53

E.—6.

Committee has acquired an additional half an acre for agricultural purposes. This Committee has been greatly interested in the rural course since its introduction three years ago, and the raising of sufficient funds to purchase the extra ground as well as finding sufficient funds to keep going a large school like Hastings shows that in addition to being interested they are alive to the future needs in agricultural education. Although the rural course only extends over two years, provision has been made for continuing the agricultural science with third-and fourth-year pupils where needed. At Waipawa and Hastings special Matriculation classes in this subject were held during the year. It seems necessary at this stage to emphasize the fact that our agricultural education in the district high schools makes no claim at turning out farmers. These schools cannot be expected to give boys a complete agricultural training- -that is the function of a purely vocational school: but the district high schools are capable of giving, and do give, an excellent introductory training. I trust the time is not far distant when a purely agricultural high school will be established in central Hawke's Bay which would continue the work of the primary and district high schools and carry it on to the final or University stage. In concluding this portion of the report I desire to place on record my appreciation of the assistance given by the Principals and assistants of the district high schools during the year. I have also strongly to commend the loyalty, energy, and unbounded enthusiasm displayed by my assistant, Mr. W. Morris, in the carrying-out of his duties. Teachers' Classes. —Classes were held in different subjects at Gisborne, Napier, Dannevirke, Woodville, and Waipawa. At Gisborne, Napier, and Dannevirke classes were held for the training of pupil-teachers and probationers in elementary hygiene and drawing. At Woodville and Waipawa instruction was given in dairy science. The total number of classes held was eleven—six science classes and five drawing classes. The attendance in a number of cases has been irregular. The work, generally speaking, has been satisfactory. A class in agricultural chemistry was held at Hastings during the winter months for fruitgrowers. The course covered was much appreciated by the farmers, who expressed the hope that similar classes would be conducted in. 1915. The roll number was fourteen and average attendance, twelve. This class did the most satisfactory work of any adult class held since I have been with the Board. Ernest G. Loten, Director. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1914, in respect of Classes conducted at Gisborne, Napier, Dannevirke, Hastings, Woodville, and Mceanee by the Haxoke's Bay Education Board. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Cr. balance at beginning of yoar .. .. 140 8 0 Salaries of teaching Btaff.. .. .. 87 0 0 Capitation on classes .. .. .. 229 7 0 Material for class use .. .. .. 10 17 0 Material .. .. .. .. 24 5 7 Repairs .. .. .. .. 18 4 Fees and othor class payments .. .. 8 0 0 Lighting and heating .. .. .. 0 4 7 Office oxponsos (including salarii ) .. 12 0 0 Advertising and printing.. .. .. 16 0 Toxt books .. .. .. .. 1 12 6 Cartage.. .. .. .. .. 0 4 1 Cr. balanoe at end of year .. .. 287 8 1 £402 0 7 £402 0 7 G. Crawshaw, Secretary. Extract from the Report of the Director of the Napier Technical College. The work of the College has been carried on very successfully during the past year. There has been little change in the organization, the arrangements being as follows : A day technical school (80 pupils), evening classes (273 pupils), two classes from Hukarcre School (48 pupils), one class from Marist Brothers' School (24 pupils), sixteen primary-school classes in cookery, woodwork, and dressmaking (330 pupils), teachers' classes in hygiene and art (100 pupils) ; total, 855 pupils. The work of the day technical school is divided, as in previous years, into three courses, making provision for first-, second-, and third-year pupils asfollows : A mechanical course for boys, commercial course for boys, and a combined commercial and domestic science course for girls. The pupils, eighty in number, comprise fifty-one first-year, twenty-two second-year, and seven third-year pupils. All of the second- and third-year pupils who left during the-year obtained good appointments, and in most cases were well fitted for them : but it must be quite obvious that any pupil who fails to complete at least one year at a school of secondary grade has gained very little advantage from the attendance, and the importance of allowing pupils to attend regularly for at least two years should be a matter for serious consideration on the part of the parents. The attendance generally has been remarkably good during the year. Two school examinations were held half-yearly and yearly. Sixteen pupils entered for the Pitman's shorthand examinations, but the results are not yet to hand. At the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute ten pupils passed in cookery, one in dressmaking, and four in plumbing. Two exhibitions of work have been held during the year, one at the Hastings Agricultural and Pastoral Show, where a space of 40 ft. proved to be too little for the display of work, and the annual exhibition in the College buildings, where examples of all the practical work in dressmaking, needlework, millinery, cookery, woodwork, art, plumbing, sign and ticket writing, and engineering were on view, including a small gas-engine driving a 5 in. lathe. The exhibits attracted very considerable attention, and I am sure were a real education to the general public. As an instance of the practical nature