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I. EXTRACTS FROM THE FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. Manual Instruction. Staffing.—On the 30th June, 1929, there was in the employ of the various Education Boards a total of 131 full-time specialist teachers engaged in giving instruction to senior pupils in woodwork, metalwork, and domestic subjects, besides twenty-three specialist instructors in elementary agriculture. These teachers were classified as under. Class YII is the highest, and in Division I are placed those teachers whose classification is based on academic or professional qualifications equivalent to at least a University diploma involving three years' preparation of University standard.

Full-time Classified Teachers in Manual-training Classes as at 30th June, 1929.

In this table are included nine teachers (four men and five women) on staffs of junior high schools. The average rates of salary on the 30th June, 1929, were as follows : Men, £362 ; women, £227 ; both, £303. The following are some particulars of the number of schools and the number of pupils receiving instruction in manual training during 1929 :— Elementary agriculture : Number of public primary schools, 2,003 ; number of pupils, 50,267. Elementary science : Number of public primary schools, 73 ; number of pupils, 3,492. Woodwork : Total number of pupils attending special centres was 22,367, of which 17,303 attended from public primary schools and 1,663 from private schools, the remainder attending from junior high schools, secondary schools, or secondary departments of district high schools. Metalwork: Total number of pupils attending special centres was 1,089, of which 94 attended from public primary schools and 34 from private schools, the remainder attending from junior high schools, secondary schools, or secondary departments of district high schools. Domestic subjects: Total number of pupils attending special centres was 22,037, of which 16,508 attended from public primary schools and 1,866 from private schools, the remainder attending from junior high schools, secondary schools, or secondary departments of district high schools.

Division I. Division II. Class. ; Totals. Men. Women. Men. I Women. J VII .. VI .. .. .. 1 .. 5 6 12 Y .. .. .. j 9 1 19 & 37 IV .. .. .. 3 .. 14 7 24 III .. .. .. 2 5 12 7 26 II .. .. .. 1 6 8 4 19 T. .. .. 2 19 11 4 36 Totals, 1929 .. 18 31 69 36 154 Totals, 1928 .. 17 23 65 38 143