; and (2) the systematic observation and reasoning that come from measurement and record. It is a training in observation, in reasoning, in arithmetic, sometimes in drawing, and always in composition of the most useful kind —namely, the accurate expression of personal experience, an exercise that is of comparatively greater practical value than essaywriting about nothing in particular. We have nothing but praise for the enthusiasm with which our country teachers have entered upon this department of work. At present every application for the establishment of a handwork class has to be referred to Wellington for sanction. This causes what seems to us unnecessary correspondence and delay. The Board is in a better position to judge as to the suitableness of any kind of work for a particular school and locality than is the Department, and ought, we think, to be invested with power to say Yea or Nay to every application for the establishment of a class. Before closing our report of this class of work, we wish to say that in our opinion the district is inadequately provided with means for instruction in manual and technical work. In 1903 one of our number wrote for the information of the Board an account of what had been done in some of the northern districts, and by implication suggested what should be done here. Since then a good deal has been achieved in the direction suggested; but we are still working with an inadequate equipment of kitchens and workshops, and are still without a day technical school for the city and suburbs, and without a trained director of technical instruction.

Results of Crops grown in a School Garden, 1904. — Potatoes; soil virgin; no manure. For heaviest crop at one root, and heaviest potato, see plot 16.

The following crops had a dressing of bonedust at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre, and also a dressing of farmyard manure : —

The soil is of good quality, and the aspect most favourable—a steep northern slope. It would be. invidious to name the school, for several others did work of similar kind but of'less range and completeness. The results were worked out by the pupils under the supervision of their teacher. Extract from the Report of the Managers of the Dunedin Technical Classes Association. The associated bodies in each case re-elected the retiring members. The Board of Management was therefore composed of Messrs. A. Burt, D. R. Eunson, A. Marshall, 8.A., and D. R. White, M.A. (elected by the Otago Education Board), Messrs. J. F. Arnold, M.H.R., A. Sligo, and G. M. Thomson, F.L.S. (appointed by members of the Association), and Crs. T. R. Christie,and

»lot.| Kind. Kate in Tons of Yield per Acre. Observations. PlOt.: Kind. Rate in Tons of Yield per Acre. Observations. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sutton's Abundance .. Sutton's Dwarf Early Sutton's Supreme British Queen Up to Date Magnum Bonum Hampshire Abundance Kind not known Derwent Findlay's Bruce Peach Blossom 34-165 13-563 33-251 10-728 14-900 15-298 20-354 19-555 6-353 22-216 13-038 Very early. 12 13 14 15 Blue Skerry Barr's Early Champion .. Skerry Up to Date .. .. 15-298 .. 15-464 .. 20-861 .. 14-817 .. 21-152 Imported last season. Imp >rted last season. Planted 29th Nov. Heavie.-t crop at one root, lljlb. ; heaviest potato, lib. 12 oz. 16 Poor sample. Very poor sample.

'lot. Kind. Rate in Tons of Roots per Acre. Rate in Tons of Toils per Acre. Plot. Kind. Rate in Tons of Roots per Acre. Rate in Tons of Tops per Acre. 17 18 19 20 21 22 Parsnips .. Carrot —Altringham * Carrot —White Belgian Artichokes Mangolds—Long Red Mangolds—Orange Globe 15-978 8-317 5-991 10-642 18-391 22-877 23 24 25 26 27 t Mangolds—Golden Tankard Turnips— Swede (Elephant) Swede (Champion) Purple-top Yellow Green-top Yellow 43-764 31-375 14-101 17-028 15-565 12-803 8-891 11-573 14-106 10-042 * A large -pi ■oportion rai to seed. t Choked by plants on each side.