38

E.—s

Teachers'' Training Classes.— Saturday classes were again held during the year at New Plymouth and Stratford, and instruction given in cookery, drawing, cardboard-work, nature work, botany, physiology and first aid, physiography, and agricultural chemistry. The number on the roll of t luseveral classes must be considered fairly satisfactory, forty being in attendance at New Plymouth and twenty at Stratford, but the regularity, especially towards the end of the session, fell oft considerably. At the close of the session six teachers came up for the examination in physiology and first aid, conducted under the St. John's Ambulance Association by Drs. Blackley and Wylie, and four gamed tincertificate awarded by the society. Examinations in handwork wen- also conducted at New Plymouth and Stratford by the Education Department's Inspector, and several of our teachers came up for examination, [should again like to impress on teachers the advisability of sitting for such examinations as the City and Guilds and the South Kensington Examinations. Certificates from such insti tutions are recognised in every part of the world ; and it is only reasonable to expect that in a few years' time the Department, instead of appointing special instructors, will require public-school teachers to give instruction in subjects such as cookery, woodwork. &c. ; and in making appointments the various Boards will perforce give preference to candidates holding certificates in these suiijects. Technical Classes. Technical .lasses were held during the year at New Plymouth, Stratford, and Inglcwood. Two hundred and thirty students were enrolled at New Plymouth, 86 at Stratford, and 15 at [nglewood, as compared with'l*l. 75, and 10 in 1907. This is very gratifying, and indicates that the training afforded by the classes is fully appreciated by the students. As far as possible the course of instruc tion is mapped out to meet the i, ■cjuirements of the City and Guilds, the Smith Kensington, the Teachers' I) and c the Matriculation and the Civil Service Examinations. The work undertaken comprised the class preparing for Standard VI, and classes for commercial arithmetic, English (junior and senior), Latin, drawing, painting, building and machine construction, mathematics, plumbi dressmaking, cookery, millinery, wood-carving, carpentry and joinery, book-keeping, shorthand, commercial law, electricity, chemistry, and agriculture. Of these classes special mention mighl be made of the classes recently established in commercial law, millinery, and chemistry of agriculture, which were well attended, and proved both interesting and popular with the students. An examination m plumbing was again conducted at Stratford by the Health Department, when eighl students from Eltham, Stratford, and New Plymouth presented themselves. Five of these secured the full pass and two a partial pass. The successes gained in the special examinations and in the examinations conducted by the instructors at the close of the session give a fairly true indication that during the past year good sound work has been done, and that the classes are fulfilling to some extent the object for which they were established. W. A. Ballantyne, Director. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 3lst December, 1908, in respect of Special Classes conducted at New Plymouth. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Capitation on special classes .. .. 84 15 3 Balance at beginning of year .. .. 512 5 7 Capitation on account of free places .. 10 16 6 Salaries of instructors .. .. 234 19 4 KniMinaa .. 317 8 0 Office expenses (including salaries, stationery, Rent " ". .. .. 915 0 &o.) . 46 12 3 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 329 2 5 Advertising and printing 27 13 0 Material .. • • • • 44 16 5 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 11 14 0 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 103 12 11 Insurance and repairs 13 5 4 F 176 10 0 Examinations, etc. .. .. • • 2 2 0 Voluntary contributions '.'. .. •• 70 17 10 Material for class use 32 17 4 Deposit fees .. .. • • 21 17 0 Caretaker 82b Goodssold 0 17 6 Refunds 16 17 0 Refunds, &c 14 1 4 Library books 5 19 8 Improving grounds .. .. .. 1-st 14 11 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus.. 59 18 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 76 19 3 £1,184 10 2 £1,184 10 2 R. G. Whbtteb, for Secretary. Statement of Receipts ami Expenditure jar th, Year ending Mix/ December, 1908, in respect of Spinal Clauses conducted at Stratford. Receivts. B s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d Capitation on special classes .. .. 118 9 6 Balance at beginning of year .. .. 155 1 8 Capitation on account of free places .. 13 1 0 Administration and maintenanceRnildin .. .. 20 0 0 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 52 1 o Rent • • ..650 Office expenses (including salaries, staFurniture, fittings, apparatus '.'. .. 65 19 8 tionery, &c.) 51 0 5 Material •• ..928 Advertising and printing .. .. i 7 9 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 10 0 0 Lighting and heating 019 10 p eea 50 13 0 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 0 16 Voluntary contributions '.'. ■■ ■■ 10 0 0 Examinations &c 5 5 0 Deposit fees 210 0 Material for class use 5 26 Goodssold .. .. •• 22 3 Caretaker .. .. 815 0 B-t of rooms •• ..300 Refund y S b00k9 .. .. .. "^42 Fencing .. .. • • • • 0 17 6 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. 4 10 10 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 14 5 5 £306 3 1 8806 8 1 R. G. Whettee, for Secretary.