E.—6

14

Extract from the Report of the Supervisor of Manual and Technical Instruction. The rural oourse, which in reality is the general course of instruction jjrovided in the district high schools, is in operation at Hastings, Waipawa, and Woodville. The aim of the course is to provide a good general education in secondary subjects and also to prepare (he pupils for Public Service Entrance Examination. A feature of this course is scientific work, which for nine years has been taken by the Board's instructor. Excellent work has been done in the practical scientific subjects taken. The science work lias been continued for the third and fourth year, thus enabling pupils to take science for their Matriculation Examination. The pupils in attendance at the rural course at each centre during the year were —Hastings, 39; Waipawa, 54; Woodville, ;S1 : total, 124. In order to meet the changing conditions of the time, the rural course should now be so modified as to permit of additional lime being devoted to domestic-science work. More systematic instruction should also be provided in commercial subjects. WELLINGTON. Extract fiioji the Report of the Inspectors (if Schools. Eight district high schools, with a roll of 305, were in operation during the year, and in live of These the Department's full rural course was taken, the remaining three being exempt under clause 1) of the Free Place Regulations. The establishment of secondary schools proper at Masterton and in the Hutt Valle\—sites having already been purchased —will probably eliminate all but two at least of these schools. In addition to meeting the requirements of the rural course, highly creditable results were obtained at the public examinations, as the following figures show: Full matriculation, 10; partial. I ; Public Service Entrance, I(i ; Senior National Scholarship, 7. In the Public Service Entrance Examination a, Petoue District High. Seliool candidate headed the list for the Dominion. Extract from the Report ok the Education Hoamt. The average attendances for the year ID I!) were—Carterton, 40; Eketahuna, 42; (ireytown, 14; Hutt, 35; Levin, 33; Masterton,' 40; I'ahiatua, 2.'!; Petone, 40 : total, 323. The secondary department of the Normal School was closed on the 30th June, 1919. (It is worthy of note that the Rhodes Scholar, l!)20, was a former pupil of the Masterton District High School.) NELSON. Extract from Report ok [nbpeotors of Schools. The yearly average attendance of tlie secondary classes at the four district high schools was : Westport,' LOT; Motueka, 25; Reefton, 18; Takaka, 14, The number on the roll, which constantly tends to decrease during the year, was at its close LOO, 22, 17, and 13 respectively. Schemes of work for the higher forms are based upon the requirements of the Public Service Entrance, Teachers' Certificate, or Matriculation Examinations. French, algebra, and geometry, with, as an alternative, book-keeping or a fuller commercial course, were taken in all schools. and Latin as well in two of them. All have had to carry on during the year under some disadvantages, mainly through the difficulty of obtaining capable teachers. Motueka was for a time short-staffed, no competent assistant being available, and no manual instruction in woodwork or cookery has been given at Motueka and Takaka, or to the boys al Reefton. At Westport the large number attending has led to the appointment of an additional (a fourth) teacher and the hiring of another class-room. The four rooms are widely dispersed and not well adapted to the purpose, so that difficulties in the way of supervision and organization are produced. Extract from run Report ok the Education Board. The secondary department of the Westport District High School, with a roll number of 120, urgently requires extra accommodation, which it is now hoped will be available shortly by the erection of the technical high school in the Buller district. The Board is pleased that the establishment of this school has been authorized. The amalgamation of the secondary department and the technical school will prove of very real benefit to the district. The attendance at the secondary departments at Motueka and Reefton is quite satisfactory, but at Takaka the continued poor attendance in the secondary department is disappointing and the school is not supported as it should be. Difficulties of staffing have interfered with the regular working of some of the secondary departments, and it is obvious that in order to attract suitable teachers the status of the schools will have to be improved and better salaries provided for the teachers. CANTERBURY. Extract from the Report ok Inspectors of Schools. The returns from district high schools showed 650 secondary pupils on the roll. With some of these the struggle for existence has continued for a long time, but we understand it has now been decided to close two of them. Excellent railway facilities should make it quite an easymatter for the pupils in these districts to attend at a, centre where there is a high school. Among the district high schools, West Christchurch and Wainiate hold a high place both with regard to numbers and excellence of work. Hokitika, Greymouth, Geraldine, and Temuka very closely approach the above schools, and in their respective centres are catering in an efficient manner for secondary requirements. The work in all the schools is most creditable to the teachers. The successes at matriculation and departmental examinations bear out, the favourable opinions formed at inspection visits. The attention to detail and the general neatness of work give a pleasing impression of the thoroughness of the methods employed.