42
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 1

those higher branches of handwork considered suitable for the senior division of the school and requiring a degree of skill which steadily approaches that of the adult.

At all stages the acquirement of skill is to be put to immediate use as an aid in strengthening the ordinary means of general education, and from this point of view handwork is to be regarded both as a subject and as a method. It is of importance that wherever there is need for handwork material it shall be freely used, whether in connection with arithmetic, or literature, or history, or geography, or science, or any other branch of school work or school interest.

Nor is the kind of work to be restricted by such considerations as the nature of the materials supplied as school requisites. For many schools there is readily available an abundance of other materials, such as clay, flax, raupo, lacebark, rushes, tussock-grass, and straw, and for all there is an almost unlimited supply of waste material (such as wooden and cardboard boxes, tin containers, wire, cotton-reels, scraps of wall-paper, cloth, and leather). By the use of such media a greater variety of projects will be brought within the scope of the scheme. At the same time interest will be sustained at a higher pitch than is possible where the materials are limited in kind.

The extent and nature of the interrelation between handwork and other aspects of school activity will depend upon skilful planning by the teacher. In the subjoined prescriptions the references in this aspect are merely suggestive.

HANDWORK AND MANUAL OCCUPATIONS.

PREPARATORY DIVISIONS.

The handwork occupations in these classes should be selected with the twofold object of—(a) providing the child with material by means of which he may express in concrete form his impressions of form, size, and beauty; and (b) enabling him to realize not only the joy of using the creative power, but also the satisfaction of doing something for others.

The occupations may include toy-making (waste material being largely used), raffia-work, and the like. Some form of plastic modelling should always be included, on account of its value in enabling the pupil to represent three-dimensional objects. Without unduly forcing correlation, the teacher should arrange occupations that will enable the child to gain a clearer conception of the content of the general subjects of instruction—for example, the representation in the sand-tray or by means of plasticine models of scenes depicted in fairy or folk stories, the modelling of an object the shape of which can be only imperfectly represented by drawing the outline. Sticklaying, paper tearing, folding, and cutting will incidentally give the pupils first ideas in geometry and geometrical design, but no definite instruction is to be given. Such occupations can also be applied to picture-making—e.g., houses, gates, boats, &c.

Paperwork (paper folding, cutting, and modelling) can be used for (a) illustrative work for stories, &c., (b) frieze-making, (c) preparation of simple properties for dramatization, &c. (costumes, hats, crowns).

Manual occupations in the preparatory classes are so varied in material and informal methods, so interwoven with the achievement of the teacher’s educational aims and the satisfaction of the children’s natural instincts, that it is not intended to lay down a definite syllabus in any of the branches of handwork.

STANDARDS I AND II.

The aims in this division should be similar to those already stated in the case of the preparatory classes. Systematic training in clay or plasticine modelling, which may include the making of simple pottery, should be given to enable the pupils to carry their study of form still further. Modelling should also be used in connection with the lessons in geography, history, English, and other subjects.

Paper folding and cutting in connection with instrumental drawing and geometrical design, and the making of posters and friezes illustrating historical, geographical, and other topics.

Toy-making from waste materials, raffia-weaving, basketry, and the like may be continued.

Where facilities exist some of the pupils might engage in light woodwork, or in the modelling of straight-sided objects in carton.