37

E.—s

Extract from the Report of the Superintendent (Mr. Tyrer), Stratford District. The usual difficulty was found in getting together a sufficient number of students to establish classes. Dressmaking, which was carried on practically through the year, was the most popular subject. An innovation was made in the establishment of the two law classes —Contracts and Torts, Property and Criminal Law—two of our leading barristers giving their services as lecturers. Technical classes were held in dressmaking, millinery, contracts and torts, property and criminal law. drawing and cookery. The numbers attending the continuation classes, with the exception of that in shorthand, were small, and thanks are due to those instructors who gave their services practically gratis, so that these classes might be carried through without loss to the Board. The usual classes foi teachers in nature-work, cardboard-work, and cookery were held throughout the year. Classes were established for the first time in dairy-work and chemistry. Towards the end of the year classes in voice-production and drawing were established, as was also a class in surveying. In some cases, though the number on the roll was small, the attendance was very regular, while in others, though the number was large, the regularity of attendances left much to be desired. It seems to me that at least 80 per cent, of attendances should be expected from teachers who have once joined a class. The idea of making teachers who have joined classes responsible for the loss of capitation incurred through irregular attendance is a good one. Dairying is a subject of the greatest importance to the Taranaki Education District, and it seems only a question of time when dairy science will lie a com pulsory subject in all of its schools. It is gratifying to learn that the Stratford teachers who sat tor exam in at inn in this subject were both successful in passing their examination. The course of instruction was well drawn up by Mr. V. ,). Heatlcy, M.Sc. It covered the whole subject. The teachers who passed had no tcxl-books, and depended entirely on the notes supplied by the lecturer, who throughout the whole course afforded a great amount of laboratory-work. The only disappointing feature in connection with the subject wa_ the comparatively small attendance of teachers. During the year arrangements were made by which children attending the Secondary Department of the District High School were afforded a choice of two courses, classical and rural. The former comprised the usual work taken in secondary schools —viz., languages, mathematics, and science : while the latter took English, arithmetic, book-keeping, botany, physics, drawing, the boys specializing in dairy science and agricultural work (including farm carpentry), the girls in domestic science, dressmaking, and cookery. These classes were opened in June, and twenty-four pupils availed themselves of the curriculum for the remainder of the year, in connection with the class in agriculture, an experiment was made to show the food value of turnips, a plot of which remained in the school garden. Ten sheep were purchased, and to these the turnips were fed. Improvement in the sheep's condition was carefully noted, and an account of the receipts and expenditure was kept by the book-keeping class. This showed a profit of £1 Os. Bd. The experiment caused so much interest among the boys that others of a similar nature will be conducted during the next year. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure fur the Year ending 'Msl December, 1909. in respect of Special Classes conducted at New Plymouth. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s d. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 67 19 0 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 220 1 2 Oapitation on special classes .. .. 11l 15 0 Office expenses (including salaries, staCapitation on account of free places .. 15 8 0 tionery, &c.) .. .. .. 37 • 1 0 Buildings .. .. .. 40 0 0 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 25 10 11 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 76 13 11 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 21 7 5 Material .. .. .. 28 210 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 012 6 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 16 16 0 Material for class use .. .. .. 18 3 8 Fees .. .. .. .. .. 128 10 0 Caretaker .. .. .. .. 26 0 0 Voluntary contributions .. .. .. 87 8 0 Refunds .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 Deposit fees .. .. .. .. 15 15 0 Contract* (new buildings, additions, &c ) .. 516 1 Material sold .. .. .. .. 0 16 4 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus.. .. 55 18 10 Refunds.. .. .. .. .. 313 9 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 163 010 Sundry receipts .. .. .. .. 0 14 7 t593 12 5 £593 12 5 B. G. Whettkk, for Secretary. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending '31st December, 1909, in respect of Special Classes conducted at Stratford. Receipts. £ s. d. Expendittire. £ a. a. Balance at beginning of year .. .. 14 5 5 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 70 12 8 Capitation on special classes .. .. 48 2 2 Office expenses (including salaries, staCapitation on account of free places .. 5 11 3 tionery, &c.) .. .. .. 48 1 6 Furniture, fittings, apparatus .. .. 30 911 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 416 3 Material .. .. .. .. 7 811 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 12 5 4 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 3 4 3 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 013 6 Fees .. .. .. .. 66 5 0 Material for class use .. .. .. 10 5 7 Voluntary contributions .. .. .. 913 0 Caretaker .. .. .. 20 0 0 Sales .. .. .. .. .. 474 Refunds.. .. .. .. .. 3 16 0 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 3 3 9 Contracts (new buildings, additions, &c.) .. 014 6 Furniture, fittings, and apparatus .. .. 21 5 8 £192 11 0 £192 11 0 R. G. Whetter, for Secretary.