79

E.—s

and Tokomairiro, and a partial course at Alexandra. Wool-classing classes for adults were held at Awamoko, Palmerston, Waikouaiti, Clydevale, Outram, Clinton, Waitahuna, North Taieri, and Milton, and English, book-keeping, dressmaking, and painting classes at Milton. The total number of students receiving instruction at the Dunedin School of Art, was GIT, including 105 day students, 241 evening students, 122 Training College students, 78 pupil-teachers and probationers, 64 adult teachers, and 7 special teachers. The total expenditure on manual and technical instruction was: Salaries, material, &c, for school classes ,£4,023 17s. 9d., and for special classes £1,347 ss. 3d.; buildings, furniture, and fittings, school classes £249 os. Bd., and special classes £66 12s. 4d. : total, £5,686 165., being a decrease of £2,639 14s. 4d. from the previous year, accounted for mainly by the decrease in the expenditure on buildings, furniture, and fittings for school classes'. Extract prom the Report op the Inspectors of Schools. In connection with manual training some teachers are inclined to over-emphasize handtraining, and to allow the various occupations taken up by their pupils to degenerate into mere busy work. We would impress upon our teachers that the aim of manual training is to develop habits of thinking in definite, practical, tangible terms of doing, and to give the mind control of the hands as a vital instrument for realizing its purposes. While the world's progress has been largely conditioned by the human hand, the world owes much more to the mind that has made the hand a dexterous instrument for working out, its conceptions and giving them a real existence. In the junior classes in which paper-work is taken as the handwork there is still too great a tendency to treat the subject mechanically and to subordinate the drawing and viva voce work that should always play a prominent part in the treatment of the exercise. This is a direct loss of educational opportunity. In brushwork freer use is being made of the natural object and of the application of natural form in design work. At the manual-training centres throughout the district good practical work is being done in woodwork and cookery. In the middle of the year arrangements were made with the Dunedin City Council whereby the boys of the Fourth Standard in the city and suburban, schools might be taught swimming at the municipal baths, and we are pleased to record that all but one of the city schools took advantage of the opportunity thus offered. Next year arrangements will be made for both boys and girls to enjoy this privilege. In this connection we would take the opportunity of expressing our thanks to the management of the Mornington, Dunedin and Kaikorai. and City tramways for the valuable concessions' granted to pupils attending the swimming classes. Throughout the district interest in the school-gardens is being well maintained, but we are not satisfied that sufficient importance is paid to the experimental side of the work. In view of the requirements for the certificate of proficiency teachers will be well advised to stress this part of the course. Extract fuom the Report of the Director of the School of Art. The total number of students to whom tuition was afforded by the Dunedin School of Art was 617, made up as follows: Day students, 105; evening students, 241; pupil-teachers and probationers, 78; students in training, 122; teachers, 71. A wide programme of art subjects was provided for the day students —freehand, model, geometry, perspective, light and shade, drawing from the antique and the life, painting, 'Set, The lack of the stimulus afforded by standard examinations of the South Kensington type was much felt in such subjects as geometry, perspective, and the more elementary drawing subjects, students being far too anxious to shirk these dull "* but vital portions of their early training. The institution by the Department of a system of singlesubject examinations in art, modelled on the old South Kensington plan, but held at a better period of the vear—October —would appear to be the natural solution of the difficulty. The new grouped system of the English Board of Education is only suitable for the extremely limited class of serious'students who hope to become art, teachers. Solid progress was made, however, in light and shade, drawing from life, and in painting. The advance made in modelling was one of the most gratifying results of the year's work. The students' productions both from the antique and life were very satisfactory, and much solid study was evidenced in the number of anatomical and other detail models executed during the year. Decorative relief and plant form study were not neglected. The art craft, classes were well attended. Wood and stone carving, metalwork, repousse, enamelling, jeweller's work, &c, were all provided for, and the interest of the students was well maintained. These classes ha.vo given a definite purpose to the subject of design, and are of the highest value in raising the standard of public taste. As the community becomes more fully awake to the advantages they offer their popularity should be assured. Unfortunately the declaration of war coincided with the commencement of the third term of the school year and affected the attendance considerably, so that it is difficult to estimate the success of the new arrangement of a three-term year in place of the previous four-quarter system. Juvenile classes provided elementary instruction in free drawing, brush and colour work, design, the study of plantform and light and shade. The classes for pupil-teachers and probationers were directed towards special preparation for the drawing subjects of the D examination. Their successful results are gradually altering the character of the provision for students in training. Quite half _of the firstyear students have passed the examinations for drawing before entering the Training College, and these students are able to devote themselves to brush and colour work, light and shade, and the study of plant and animal form. A full course of instruction in drawing, design, kc, is triven to both first- and second-year students in training. On Saturday mornings provision was made for instruction to teachers outside Dunedin. Pupil-teachers, probationers, and uncertificated teachers were afforded assistance in preparing for their examinations. Certificated teachers had their attention directed during the year more especially to the study of native flowering