k.—s

61

Last year the number of pupils attending the classes was 1,708 —828 girls and 880 boys. This year the number was 1,923—913 girls and 1,010 boys, an increase of 215. This increase has taken place practically wholly in'the Standard V classes. There have been only minor changes in the staff during the year. I regret to say that in October Miss Ruth Gilmour, owing to ill health, bad to relinquish her classes at Lyttelton and her assistance to Miss Blackmore al the Normal School centre, and Miss Hamilton has since filled this vacancy. In July several new woodwork'classes entered, and it was found necessary to engage Mr. ('. Brown as part-time instructor. A new feature has been introduced this year in allowing the pupils of the Yahlhiirst School to attend the Normal centre all day once a fortnight, in order to lessen the amount of time spent in travelling to and from the class. The result has been a success, the quality of the work being in every case at least "very good," while the attendance has been 96 per cent, of the possible. Last year a display of work done by the boys was held, and proved so successful that it was thought advisable to repeat it, this year. Messrs. Archer and Halliburton kindly placed their window in Colombo Street at our disposal, and the instructors promptly and willingly responded to the request. Though the notice given was short the exhibit was a good one, reflecting credit on all concerned, A feature of the display was the ticket-writing done by the boys from the Normal centre. An interesting experiment has been carried out in certain woodwork classes in America. The boys have been divided into small groups of six, in charge of a foreman, who is choSeij from among the pupils, and who exercises a considerable amount of influence over his juvenile ohajges. Of course, the whole class is' under the direction of an experienced and sympathetic instructor, and the scheme affords excellent practice in self-government. Such a, system should develop selfrespect, independent, thought anil action, and allow free play to the imagination of pupils and so greatly stimulate enthusiasm. There still seems to be considerable misapprehension as to the relation between manual and technical instruction. One need only turn to the definition in the new Education Act to appreciate the distinction. "Manual instruction" is there defined as "such exercises as train the hand in conjunction with the eye and the brain." It not only affords sound intellectual training, especially in constructive imagination, but, also a, sure moral education, developing as il does the power of mastery over the nervous and the muscular systems, and insisting on adherence to truth. "Teohnical instruction" is defined as "instruction in the principles of any specified science or art as applied tit industries, accompanied by individual laboratory or workshop practice, or instruction in modern languages, &0." Manual training is a course of instruction designed to develop the faculties of the pupils; technical instruction, while it may do this, has a different objective—that of training for a special trade or profession. Evidence goes to show that manual training adds to the happiness of the pupil, causes the knowledge which he acquires to be, retained and available for use. and quickens the rate oi his progress in other school-work. J. hi. Newton, Acting-Director. Extract from the Report of the Instructor in Agriculture. The number of classes earning capitation in agriculture was 142, and the number of pupils 2,207. There has been a marked falling-off in the number of classes taking agriculture, prin- "**' cipally among the sole-charge schools. There is evidence also of a still further decrease in. the coming year. This I attribute to the greater demand made on the teachers by the present syllabus of instruction, also to the counsels of the Board's Inspectors to the majority of teachers in solecharge schools' to drop the subject, and devote their whole time to the compulsory subjects, and to the fact that many of our young teachers have had no experience whatever in school-garden work. I would here point out that the examination courses of agriculture taken with both students and teachers are of little or no assistance when framing a course of work on schoolgardening. What is urgently needed is that every teacher in training should undergo a practical course of instruction in this as in other subjects, and this, it is hoped, will be accomplished this year. The character of the work being done by the various schools I have visited during my four months in the district varies from excellent in a few cases to poor in others. The majority of the schools are doing useful though unpretentious work, but the experimental aspect of the work (and this' I take it is the most valuable by far) is conspicuous by its absence all too frequently. A pamphlet outlining a number of useful experiments, a synopsis of topics of instruction, and a complementary course of nature-study graded to suit the various stages of the child's progress, has been placed in the hands of all head teachers. All schools except four have been visited during the year, either by Mr. Malcolm or myself. The district higb schools at Lincoln, Darfield, Oxford, and Kaikoura continue to do useful work in the subjects of the rural course. The attendance all round is smaller this year than last, especially at Oxford, but there are signs of improvement. The special subjects of instruction in this course have all been taken by Mr. Amess, who shows a real enthusiasm in his work, and who has bestowed that enthusiasm on most of his pupils. Considering what a small percentage of eottutrv pupils in North Canterbury get any secondary education, there seems room for several more district high schools, and it is Io be regretted that, in the very centre of the agricultural industry so very few are getting any special instruction in the subjects of the rural course. 1 have placed a leaflet in the hands of all pupils passing the Standard VI examination, drawing attention to the necessity for, and character of, our rural instruction in district high schools.