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Extract from the Report of the Director of the " Elam "[[School of Art. The total number of attendances registered for the year wasj[33,7Bs, being an increase on that of the preceding year of 2,174. The number of students on the roll at the present time is 327. Of these forty-five are students who pay fee£, the rest being admitted free under the " Elam " bequest. The quality of the work produced is well maintained, and the report of the Government Inspector of Teoh nical Education expresses satisfaction at the work done. The following extract from this gentleman's report will be of interest both to the Managers and to the public:— Speaking generally, the work throughout the school reaches a high plane of merit Excellent results are obtained in such subjects as still life, and drawing and painting from life, largely due to the thorough grounding in elementary drawing and light and shade the pupils receive. The spontaneity and freshness of much of the work in these subjects show that students are encouraged to express themselves in any given medium by direct ami unlaboured methods. The instruction ihroughout is described by the Inspector as " very good," and the progress made by students in every class is marked as " good." The number of the classes in drawing and painting from life, which have been carried on under the supervision of Mr. A. E. Nicoll, of Christchurch, who joined the staff of the school this year, has increased, although there is not a large number of students yet in Auckland who are qualified for this branch of work. Much excellent work, however, has been done in this " life " section, both from the nude, from heads, and from costume studies. The number of students attending the wood-carving and modelling classes is forty, and the attendances registered during the year have been 4,483, which is a considerable increase on the number registered in 1907, while the quality of the work produced reflects greal credit on the instructor, as on the students themselves.' Early iii December a small exhibition of students' works was held in the City Council Chamber, by the kind permission of His Worship the Mayor. Some"3so works in all branches were displayed, and although the exhibition was only open three days, about 2,000 people visited it. E. W. Payton, Director. Statement of Receipts ami Expenditure for tin Ynn ending Slst December, 1908. in respect of Associated Classes conducted at Auckland by the Managers of the " Elam " School of Art. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 109 1 6 Salaries of instructors .. .. 715 0 0 Capitation on associated classes .. .. 418 12 0 Office expenses (including salaries, staRent .. .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 tionery, &c.) .. .. .. .. 76 14 9 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 8 19 3 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 7 8 0 Material .. . .. .. 61910 j Lighting and heating .. .. .. 22 16 5 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 200 0 0 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 1111 Pees .. .. .. .. .. 54 17 0 Material for class use .. .. .. 17 110 From the trustees for the " Elam" School Models .. .. 16 6 6 of Art .. .. .. 248 18 1 Various expenses .. .. .. 516 0 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 18 9 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 186 13 3 £1,067 7 8 | £1,067 7 8 Sam. Jackson, Chairman ) .., E. W. Patton, Secretary } of Managers. TARANAKI. Extract from the Report of thk Education Board. Elementary handwork was taken at forty-six schools, and sewing under the Regulations for Manual and Technical Instruction at seven. In addition to the above, manual work, as defined by clauses 22-27 of the above regulations, was recognised in eighty-four cases ; the subjects embracing woodwork, cookery, botany, dairying, advanced needlework, elementary agriculture, swimming and lifesaving, physical measurements, chemistry, and elementary physiology. Considerable progress has been made in technical education, especially agriculture. Extract from the Report of the Director of Technical Instruction. School Classes.— During the year there were eighty-one schools in operation in the Taranaki District, and, of these, sixty-three took up handwork in some form or other. In addition to the ordinary handwork subjects, classes were carried on in woodwork, cookery, agriculture, physical measurements, dairying, botany, chemistry, physiology and first aid, swimming and life-saving, and advanced needlework. The classes in woodwork and cookery were again well attended, and the success already met with fully justifies the action of the Board in establishing these classes and appointing specially qualified instructors. Elementary agriculture. was conducted in twenty-four schools, an increase of three. The course followed was much on the same lines as last year, and Mr. Morison, the Board's instructor, reports that in most oases very satisfactory work has been done. So far the Stratford School is the only one to take up dairying. This is a most important subject as far as the Taranaki District is concerned, and should receive greater attention at the hands of our teachers. Provision has now been made by the Department whereby instruction in dairy-work may be combined with the instruction in elementary agriculture, provided that not less than twenty hours' instruction in each subject is given to the class during the school year.K-This is a wise provision, for where this course is adopted teachers will be enabled to give instruction in dairy-work during the period of the year when very little agriculture can be done. In order that our teachers may be better fitted to take up a course in dairying, it is intended during the coming year to establish at Stratford and New Plymouth a course of lessons in this subject at the Teachers' Saturday Classes.