DOMINION EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16025, 17 September 1915, Page 4

DOMINION EDUCATION.

WORK OF DEPARTMENT. '" *§|§§li YEAR'S RESULTS REVIEWED. - ■ -.-»--- INCREASE IN SCHOOLS. [BT TELEGRAPH. -SPECIAL COMOSPOSMSt.] '. . Wellington, Thursdav *|?' The annual report of the Eduction ' Department, presented to the Housed ~" Representatives to-day, states that tW v has been a net increase of 46 Z *''■ the number of schools in the D >" minion during the year. The increased %? in the several districts wereAuckland, 20; Taranaki, 3; Wanganui 7- - Hawkes Bay, 8; Nelson. 3; North Can' >" terbury, 4; Otago, 9; Southland, 2 There were decreases in:- Wellington, 3- Grev 1; Westland, 1. The number of schools ' V in the Dominion at the end of 1914 Was 2301, as against 2255 at the end of 19i7 3 The number of school children enrolled - ~ T , 175 i 5 -; 0^ or ' *-S schools, 173,470, as against 169,530 „ excluding secondary schools. ' 167 457' The increase was 4.5 per cent, iu'th e - North Island, and 2.6 per cent. i D the South Island. The average attendance ~" over the whole Dominion showed an in,, provement, and tables show that the at tendance per cent., 90.1, s better fa, New Zealand than in almost any other part of the world. Scotland, 89.1 per cent., most nearly approaches New Zea- ' land. '£■

The total increase of teachers during the year is 186, certificated teachers having increased by 200. The total expenditure on teachers' salaries was £757 as against £366,000 in 1904- ' '

Only 16 pupils in every 100 pav fees ' for admission into secondary schools In ■"*•' 1903 there were 1600 free pupils at secondary schools, now the number ii * three times as great. -^-

Health of Children. ~ Dealing with the health of school ch3dren, the report states that the most 12 common defect found is that of decaved , and neglected teeth, 68 per cent, of the -•"-?' children inspected at the routine examina- --'' tion being found to suffer from this cause. The percentage is lower than that given 7," for the previous year, and it is hoped that - the policy of insisting on cleanliness and **5 other preventive measures will tend steadily to lessen the prevalence of this ■•'"' disease. Forty-three per cent, cf the ' children are recorded as having enlarged vglands. A larger percentage of these - defects, however, are not of a seriom *' nature, and dental disease is a cause to > which the presence of enlarged glands mar V frequently be attributed. The percentage, Vi of children suffering from malnutrition'» was 19, as compared with 23 for the M grevious year. This number includes f, id and medium cases. '*

Want of food is seldom the cause of' * the unsatisfactory condition of the children's physical condition. _ The worst * cases are reported as coming from con- "-"" gested areas of the towns and remote ?* country districts. Ignorance and lack of time on the part of the parents, excessive * strain on the strength of the children;be-" * fore and after school, and poor and v : . cramped conditions in the home, are all ?\ causes which may to- some extent account ■■•; for a condition of malnutrition. ? >*: -

There is little doubt that the efforts of V the medical inspectors and the physical instruction now given are having an excellent result m the ■ diminution of . the number of cases ■ of obstructed breathing among school 1 children. Twenty-four per cent, of 'tfe ? children examined at the routine examination were suffering from this cause, and V nearly one-third of the special cases dealt - j with. Physical deformities, happily. - show a smaller percentage than in the previous year. Their existence is, to some extent, in the opinion of the medical in- :"J specter , attributable to the use of unsuitable desks, especially in the case of younger children. Shorter lesson periods, with intervals for physical drill or breath- J] ing exercises in the open air, in this con- -j; nection are strongly recommended. By:.> the appointment later of a common head ■•-' of good professional standing to direct -" both medical inspection and physical training, it is hoped to secure the best corelation of physical education with the : v medical aspect of the matter. The two ; branches are mutually dependent, and should be under the same control. So far - ♦.. as the scheme has yet been developed, the ■ '■- yearly expenditure* of the double service ;>,, amounts to a little over £10,000 per i. - annum, "»«**? An "Urgent Heed.** \'Mcs One of the most urgent needs in con-'" '■'.- nection with post primary education con- > : cerns the position of boys and girls who leave the primary school and fall to continue their education elsewhere. Attend- ■ ' ance at continuation or technical classes between the ages of 14 and 17 is still, to *1 ..„ large extent, merely voluntary, and the -->. difficulties facing any generally compulsory <•• provisions are considerable. The existing *;-"■ powers given under Section 124 of the '..% Act have been made use of to a very.>- t ~ ; limited extent only. There is now a very ■ I general consensus of opinion that more .',: must be done to supplement the right g system. If the necessary time off could be _~ -, granted by employers," to enable a few hours of instruction weekly to be given in ,S the daytime, the problem would be much: * simplified. • | --*"

Financial Considerations. ;ikiWith regard to school buildings, the '— report says that whatever demands there may be for buildings for secondary and — higher education in the immediate future/ _f| it cannot be too emphasised that .'.£ where financial provision cannot be «ade'•for all, the claims 01 the primary school, *;j----as representing the school of the bulk of, >s. the people, must be paramount and have the first consideration. '■;,'%'■