Appendix C.J

III

E.—_■.

the ever-increasing numbers of pupils. An application from To Kuiti for a grant in aid of the erection of a manual-training school was refused by the Department. A scheme has been devised for providing manual training for pupils in the following centres: Huntly, Tauranga, Te Kuiti, and Rotorua, and it is hoped that this scheme will soon be started. The numbers of children in attendance at the manual-training schools during 1915 were 2,982 boys and 2,704 girls, an increase of 576 boys and 587 girls for the year. Two hundred and eighty-nine primary schools conducted classes irr agriculture during 1915, being an increase of fifty-one for the year. The Board now requires all schools of Grade IIIa and higher grades to include school-gardening in their syllabus of work. Included in the 289 schools above mentioned were sixty schools that took a combined course, in agriculture and dairy science. The teachers of these schools received special instruction in dairy science on the lines of-a scheme drawn up by the Supervisor. The results obtained in the schools have been very satisfactory, both teachers and pupils recognizing that instruction in dairy science is both interesting and profitable. Rural courses were undertaken by the secondary pupils at the following district high schools : Pukekohe, Cambridge, Te Aroha, Paeroa, arrd Waihi. These schools were visited regularly by the instructors in agriculture. During 1916 Tauranga and Aratapu District High Schools will take the rural course. Teachers' classes have beerr held to prepare teachers for the certificate examinations. Three dairy science classes, each of one week's duration and each attended by twenty-five selected teachers, were held for special instruction in the dairy-science scheme for schools. J. P. KaIaUGHER, Supervisor.

WANGANUI. Extract from the Repoet or the Secretary to the Education Board. Agricultural Instruct ton,. —This branch of manual instruction continues Io flourish in this district. At 157 schools instruction is given in agriculture, dairy-work, or- a combined course irr both subjects. The experimental plots at Feilding have been abandoned so far- as the senior boys are concerned, and these pupils rrow attend the school farm at Marton. The annual stock oamp was again held at Mr. E. Short's " Almadale " Farm, about fifty boys attending. The shearing-camp at Mount Stewart was held in November, sixteen boys attending. Of these only two had attended a previous camp. The small attendance was due to tire keen demand for boys for farm-work. Every class of sheep was dealt with, the total number' shorn beirrg between eight hundred anil nine hundred, making up thirteen bales of wool. The result of the instruction in camp cookery given to the boys at the Marton farm by Mrs. Woolf was seen at both camps. In the Northern District the pupils were given instruction at short courses dealing with indoor arrd outdoor- agriculture, orchard-work, farm methods, crops, arrd stock, and also the manufacture of butter and cheese. The farmers' classes in this portion of the district were well attended, some 337 adults being on the rolls. The work was extended to farms in the vicinity of Wangarrui, and it was intended during the current year- to form classes in the district, south of Wanganui. The alteration in the boundaries of I he. district will, however, prevent this proposal being given effect to. Thanks are due to those who during the year assisted the Board in its efforts to further this important branch of education. Amongst these were Sir- James Wilson, Messrs. E. Short, A. Matthews, F. Mills, R. J. Linn, A. Hunter, J. Dunlop, J. Cobbe, and Mis. E. A. Henson, School Classes. —The following figures show tire number of schools at which manual instruction was given : Agriculture and dairy-work, 157; advanced dressmaking, 5; handwork, 203; needlewor, 37; physical measurements, 7; physiology and first aid, 2; swimming and life-saving, 9; cookery, 27; woodwork, 26; rural course at district high sohools, 8. Satisfactory arrangements were made for the conveyance of the Araruoho, Wanganui East, Gonville, Castlecliff, and Durie Hill pupils by tram to the Technical College for instruction irr woodwork and cookery. The pupils from the Awahuri School travelled to Feilding to attend classes in these subjects, and centres of instruction were established at Halcombe and Bunnythorpe. During the cur-rent year centres have been established at Ohakune for the Ohakune, Horopito, Rangataua, and Umumuri Schools, and at Foxton. A. new woodwork-room was erected at Hunterville. Art, Instruction. —The Supervisor, Mr. Watkin, was able to devote more time to the primary schools than in previous years, as he was relieved of tho work at the Wanganui Collegiate School. Under the arrangements in. force this year he frequently visits two schools per day. He is thus enabled to pay several visits to the larger schools in tire course of the year-. Extracts from the Reports of the Instructors in Agriculture, Northern District. -The work in primary-school classes irr agriculture and dairy science has shown an increasing improvement throughout the year-. To a great extent this was due to an Easter course for teachers conducted at Hawera. The course lasted a fortnight, and with few exceptions was attended by all teachers responsible for the instruction. A thorough training was given in the application of agricultural chemistry, agricultural botany, and experimental practical agriculture to our school-work. The teachers were divided into three groups, and each group took irr rotation a section of above-mentioned work for two hours each day. By means of visits to local farms and Io the State farm at Moumahaki the relationship was shown between work in our school gardens arrd grounds and that on the farms. Further- to this end tho teachers were given a thorough insight into the most approved up-to-date methods of farming, as elaborated locally through our instruction classes for farmers. Suitable experiments in con-