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E.—s

HAWKE'S BAY. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. Manual and Technical Instruction. —There has been still further extension of school classes during the year, and instruction iv cookery, dressmaking, and woodwork was given at Gisborne, jNapier, Hastings, Waipawa, and Dannevirke, the children of twenty-two schools receiving the benefit. The question of the appointment of itinerary instructors in agriculture and dairying is being carefully considered by the Board, and it is very probable that next year those important subjects will receive the attention they deserve. The technical schools at Napier, Hastings, and Waipawa are now completed, so the conditions under which classes work are materially improved. Training of Teachers. —During the year Saturday classes for teachers have been held at Dannevirke, in physical instruction, drawing, cookery, and woodwork; at Napier, in cookery, woodwork, and dressmaking; and at Gisborne, in cookery, woodwork, and dressmaking. The attendances at the classes and the work done have, on the whole, been satisfactory, the work done at the cookery classes at Napier and Gisborne being good. Extract from the Report of the Inspector of Schools. The woodwork, cookery, and dressmaking classes under the Manual and Technical Regulations have been continued in the schools on the lines set forth in my last year's report. Mr. Gardiner, the instructor in woodwork, has conducted classes in Napier, Hastings, and Dannevirke as centres. The cookery classes for girls have been carried on in the same places by Misses Millington and Lousley, and Mrs. Thomas has conducted dressmaking classes. In Poverty Bay the instruction in woodwork was given by Mr. Levey. Altogether more than a thousand children received instruction in one or more of the subjects mentioned. Extract from Report on Special Classes in the Hawke's Bay District. During the past year the manual and technical instruction classes have been extended, and, including the Gisborne centre, twenty-seven special classes were in operation. Efforts have been made to provide classes for the teachers in the northern, central, and southern portions of the district, but the attendance is not satisfactory. Some teachers dislike having to attend a Saturday class, and they appear to think that the subjects for which separate and special instruction is provided will always be done by specialists as at present. They do not appear to realise the fact that teachers' classes are primarily for the purpose of providing facilities to teachers who have not had opportunities previously to prepare themselves in subjects that are being called for in the schools under the new regulations. These subjects must be taught, and if the teachers now in charge do not avail themselves of the opportunities provided they alone will be to blame if vacancies are filled by others more capable of carrying out the needful duties. The training colleges for teachers are doing work in anticipation of meeting the growing demand, so that unless the Board's own teachers choose to avail themselves of the classes formed for their special benefit, in the natural order of things, they must give place to better-prepared teachers. The Board has no desire to suggest the compulsory attendance of teachers at the Saturday classes, but it is considered the bounden duty of teachers to avail themselves of every opportunity to prepare the subjects of instruction which they are supposed to teach. Certificates are being issued by the Board to all teachers who are reported as having attended the special Saturday classes and have made satisfactory progress. Special evening classes were established in Napier for machine construction and drawing, building construction and drawing, carpentry and joinery 7, dressmaking, practical plumbing, shorthand, English, arithmetic, book-keeping. At Hastings an evening class for shorthand was in operation, but the attendance diminished towards the close of the session, so that the average reached only four. Altogether twenty-seven special classes were established, and, without including the attendance of teachers in Gisborne, the average for the year was as follows: Dressmaking, 43; woodwork, 13; cookery, 103; drawing, 18; other classes as above, 62 : total, 239. For the current year it is expected that a large increase in the attendances at classes will take place. At Waipawa rooms have been provided for purposes of technical instruction, and there appears to be a growing desire to improve the existing state of things with respect to technical training. The Government have generously supplied grants for apparatus and appliances, and with the appointment of a Director of Technical Instruction it is hoped that new classes will be established, that the present classes will be reorganized with a view to becoming more valuable to the community, and that opportunities will be opened to country students to pursue their studies at the Napier Technical School, which is now completed and opened for teaching purposes with a staff of competent instructors. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Tear ending Slst December, 1907, in respect of Special Classes conducted at Dannevirke, Gisborne, Hastings, Napier, and Woodville. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 398 8 0 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 346 5 7 Capitation on special classes .. .. 145 18 1 Office expenses (including salaries, stationBuildings .. .. .. .. 4,706 19 2 cry, &c.) .. .. .. .. 67 7 0 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 37 17 6 Advertising and printing .. .. 8 6 0 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 514 6 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 12 13 0 Material .. .. .. .. 38 13 2 Repairs and cleaning .. .. .. 17 0 6 Fees .. .. .. .. .. 155 7 6 Rent .. .. .. .. .. 30 3 4 Government grant, instruction of teachers 175 0 0 Examinations, &c. .. .. ~ 12 12 2 Sale of material .. .. .. 10 11 2 Material for class use .. .. .. 47 4 6 Balance at end of year .. .. • .. 20 13 4 Conveyance of teachers .. ~ .. 9 2 0 Legal expenses .. .. .. .. 717 4 Transfer to controlling authority, Dannevirke 32 14 3 Transfer to controlling authority, Gisborne 47 17 0 Refund of class fees to pupil-teachers .. 12 12 0 Contracts (new buildings, additions, &o.) .. 5,019 11 8 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 23 16 1 £5,695 2 5 £5,695 2 5 G. Crawshaw, Secretary,