E.—s.

62

I wish to thank the members of the staff for the earnest and capable way in which they have carried out their duties and for their hearty and loyal cooperation in the work of the school, and also Mr. Paton, whose services as secretary during the year have been invaluable. Our thanks are also due for the very generous financial support accorded the school by the Dannevirke County Council, the Dannevirke Borough Council, the Dannevirke Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and the Hawke's Bay Builders' Union, without which the Technical School would have considerable difficulty in carrying on its classes. I wish again to point out that if the numbers attending these classes were what they should be in a town of this size the classes would be practically self-supporting —that is, the capitation from the Education Department, together with the small fee charged to students, would be sufficient to pay the instructors and other incidental expenses of the school. J. M. Simmers, Director. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1912, in respect of Special Classes conducted at the Dannevirke Technical School. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Capitation on classes .. .. .. 34 14 6 Balance at beginning of year .. .. 28 511 Material.. .. .. .. 9,72 Salaries of instructors .. .. .. 72 4 0 Subsidies on voluntary contributions .. 38 3 0 Office expenses (inoluding salaries, stationery, Fees .. .. .. .. .. 28 8 6 &o.) .. .. .. .. .. 026 Voluntary contributions .. .. .. 19 12 0 Advertising and printing .. .. .. 714 9 Sale of material .. .. .. .. 8 6 8 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 6 4 10 Insurance and repairs .. .. .. 3 2 1 Material for class use .. .. .. 9 14 Balance at end of year .. .. .. 11 16 5 £138 11 10 £138 11 10 T. Macallan, Secretary.

MARLBOROUGH. Extract from the Report of the Education Board. Practically all schools are receiving instruction in some branch of handwork. Recognized classes were conducted at fifty-eight schools, the following subjects being taught : Elementary agriculture, dairy-work, physiology, first aid and ambulance, swimming and life-saving, and various branches of handwork. School classes in woodwork, cookery, and advanced plain needlework were continued at the Blenheim Technical School. Extract from the Report of the Inspector of Schools. Manual instruction was given in seventy-five schools. Six schools in charge of sole male teachers took needlework. Cookery and woodwork classes were held at the Blenheim Manualtraining School. Ten schools, including two private schools, sent pupils, the total number under instruction being 376. Cookery classes for teachers and nurses were also held. Agriculture and school-gardening : Gardening was practised at fifty public and two private schools. A number of gardens indicated real enthusiasm, even where the science was not so observable. Some teachers are taking up the study of insect pests; the Department's sheet treating of this subject is a valuable aid. Section 56 of the syllabus should not be overlooked by teachers looking for correlation between gardening and science. School exhibits at shows are frequently wonderfully attractive and significant of varied interests —flower, vegetable, cookery, &c. Dairy science : Practical work was undertaken at three schools. This was a new departure. All three schools will in this way do valuable service in their respective communities. It is a branch of science that should be more widely adopted. Some teachers are inclined to keep the lessons learned at the summer school, like masonic secrets, religiously hidden from their pupils. Every opportunity should be taken to present to the notice of the children subjects so interesting both from an educative and from a practical point of view. Swimming and life-saving (seven schools) : Very good use has been made of the municipal baths at Blenheim, where those in office have made a feature of contests that won the interest of the pupils. First aid and physiology (four schools) : In view of the new regulations for teachers' certificates this should be taken up more widely. No school is too small for practical treatment of the subject. The course need not be long or very elaborate. Teachers' classes: Cookery (roll, 20). Seven candidates entered for the examination of the City and Guilds of London Institute, and all were successful. Three gained first-class certificates and four second-class. The teachers were somewhat dismayed to find that cookery is no longer to be recognized as a subject for the D certificate. Work under this head is relegated to a rather insignificant place under the heading " Home Science." The latter appears to be an overburdened subject. Considering the amount of valuable science of a practical kind connected with the cookery it is to be regretted that the subject is no longer treated as a separate one. Hygiene : During the midwinter holidays, a very useful class in the practical work (anatomy and first aid) required for the D uncertificated teachers was arranged for. Dairy science had been taught in the summer school held in January of last year. Mr. Bruce continued the classes for a time on Saturdays, and they were then taken up by Mr. L. J. Wild, M.A. The latter held two classes on Saturdays, one for uncertificated teachers and one for