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Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending Slst December, 1907. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at Ist January, 1907 .. .. 33 6 6 Salaries .. .. .. .. 1,459 14 9 Students' fees .. .. .. .. 626 0 6 Subsidies to life classes .. .. .. 57 8 0 Government grant for technical classes .. 997 2 9 Insurance .. .. .. 12 18 5 Government grant for apparatus .. .. 21 10 3 Contribution towards expenses of Registrar's Government grant for material .. .. 41 16 1 office .. .. .. .. 80 0 0 Government grant for free places .. .. 108 18 0 Gas .. .. .. .. .. 68 16 5 Grant from Museum, Library, and School of Repairs .. .. .. .. 13 6 5 Technical Soience Endowment .. .. 450 0 0 Advertising .. .. .. .. 25 12 9 Refund of freight (New Zealand Shipping Printing, stationery, and stamps .. .. 49 9 4 Company) .. .. .. .. 19 8 Fuel .. .. .. .. .. 16 17 4 Interest .. .. .. .. 415 3 General expenses .. .. .. 43 2 2 Apparatus .. .. .. .. 61 17 6 Books for school library .. .. .. 16 6 8 Painting interior (balance) .. .. 29 3 1 Telephone .. .. .. .. 6 3 5 Furniture for school library .. .. 5 0 0 Settle .. .. .. .. .. 10 0 0 Pumping plant (water-supply) .. .. 16 10 0 Balance .. .. .. 312 12 9 £2,284 19 0 £2,284 19 0

SOUTH CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report of the Inspectors of Schools. In the large schools regular courses of lessons in elementary science and nature-study have been satisfactorily carried out. The most interesting lessons have been given in the schools where the children have* shared in the cultivation of the school gardens. In about a dozen schools during the past year cottage-gardening has been taken as one of the subjects for which grants are earned under the regulations for manual and technical instruction, and it is most gratifying to report how successfully the gardens are managed. Indeed, some of the gardens are worth going a long way to see, and the exhibits from them have been a feature in the annual shows of local horticultural societies. Besides the schools in which cottage-gardening is recognised as a school subject, quite as many others have flower-gardens under the care of the children, among whom the desire that each should have the prettiest plot creates and fosters a friendly rivalry in a most delightful and health-giving hobby. Handwork in various forms finds a, place in the programme of a large proportion of the schools, and many very good specimens of brushwork and plasticine modelling are shown. We note with pleasure the increase in the number of pupils taking carton and cardboard work, the practice in this affording an excellent training in neatness and accuracy, and laying a sure foundation for the clear understanding of the mensuration of surfaces and simple solids. Very good work continues to be done in the woodwork classes, and some remarkably fine isometric drawing is shown by the boys attending these classes. We have now two specially trained teachers of cookery engaged in teaching girls of the Fifth and Sixth Standards at several centres. Their classes are skilfully managed and are deservedly popular. Extract from the Report of the Director of Technical Education. Various branches of handwork were taken up in all the large schools of the district, and also where practicable in the smaller ones. In the large schools where woodwork and cookery were taken a definite course of instruction has been adopted from the infant department right up to Standard VI. This course is generally strictly adhered to, as head teachers recognise that if handwork subjects are to be of any assistance in their school the work must be carried out systematically. The course includes paper-folding, stick-laying, or bricklaying in the infant classes, modelling or paper-folding in Standard I, modelling or brush drawing in Standard 11, carton-work in Standard 111, cardboard modelling in Standard IV, woodwork and cookery in Standards V and VI. In some of the smaller schools handwork was taken in the lower classes, but owing to the smallness of the staff it had to be discontinued in the upper classes. Besides those mentioned above the following subjects were also taught: Elementary agriculture, advanced plain needlework, physiology, swimming, chemistry, botany, physical measurements, elementary design, woodwork, and cookery. Last j'ear fifteen sole-charge schools, having no female teacher, availed themselves of the financial assistance given under the Manual and Technical Act, and appointed sewingmistresses. To encourage classes in swimming and life-saving the Education Board some time ago donated a handsome Challenge Shield to be competed for annually by the various schools in the district. This has had a good effect, and wherever baths are handy children are taught to swim. To decide the competition swimming sports were held in Timaru in March last. A number of schools competed, and Timaru Main succeeded in winning the Shield from Temuka District High School, the holder for 1906. The number of schools in this district taking elementary agriculture is slowly but surely on the increase. Last year at many of the schools good work was done on experimental lines." In this branch of school-work a great amount of good has been done by several of the horticultural societies in the district offering substantial prizes for the best-kept gardens, collections of produce, collections of grasses, &c. This must have a beneficial effect, firstly by encouraging the public and parents to take a greater interest in the work of the school and its surroundings, and secondly by impressing the minds of the children with the attractiveness of country life, and by bringing them into the very closest touch with nature. During the year the