Appendix C.j

E.-2.

IX

Swimming and Life-saving.— Gisborne School is still the only centre where swimming and life-saving is taught on a systematic plan. Considering the importance of this art, and the splendid exercise it is, it is to be regretted that other centres where facilities exist have so far not attempted to hold regular classes. Elementary Experimental Science.— Classes in elementary science were conducted at Hastings Napier Mam, Port, West, South, and North, and at Gisborne Main. The total number of classes was sixteen, and the yearly average 575.

CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report op the ex-Director of Manual Training. School Classes. —The only new classes in attendance have been from Shirley and Redcliffs Schools, but there has been a decided increase in the total average attendance, and some classes have been embarrassingly large. From the point of view of manual training it will be a very great advantage to the working of the Department when an additional centre is erected and the division of these large classes is rendered possible. Teachers' Classes. —These have been held in dressmaking, cookery, and woodwork. The class in dressmaking held at the Technical College has been attended by nineteen teachers, and the class in woodwork at the Normal School by seven teachers, but in cookery the average attendance has been only four. There is always sufficient demand to make a good dressmaking class, and if the numbers do not justify a class in cookery all teachers who wish to increase their domesticscience qualifications would do well to take this subject. Domestic Science. —An important change has been effected this year in making the time for all Standard V classes one hour and three-quarters in place of one hour and a half. The instructors are unanimous as to the improvement which this renders possible in their work, especially in the direction of providing extra facilities for housewifery. I am certain that a further lengthening of the period would make the work still more efficient, although this need not involve any increase beyond the sixty hours per annum. If it, could be arranged to give Standard VI twenty lessons of three hours and Standard V thirty lessons of two hours a more satisfactory programme would lie possible and greater progress would be made. The instructors have constantly tried to co-ordinate more closely the work of the home and the school by encouraging the application at home of the skill and knowledge gained at the centres. Certain credit, has been given for such work, and the fact that the pupils bring to school for criticism samples of what (Ley have done at home shows that the system has served to stimulate interest. The introduction of breadmaking, rendered possible and easy by the use of compressed yeast, has been greatly appreciated, and some of the pupils were successful in gaining awards at the competitions held at the Industrial Exhibition at Easter. Some of the classes have been taken to visit steam-laundry and biscuit and confectionery works, and the further development of such a practice, accompanied as it is by observation and description on the part of the pupils, is, I think, desirable. Woodwork. —The practice adopted during the last two years of encouraging the boys in the senior classes to think out their own designs and adapt them to standard exercises has been, continued, with very satisfactory results, especially in the direction of creating interest. In many cases boys have been so anxious to spend their whole time on the woodwork and drawing that they have preferred to do at home the notes on tools and material. In order to facilitate this a summary outline of the lesson has been drawn up by the class, and this has proved valuable in confining the subsequent detailed description to the more essential parts of the lesson. Metal-work. —The introduction of metal-work has been greatly appreciated. It calls for higher skill, and its combination with woodwork has made the course much more interesting. A number of pupils decorated their exercises b}' the addition of copper and brass trays, whilst others were content to work with tin procured from empty petrol-cans. The latter has proved an economical source of material for this class of work. Among the articles made were soldiers' packing-tins of various sizes, introducing development in setting out, bending, and soldering. Having the definite object in view of sending Christmas boxes to the soldiers in the trenches, these exercises were very popular. Extract from the Report of the newly appointed Director of Manual Training. 1 beg to submit a report on the handwork done in the Canterbury District during the year 1916. In view of the growing importance attached to handwork in our primary schools, the interest in all subjects connected therewith is gradually on the increase. In nearly all of the 376 schools of the district an attempt was made to teach some form of handwork, although in some cases the results obtained were often disappointing, whilst in others really good work was done. In what is known as elementary handwork, the subjects of instruction varied too much. Perhaps the fault lies in the fact that there arc too many subjects on the syllabus from which to choose, thus allowing teachers to take up subjects which, although having considerable educational value in themselves, lead to nowhere as it were. Of course, a teacher will naturally take up a subject according to his or her bias, but much of the value of the instruction is lost when a subject is taken up in one class and dropped in the next, thus spoiling the continuity of the work. In all schools plasticine and paper-folding should be taught in the P to S2 classes, as forming the best media for developing form and colour, whilst in the larger schools some other adjuncts might be added. In S3 and S4 cardboard and carton work should be taken as an

ii—E. 2 (App. 0).