IMPERIAL CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS, TORONTO. REPORT OF, Mr. T. U. WELLS, M.A., NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVE.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1922 Session I, E-11

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1922. NEW ZEALAND.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS, TORONTO. REPORT OF , Mr. T. U. WELLS, M.A., NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVE.

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

REPORT OF MR. T. 11. WELLS, M.A. (HEADMASTER, RICHMOND ROAD SCHOOL, AUCKLAND), NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVE AT IMPERIAL CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS, HELD AT TORONTO, CANADA, IN AUGUST, 1921 ; INCLUDING A REPORT ON VARIOUS PHASES OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE JUNIOR-HIGH-SCHOOL MOVEMENT. S.s. "Tahiti," at sea, 15th November, 1921. The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, Wellington. Sir,— T have the honour to submit herewith a brief report on the recent Imperial Conference of Teachers at Toronto, Canada, which I attended as the representative of your Department, the New Zealand Educational Institute, and the Auckland Education Board. I also report, in accordance with your request, on various phases of educational activity in Canada and the United States. I was unfortunate in paying my visit during the long summer vacation, which extends for ten weeks, and in some cases for even longer, through both countries. As a result, my time for seeing the schools in operation was more limited than I had anticipated it would be. Another result of visiting at this time of year was that I had no opportunity of seeing the " finished " work of the schools. The classes were new, the pupils were fresh from a long holiday, and there were no specimens of the previous year's work available. In spite of these limitations I saw a great deal that was new and much that was intensely interesting. I feel that by means of this visit I have gained a much wider outlook on problems that confront ourselves, and I desire to express to you and to the various bodies that I had the honour to represent mv keen appreciation of the opportunity thus afforded me of seeing something of education beyond our own shores. Throughout my visit to Canada and the United States I met, as your representative, with the greatest kindness and hospitality. At Toronto, the Ontario Government, the City Corporation, the University, the Education Board, the teachers, and the citizens vied with one another to make the stay of the representatives as pleasant as possible. lam sure that the hospitality of the people of Toronto will never be forgotten by those who had the good fortune to attend the Conference. Throughout the United States I everywhere met with the greatest possible kindness and consideration. Al! the leaders in education whom I interviewed gladly placed their time at my disposal, and made a pleasure of arranging for me to see everything possible. Wherever 1 went the kindliest sentiments were expressed towards the Government and the people of this Dominion. I have collected some little information on the various matters mentioned in my report, and T shall be pleased to amplify anything on which you may desire to know further. I have, &c, T. U. Wells.

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ITINERARY. July 12.—Left Auckland. July 31. —Arrived Vancouver. August I.—Visited school buildings at Vancouver. August 2-7.—Travelling across Canada. August 9-17.—Imperial Conference and functions in connection therewith. August 18-25.—At Toronto, inquiring into— (a) General system of education ; (6) training of teachers ; (c) open-air schools ; (d) plans of school buildings ; (c) organized play ; (/) use of the grafanola in teaching appreciation of music, singing, and elocution; ((/) the use of the cimema in schools; (h) the Juvenile Court a,nd the treatment of juvenile delinquents. August 26-31.—Visited Montreal and Quehec. inspected school buildings and inquired into systems of education. September 1-6.—At Ottawa. Visited city and rural schools. September 7-13.—Visited schools in Toronto and in Hamilton. September 14-18.—At Washington. Interviewed heads of departments in the Bureau of Education. September 19.—At Trenton, N.J. Visited junior high schools and teachers' training college. September 20.—At Newark, N.J. Visited junior high schools. September 21,-fAt Montclair, N.J. Visited junior high schools. September 22.—At Flemington, N.J. Investigated rural and health work. September 23.—At Hartford, Conn. Rural and health work. September 24-30. —In New York. Visited elementary schools, Teachers' College, and Horace Mann Schools. October 3.—At Rochester, N.Y. Visited.two junior high schools. October 4.—At Cleveland, O. Visited two junior high schools. October s.—At Ypsilanti, Mich. Visited Teachers' Training College. October 6.—At Kalainazoo, Mich. Visited Teachers' Training College and inquired into rural work. October 7-B.—At Chicago. Visited Fancis Parker Schools and interviewed Supervisor of Rural Work for Cook County. October 10-11. —At Cedar Falls, lowa. Visited consolidated schools. October 13-14. — At Fort Collins, Colo. Visited consolidated schools. October- 16-17.—At Los Angeles, Cal. Visited elementary and junior high schools. October 19-28. —At San Francisco and Sacramento. Visited elementary, junior high, and consolidated schools in the neighbourhood. October 29. —Left for New Zealand. EEPOET. The Imperial Conference at Toronto was opened on the 10th August, when nearly two hundred representatives were present from all over the British Empire. The chair was taken by the Hon. R. H. Grant, Minister of Education, Ontario, and addresses of welcome were delivered by the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Toronto, and others. A large number of topics (some thirty-three in all) were set down for discussion by the Conference. Papers on these had been prepared and sent in beforehand : these had been printed in pamphlet form (I have already forwarded you a copy) and were issued to the assembled representatives at the commencement of the Conference. These were " taken as read," but the writer of each was allowed ten minutes to give a synopsis of his paper, and half an hour was allowed for general discussion — each speaker being restricted to five minutes. With so many representatives, numbers of whom were interested in many of the papers, it will be readily understood that it was not an easy thing to " catch the speaker's eye,'.' consequently the discussions were vigorous and animated. 1 spoke on the question of Imperial co-operation in education, to support the proposals for interchange of teachers within the Empire, urging (a) the importance of giving our teachers the opportunity of getting a personal knowledge of the great Commonwealth to which they belong, and pointing out the broadening effect such travel mast have upon their teaching; {b) that such interchange, in promoting a more accurate knowledge of, and introducing a closer personal touch with, the overseas dominions should result in directing and encouraging emigration within the Empire ; (c) that, in order to induce teachers to interchange while still young the matriculation certificate of any British university should be accepted throughout the Empire as a satisfactory evidence of academic attainments to qualify for, say, a two-years provisional certificate for teaching in elementary schools ; and that a degree awarded by any British university should be similarly accepted as a qualification for employment in any secondary school. (This last point (c) was a suggestion made to me before leaving Auckland by Mr. E. C Purdie.) These points were very heartily endorsed and supported by succeeding speakers. When the question of health was under consideration 1 outlined for the Conference what we in New Zealand are doing in—(a) The Plunket Nurse system, and (b) medical inspection and physical education. Members of the Conference were particularly interested in your scheme for training women to render " first aid " in the case of dental trouble among school-children. T took advantage of a discussion on secondary education to ask for results of experience with junior high or intermediate schools. As a result I obtained some little information on this subject

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from Mr. B. M. Allen, Deputy Director of Education for the London County Council, and from a lady representative, engaged in teaching in a school,of this type in Reading, England. Both spoke in high terms of the work that is being done in these schools. The proceedings throughout the different sessions were marked by the greatest enthusiasm, a noticeable feature being the feeling of intense loyalty and devotion that was displayed by all present to the ideals and traditions of the British Empire. Representatives felt that the Conference was a source of inspiration to all concerned in education, and that it was a privilege to be a member of such a gathering. The Agriculture College at Guelph. Among the visits arranged for the entertainment of representatives to the Conference was one to this college, an institution which is doing exceedingly fine work for agriculture in the Province of Ontario. In case the information is not already in the possession of our Agriculture Department, .1 noted two or three results to which our attention was particularly called as being of special value, arid which should prove, of equal value to farmers in New Zealand. These wore :— (1.) They have improved a strain of sunflower to yield some 20 tons of fodder jh*t acre. This sunflower, mixed half and half with green maize to make ensilage, is found to prove a specially valuable food for milking-cows. (2.) Experiments have proved that in growing grain for fowl-food, if oats and barley be mixed in the proportion of bushel for bushel in the sowing, the yield is increased by some 2001b. per acre. (3.) Considerable attention is being given at present to the growing of a new fodder plant —■ " sweet clover " —a plant quite unlike the ordinary clovers, and one that gives a very heavy yield of valuable fodder. Tf further information is desired on any of these points, 'I am sure that Dr. Zavitz, of Guelph, will be very pleased to supply it. Genebal Remarks on Education in Canada and thk_ United States. A teacher from New Zealand who is visiting these countries is at once struck by the complete lack of uniformity .manifest in education, for there is no national system, as we understand it, in either country. In Canada each province has its own system, and within the province the standard is by no means uniform, for the expenditure on education is, in the main, a matter for the particular locality, hence there are marked differences within a few miles in buildings, equipment, size of classes, and salaries. In the United States these differences are even more marked. Each State is jealous of interference; on the part of the Federal Government, and each locality seems to be jealous of interference on the part even of its own State. There is no doubt that the troubles of one hundred and fifty years ago with England have left an abiding impression upon the minds of the people of America. These differences are brought out very clearly in the varying costs of education in different localities. (N.B. —In expressing dollars in our money I have divided by four. This is about correct for Canada, but it makes the amount in sterling slightly less than it, should be compared with United States' money. The rate of exchange, while I was in that country, varied between 3.70 and 3.90). Montclair, a well-to-do suburb of New York, spends on salaries and maintenance £30 per annum per child for primary and secondary education. Rochester, N.Y., and Cleveland, 0., each spend almost an equal amount. Oakland, in California, spends £22 10s. per child for primary and £40 per pupil for secondary education. These expenditures are common in the northern and north-western States, but many,of the southern States do not spend more than a sixth or even an eighth of these amounts on their public schools. There, many of the schools are for negroes only; they are frequently taught by negroes, who are themselves seldom educated beyond the Fifth or Sixth Standard, and whose pay is a mere pittance. Again, some States pay the State Superintendent of Schools more than they pay the State Governor. The Superintendent of Schools in Los Angeles (a lady) receives a salary of £2,000 per annum. There are a number of State and. City Superintendents who draw salaries of from £2,000 to £2,500, while the Superintendent of Schools in Oakland, Cal., is paid £2,750 per annum. On the other hand, some State Superintendents receive as little as £500 per annum. Administration. The chief educational authority in each province of Canada is the Department of Education. (In Quebec it is called the Department of Public Instruction.) In Quebec the Department of Public Instruction is completely separated from the sphere of politics. In the other provinces the chief officer is either a member of the Executive Council, or all the members of the Executive Council (with expert advisees) form the Board of Education. In Ontario and the provinces to the west there is a Minister of Education who is advised by a Council of Education more or less like our own. A local Board of Education or Board of Trustees is elected by each municipality or rural district, and this local Board has the power to levy rates to cover the cost of maintenance. Capital expenditure, raised by way of loan, must be approved by vote of the taxpayers. In the United Stales, education is much mixed up with politics. There is usually a State Department of Education, but the State Superintendent of Education is elected by popular vote, and the • result is sometimes most unfortunate for the schools. In the municipalities the local Board of Education is usually appointed by the Mayor, and this Board then appoints the City Superintendent. The County Superintendent is elected by the taxpayers of the county. (Superintendent = our Inspector); These systems of election and appointment, however, vary in different States.

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Finance. in both countries expenditure on education , is, in the main, a matter for the locality. The usual procedure is to raise money for capital expenditure by the issue of bonds, while maintenance charges are met by rates. In both Canada and the United States 1 was astonished to sec how willingly a progressive community will tax itself for education. Windsor, a. town in Ontario of some thirty thousand inhabitants, has recently built two very fine elementary schools in brick at a coat of £125,000 each, and the people there are now arranging for the erection of a technical high school to cost about £150,000. Cleveland, a city in Ohio of about eight hundred thousand inhabitants, has authorized a loan of £4,500,000 for the erection of school buildings. Detroit, a slightly larger city in Michigan, has authorized a loan of equal amount for a similar purpose. Sacramento, a town of about the size of Dunedin, lias raised and spent one loan of £850,000, and is now proposing to raise another for a similar amount. Almost side by side with these progressive districts are to be found others where the schools an; old, badly suited to their purpose, and, in rural districts, utterlypoor. Rates levied for education naturally vary greatly in amount in different localities. In Toronto, property is assessed for the purpose of municipal taxation at about 80 per cent, of its sellingvalue ; the total rates for the current year are at the rate of per cent, on this assessed value. Of this amount one-third is for education. In Cleveland, and also in Rochester, one-half of the total municipal tax is spent on education. Compulsory Age. In Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, education is free between the ages of five and twentyone. In British Columbia accommodation must bo provided for all between five and sixteen. In Ontario attendance is compulsory between (right and fourteen, children between five and eight may attend, but if they do their attendance must Be full time. By a law which came into force this year in Ontario, adolescents who have not 'attained to the matriculation standard must attend school until they are sixteen. In case of necessity compelling such adolescents to go to work, exemption from full-time attendance is granted, but in this case they must attend school part-time for at least 400 hours per annum. The Act also provides that adoloscents from sixteen to eighteen years of age must attend school part-time f6r 320 hours per annum, but this last provision has not yet been put into operation. In most of the States that I visited attendance is compulsory to fifteen or sixteen. Elementary Education. Kindergarten.— ! saw many good kindergarten classes. The equipment was generally better and more complete than with us, but in my opinion the teaching given and the methods employed were in no way better than what may be seen in our own country. The Elementary Schools. 1 took every opportunity of visiting the elementary schools and of observing the standard of attainment reached in the various subjects taught. In Ontario a fairly uniform standard is secured. This is due to the fact that Ontario has a system of inspection much the same as our own, and entrance to the secondary school depends in the main upon passing a written examination at the end of the Eighth Grade (their Eighth Grade — our Standard VI). The standard set in this examination is, 1 think, rather easier than that required in our free-place examination. I enclose for your information a recent set of questions. [Not printed.] In the rural schools of Ontario the work is not, as a rule, so good. The weakness is due to several reasons : — (1.) In their distinctly local system the salary is largely a matter for the locality, and the pay offered, in many cases, has been insufficient to attract efficient teachers. (The Ontario Government has recently increased the subsidy to rural schools, with the result that salaries have been raised from £200 and £250 per annum to £300 and even to £375 per annum). (2.) Staffing is not fixed by regulation as with us. In one rural school that I visited 1 saw a teacher struggling unaided with fifty-three pupils in all grades. (3.) There is no security of tenure. In the rural districts teachers are engaged from year to year. I went into a number of country schools, but in only one had the teacher been at work for more than one year. (4.) Poor attendance. Owing to the severity of the winter the attendance is poor. The average attendance for the schools of Ontario for 1919 was only 65 per cent., as against about 90 per cent, with us. (5.) The very long summer vacation. The schools close for about twelve weeks. J think this too long, and I feel sure that the school-work suffers in consequence. I consider that our primary schools reach a distinctly higher standard in academic work than do the corresponding schools of the United States. Much of the work that 1 saw in the upper classes there was, from our point of view, slipshod, slovenly, and inaccurate. (There were, of course, some notable exceptions, but that was the general impression left on my mind.) In one large city school in New York, where 98 per cent, of the children were foreigners who on admission were unable to speak a work of English, I was much struck with the ease and expression with which primer children, only a few weeks at school, read. The teachers gave the credit to a new series of books they were using in which the work was largely based on dialogue and dramatization. I secured a set of these readers, also a teacher's manual in which the system is explained. With the co-operation of the infant-mistress at Richmond Road School, I hope to make trial of it at an early date.

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In many parts of the United States they pay much more attention to handwork than we do. I saw in some of the schools there pottery-work, woodwork, metal-work, and electrical work better thai: anything i have seen in our schools. Junior High Schools. Jn view of the discussions that have taken place in our Dominion over the advisability of bringing the elementary course to a conclusion at an earlier age than at present, I made very full inquiries into the work done by schools of this type. Ontario has not yet done anything in this direction, but the Minister of Education there told me that the junior high school was coming. Manitoba has several such schools, but they were in recess when I passed through, and 1 was not able to retrace my steps so far to see them in operation later. The junior high school, or " intermediate school," as it is sometimes called, is being very rapidly developed in the United States. Ten years ago there were only some half a dozen in the whole country. There are now more than one thousand, and these arc being added to almost daily. 1 visited quite a number of schools of this type, looked into their programmes of work and methods of teaching; and I inquired, as fully as I could, into the reputation they are making for themselves. Though the schools that I visited varied considerably, in my opinion, in the quality of their work, and though it seemed to me that several had been established without any well-thought-out plan of action or definite idea of aim, I found everywhere the greatest enthusiasm with regard to the schools and to the work that they are doing. J met with practically no hostile criticism at all. Localities that at present have no junior high schools are preparing to establish them as soon as possible. 1 was again and again assured that these schools are justifying their existence because — (I.) They bridge the gap between the elementary and the ordinary high school : (2.) They provide better educational opportunity for a very large number of children : (3.) They have considerably increased the number of pupils continuing through the full high-school course : (4.) It is better for children of the early adolescent period—say, from twelve to fifteen years of age —to be taught together : (5.) The system usually followed in junior high schools of promoting half-yearly and of promoting by. subjects permits of the more rapid progress of the quicker children, while, if the slower ones have to repeat a half-year's work, it is not a long delay : (6.) By means of its " shop " courses the junior high school makes better provision than the ordinary high school can do for individual differences in pupils, and gives them an opportunity of " trying out " and discovering their own particular aptitudes, interests, and capacities ; thus saving loss of valuable time at a later period. In several junior high schools that I visited provision was made for the admission of rather older boys and girls of lower educational attainments — pupils who would probably never complete the academic course in the elementary school, but for whom the " shops " of the junior high school offered an opportunity to develop on other lines. The general testimony was that pupils of this type did surprisingly good work when given the fuller opportunities of the junior high school. Junior high schools of several distinct types exist through the States : e.g., I visited some that consisted of an additional " grade " added to the ordinary elementary school—this would be the same as the addition of Standard VII to our elementary school, Standards V, VI, and VII, then forming the junior high school. In other cases a transference of the classes corresponding to our Standards V and VI had been made to the high school, these classes, with the lowest form at that school, then constituting the junior high school. More frequently, however, the junior high school was organized as a separate institution, and it was this form of school that was almost always recommended to me. In Montclair, N.J., I had the advantage of seeing these three types working side by side, and Dr. Bliss, the Superintendent of Education in that city, was very pronounced in declaring, as a result of his experience, in favour of the separate-unit system. He declared it to be his intention to alter types 1 and 2 and to establish them as separate institutions at the earliest opportunity. 1 made careful inquiry into the courses of study offered in the junior high school. These varied considerably in different localities, but the following may be taken as a sort of general average of what I saw. (N.B. —The junior high school usually has eight forty-minute work-periods per day ; some have nine such periods.) Grade 7 — our Standard V. COMPULSORY. Periods per Week. English .. . . .. .. ~ . . .. . . 5 History and geography .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 5 Arithmetic . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 5 Health, physiology, &c. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 3.. Physical education . . .. .. . . . . . . .. 2 ' Music .. .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . 2 Manual work .. . . .. .. . . .. .. 5 27

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OPTIONALS. English (additional for those deficient) .. .. .. .. .. 5 Arithmetic (additional for those deficient) .. .. .. .. .. 5 A foreign language . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Industrial work .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Commercial .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Fine arts .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 (10 to 15 periods to be selected.) Grade 8 = our Standard VI. COMPULSOBY. Periods per Week. English .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..5 History, geography, civics .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 General science .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Mathematics .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ■ .. 5 Physical education .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Music .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 24 OPTIONALS. English .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Foreign language .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-10 Commercial work .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-10 Industrial work .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-10 Domestic work .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 5-10 (12 to 18 periods to be selected.) Grade 9 = our Third Form at High iSchook. COMPULSORY. English .. .. .. . . .. .. .. . . 5 .History, civics, and elementary economics .. .. .. .. 5 General science .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Physical education .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 2 Music .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 19 OPTIONALS. Foreign language .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Mathematics .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 History and Geography .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 ~ Agriculture .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 5-15 Commercial work .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-15 Industrial work .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-15 Domestic work .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-15 Fine arts .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-15 Music .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 (16 to 21 periods to be selected.) 1 attach .programmes of study followed at several of the schools 1 visited, also jjhotographs of buildings and blue-prints of the ground floors of one school [not printed]. " Shop " work is a distinctive feature of practically all junior high schools in the United States. The following are the forms of industrial work most commonly provided : Woodwork, carpentering, &c, printing, applied drawing, metal-work, machine-shop work, electrical work, pattern-work, brickwork, cement-work, motor-car repair, forge-work, painting, cooking, and sewing. The "shop" sometimes consists of one large building in which four or five of the above-mentioned activities are taught side by side. Sometimes there is a separate room for each activity. I enclose a ground plan of the former [not printed]. 1 was very much impressed with the keen interest displayed by the pupils in these shop activities and with the remarkably good work that many of them were doing. One advantage of the local system of taxation for school purjjoses, as it exists in the United States, is that school activities can be quickly inaugurated to meet the wants and needs of the community. In one school that I visited the parents had expressed a desire that the children should be taught music at school. Music-rooms were soon added, pianos were purchased, and lessons in music were provided. Similarly, "shop" work —such, for instance, as motor-car repair—was provided to meet a local demand. I inquired as to the source of supply of the teaching-power of these schools, and found it to be the general opinion that the best results were obtained by selecting teachers from the elementary

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schools for the work, giving these, where necessary, courses of special training to fit them for the more advanced work. The universities and the training colleges co-operate in providing courses to cover this special training. For teachers of the " shop " work it has been found advisable to take tradesmen and to give them, courses in methods of teaching, &c. From what I saw of these schools, the claims made on their behalf were fully justified, and I have confidence in recommending the institution of similar schools in our Dominion. I would, however, strongly advise that, if it is decided to start them, we proceed slowly, setting up such schools in only one or two of our largest centres for a beginning. Before this is done, the course of studies for such junior high schools, and the correlation of that course with the work of the elementary school below and with the high school or the technical college above, should be carefully considered and arranged. High Schools. The high schools of Ontario appeared to me to be doing thoroughly sound work—much in line with that done in our own schools of similar character. The entrance examination that is required for admission to the university secures a fairly uniform and a fairly high standard of work. In the United States, admission to the State university is usually gained by accrediting (though some of the older eastern universities still retain an entrance examination). This system allows much more freedom to the high school. This is no doubt an advantage in the hands of an able principal and a competent staff, but in many cases good results were not, in my judgment, very apparent. Co-education of the Sexes. In all the junior high schools and high schools that I visited the boys and girls were being taught together. From what I could learn, co-education of the sexes is general throughout Canada and the States. The results are declared to be completely satisfactory. " Home Projects." In many of the rural districts in both Canada and the United States much attention is given to what they call " home projects " — i.e., the raising by the children of some crop, such as potatoes, wheat, maize, &c, or the rearing and care of animals. There is practically no school-gardening such as we have developed in many of our districts, the long summer vacation and the severe winter making this activity almost impracticable. Hie work is therefore carried on at home under the supervision of the School Superintendent (= our Inspector), and with the co-operation of the parents, the parent-teacher organization, and the local agricultural association (the last-named body usually provides the prizes). The children's exhibits are an important feature at the local fairs and agricultural shows. In many places very fine work is being done in these directions, and I saw splendid specimens of maize, wheat, barley, &c, also very fine fowls, pigs, calves, &c., that had been raised by the children. In this way the interest of the country children is aroused and developed in country life. I enclose details of these activities [not printed]. " Health Clubs." In several country schools that I visited " health clubs " were in active operation. These clubs are managed by the children, who elect their own president, secretary, &c. They hold a few minutes' session each day, and the " president " puts the children through a short catechism : e.g., " How many of you have cleaned your teeth twice since yesterday morning V " How many have drunk at least four glasses of water ?" " How many have not touched tea or coffee, but have drunk milk instead ?" " How many of you had at least ten hours' sleep last night ?" " How many of you have attended to the needs of the body at a regular hour ?" &c. Records of height and weight are taken at regular intervals. The general results of this work appeared to me distinctly good. Throughout the schools that I visited much attention was given to health and to corrective treatment. There was usually a school nurse for each two large schools. (A nurse is not usually expected to supervise more than from two thousand to two thousand five hundred children.) She does a good deal of home-visiting and advising of parents, has meetings of mothers at the school assembly-hall, and gives advice on prenatal matters, &c. There is a dental clinic in almost all large schools, and a dentist attends on stated days. It seemed to me that teeth throughout Canada and the. United States were in a better state than with us. Number of Children who proceed on to Secondary Education tn Canada and the United States. Tn Ontario about 20 per cent, of those who pass through the elementary school proceed on to the public secondary school. Another sor (i per cent, go to private, secondary schools. The Adolescent Act recently passed will probably have the effect of considerably increasing these percentages. Throughout the United States education is so uneven that it is impossible to give any very definite figures for that country. In most of the Southern States the percentage of children who proceed on to secondary education is very low. In the Eastern States it is probably somewhere about the same as in Ontario. In California it is, I think, higher. The consolidated schools in the middle western States (of which I report separately) are sending on a surprisingly large number of their pupils through the secondary department. Tn one large consolidated school that I visited 90 per cent, of those who had finished the elementary course had gone on to the secondary school.

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The Consolidated School. A consolidated school is formed by the amalgamation of two or more separate rural districts in order to erect a well-equipped central school. Consolidated schools are in operation in Manitoba, but, as previously explained, I was not able to see the schools of that district at work. There are several in Ontario, but they are in the northern part of the province, and were too far distant for me to visit. However, I was able to see a number at work in lowa, Colorado, and California, and I have no hesitation in saying that the consolidated rural school was the most remarkable educational development that I saw in the course of my travels. I have already stated that, speaking generally, the rural school in the United States is very far from being efficient. The building is usually poor, the equipment scanty, and the teacher is often untrained. The consolidated school is very different, and its institution usually effects an amazing transformation in the district generally. To convey some idea of this transformation 1 give a brief account of one of these schools. It is one of the best in Colorado, but it is in every way typical of the others that I saw. The " Sargent " consolidated school is situated in the open country about eight miles from Monte Vista. The consolidation campaign was started in 1916, and it took two years to complete the community organization, for the idea was new in that part of the country. After a brief educational campaign, three districts were consolidated, but the schools were not centralized at once, for the campaign was continued in order to get more schools into the combination. A year later other districts joined, making an enlarged district about as large as nine ordinary districts. The resulting consolidated district is approximately square in shape ; it contains about ]()() square miles, 250 farm domes, a population of about one thousand people, and an assessed valuation of £1,000,000. A fine new school was erected by the beginning of 1918 ; this, it was thought, would serve the needs of the community for a quarter of a century. They also built a garage, 48 ft. by 60 ft., with a gymnasium above. This was to accommodate the twelve large motor-buses that had been bought to transport 350 children daily, and also to provide a suitable place for indoor games. They also erected modern nine- and eleven-roomed residences for the headmaster and for the lady assistants respectively. Almost before the school was started the people had begun to plan a variety of uses for their " community plant." A community Sunday school was first organized, and its success was just as marked as that of the day school. With both the day and the Siinday school in successful operation, it was next suggested that a community church should be organized. This was done, and public school, Sunday school, and community church, are now all growing and flourishing institutions using the same building. With the school enrolment about four hundred, the Sunday school attendance about the same, with regular church services, and with numerous community meetings all requiring more rooms and a still larger auditorium, the people decided to extend their building programme. Last year a further loan of £30,000 was voted to erect a still larger building to serve as a junior and senior high school, with a fine auditorium seating one thousand people, and still another residence, this for the headmaster of the high school. These buildings are now completed and in use. They are situated on a fine ground, 14 acres in area, in the centre of the district, and the whole concern has .a value of at least £50,000. The school itself has been a marked success from the very beginning. Twice as many are in attendance as were at the old schools ; the daily attendance is 50 per cent, higher than it was ; a well-equipped elementary school with a four-year high school has been provided. Thus the educational opportunities of four hundred country children have been made equal to those of children in a progressive town, and in an environment as nearly ideal as can be imagined. Practically all the children are in school, and ten times as many are enrolled in the high school as ever went away from home to attend high school before this one was built. All the standard subjects are found in the course of study, and, in addition, vocational courses in home-making, agriculture, and farm shopwork are also offered. Outdoor games and athletics are directed and supervised by competent teachers, with the result that the school has been very successful in its competitions with neighbouring town institutions. The community church is governed by evangelical standards, and is not controlled by any one denomination. Men and women representing nine different denominations, together with many who before uniting with this one were not members of any, now worship together in the same way and at the same time. As previously mentioned, at this school, motor-buses are used to convey the children, and it was a most interesting sight to see twelve large motors, each laden with from thirty to forty children, draw up at the school-door within seven minutes from first to last. Eleven of the twelve drivers were teachers : nine of the eleven were women. There is no doubt that these consolidated schools develop a community feeling and a spirit of co-operation. At one newly-built consolidated school I saw some fifty farmers with a dozen teams at work ploughing, levelling, fencing, and planting the playing-fields, an area of some 14 or 15 acres. One thing that helps to develop this community feeling is the fact that each community school is equipped with an assembly-hall large enough to accommodate all the pupils of the school or all the adults of the district. General meetings, more or less of an educational or social character, are held frequently (dancing is not usually allowed), and adjournments are made to the gymnasium, where games of basket-ball, volley-ball, &c., are played, and the people thus get to know one another in a way tliev would never otherwise do. One farmer told me that he hardly knew his next-door neighbour until after the community school was built. These schools are rapidly increasing in number. Colorado has displaced 1,425 one-teacher schools by the erection of 146 consolidated schools, at a cost of £1,500,000. Towa has reduced her one-teacher

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schools from over thirteen thousand in number to something over eight thousand by the erection of 439 consolidated schools, while Indiana lias over one thousand of them. .1 was assured that the erection of a consolidated school at once added to the value of the land in the district. To get some further evidence on this point I called at the office of v real-estate agent in Cedar Falls, lowa, and, explaining the reason for my inquiry, asked if what 1 had been told was correct. " Sure tiling," was the reply, " You're a stranger here or yon wouldn't ask that. Why, a consolidated school puts five or six dollars an acre extra value on to land right away." In confirmation of his statement he showed me some posters announcing farms for sale. Where these were in a consolidated school district the fact was announced in large type. It was evidently an important factor in selling. The following is a summary of the special advantages claimed for the consolidated school : (I) There are pupils enough and taxable property enough to make it practicable to build and to equip a good school ; (2) the better salaries and the improved living conditions make it possible to secure well-trained and experienced teachers ; (3) a much-improved attendance ; (4) an up-to-date four-year high-school course without leaving home ; (5) the pupils advance faster and stay in school longer; (6) better sanitary conditions : (7) better libraries ; (8) better vocational instruction : (9) better play and playgrounds, better athletics; (10) better community activities; (II) fewer changes in teachers; (12) greater enthusiasm and school spirit; (13) better supervision, better leadership; (14) larger vision and perspective; (15) wider opportunities for making acquaintances and forming friendships; (16) better opportunities for team-work; (17) greater training in cooperation ; (18) better returns for money spent. From what I saw of the work that these schools are doing, I should say that the claims mentioned above are fully justified. lam sure that, could our own settlers see a consolidated school in operation, there would be an insistent demand for the institution of similar schools in New Zealand. Two important factors in making a consolidated school a success are; (a) Good roads, (/;) reliable persons to act as drivers. When one of these schools has been established in the States in a district where the roads were not good an improvement in the roading conditions has soon been made. The people have too much money invested in their school to allow its efficiency to be impaired in that way. Consequently, a consolidated school, if not preceded is always quickly followed by good roads. It has been found in the schools that 1 visited that the most satisfactory drivers of the school-buses were either the teachers (who were in residence at the school) or the older boys in the high school. The drivers were paid from £6 . r )s. per month for their services. The Training ok Teachers, There is no pupil-teacher or probationer system in Ontario, or, as far as I could learn, in the. United States. Candidates for entry to the teaching profession in Ontario are expected to have passed the Matriculation Examination (this examination, by the way, is conducted by a. Matriculation Hoard on which the Department of Education is strongly represented, and the papers are prepared under the direct supervision of the Department). This Matriculation Examination covers English (literature and composition), British history, ancient history, algebra, geometry and Latin, plus two subjects selected from the following ; Greek, French, German, Italian, or Spanish, and physics and chemistry, or agriculture and horticulture. Candidates may obtain a simple pass or may puss vith " honours. , ' In addition to passing the Matriculation Examination, candidates for admission to the normal school (t,his=our training college) must obtain from their high school a certificate to show that they have passed their school examination in arithmetic, Knglish, grammar, art, physiography, Canadian history and civics, plus either botany and zoology or agriculture and horticulture. Candidates who intend to teach in a secondary school must hold a university degree, and the subjects they have taken must bear on the high-school course. The normal-school course is one year for both primary- and secondary-school students : the whole time is spent in studying the theory and practice of teaching. For training in the practice of teaching, the usual thing is for each student to give two lessons per week before a critic teacher. The critic teachers are selected in much the same way as with us. The Department pays £75 per annum extra to the critic teacher, and £100 extra to the headmaster of the school. A successful year's work entitles those who entered with an " honours " pass in matriculation to a teacher's certificate of the first class, while those who had only a pass for matriculation receive a certificate of the second class. In each of the States that I visited there are several normal schools, and one or more State teachers' training colleges. The course at the former is for one or sometimes for two years, and good work entitles the student on leaving to a teachers' certificate ; at the latter the course is a four-year one. These State Teachers' training colleges hold University rank and are entitled to grant degrees. They are attended by very large numbers. At both Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo, two State colleges that J visited in Michigan, there are some one thousand five hundred students in attendance. 1 need hardly say that it is impossible to provide adequate practice in teaching for such numbers. Tuition in the normal schools is free, but no money allowance is made to students while in training. Most of the normal schools and training colleges provide " special courses " : thus, the Trenton Normal School provides the following courses : (a) General, (l>) kindergarten, (c) commercial, (<l) domestic science, (c) manual training, (/) music, (g) physical training, (A) treatment of the subnormal, (?) training of the deaf. Most of the universities and training colleges take advantage of the long vacation to provide special courses. These are attended by hundreds, sometimes by thousands, of teachers. In my opinion, the course, in all the training institutions that I visited, was weak in regard to the amount of practical experience that was given. I saw very little to equal, and nothing to surpass, the training now being given at the Auckland Training College.

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As a rule, the rural school in the United States is taught by untrained teachers. 1 was astonished to find that in over 9,600 one-teacher schools in New York State there are only just over 420 teachers that have had any training , . The great majority of these schools are taught, by young girls fresh from the high schools, many of whom take up the work as a temporary work for a year or two. I whs assured that a similar state of tilings exists in Pennsylvania, and in the adjoining States. There is no doubt that under the intensely local system that prevails in the United States the country districts, except, where consolidated schools have been established, suffer badly. The pay is nearly always poor and the tenure uncertain ; consequently the towns (where opinion with regard to education is more progressive, the equipment better, and the pay much higher) secure nearly all the trained teachers. Those to whom I explained our system of a national scale of salaries, security of tenure, better pay in proportion for country than for town, and the policy adopted by most of our Education Boards of making the road to promotion lie through the country to the town, were loud in their praise ; but they asserted that owing to the intense local feeling that exists there reforms such as these were almost impossible with them. The percentage of men to women in the teaching profession in both Canada and the States is much lower than with us. In some States only 4or 5 per cent, of the teachers are men. Sai,artks of Teachers. As already explained, salaries are, in the main, a matter for the locality. Thus, ill Ontario, Ottawa has a different scale of pay from Toronto ; Hamilton from both ; and so on. Each school district is a law unto itself, and this holds generally through Canada and the States. Salaries in the cities in both countries are higher than with us, but the poor pay given in most country districts brings the average down. In Ontario, and also in California, the State is endeavouring to improve matters by subsidizing the country-school salary. In this way the pay of the country teacher in Ontario is being raised to £300 and in some cases to as much as £375 per annum. The subsidy now being given by the State of California in aid of the rural school is expected to raise the salary of the sole-charge teacher to about £360 per annum. In the Southern States the negro schools form 50 per cent, of the whole, The, teachers in these schools are negroes, who are paid mere pittances of £50 and £60 per annum. These low salaries bring the general average for the whole country down to about £170 per annum. In Toronto the salaries are as under : Elementary schools- Headmasters, from a minimum of £700 to a maximum of £900 ; assistants from a minimum of £190 to a maximum of £650. In one large school in Toronto I took the average of the salaries paid to the thirty-four assistants employed and found it to be £364 per annum. In Cleveland, Ohio, salaries are as follows : Elementary schools—Headmasters, from a minimum of £600 to a maximum of £890 ; but some of these schools are very large, and the headmaster has to supervise the work of forty and even fifty assistants. For schools the size of such as we have in out . Dominion the ordinary maximum would be about £720, though the possession of special qualifications might increase this maximum considerably. Assistants receive from a minimum of £300 to a maximum of £600. The annual increments are at the rate of £40. Principals of junior high schools receive from a minimum of £775 to a maximum of £975. Assistants receive from £335 to £675. Principals of high schools receive from a minimum of £800 to a maximum of £1,100. Assistants receive from £375 to £825. Salaries must, of course, be considered with due regard to cost of living, and this is higher in both Canada and the United States than with us. Rent and food are from 25 to 30 per cent, higher there than here. Clothing costs about, the same as with us. Both Canada and the United States are much ahead of us with regard to staffing. 1 visited a large number of town schools, but in only one did I see a class of more than forty-four. The one exception was a class of sixty in a school in Ottawa, but the school had opened only that morning after the long summer vacation, and that particular class was to be divided on the following day. As a result of this more liberal staffing the teachers there work under much less strain than they do with us. School Btjildin&s ami Equipment, For their size, 1 did not see any schools better than those erected during recent years in Auckland, under the supervision of Mr. John Farrell. The finest school buildings that I saw were in Hamilton, Ontario (1 have brought back blue-print plans of one of these) and in Sacramento, California. Most of the city schools are much larger than with us. 1 visited quite a number that, had an average attendance of over 1,500 pupils. Some had an attendance of over 2,500. They claim that these large schools are much more economical to run than are smaller ones. In equipment, both in Canada and the States, they are very far ahead of us. In going through the schools 1 noted the following points :— (I.) Floor-space: 18 square feet of floor-space is the usual allowance. In one or two schools the allowance was 20 square feet per child. In New York City, rather than overcrowd the class-rooms running two shifts. One lot of children came at 8 and worked till 12, when they went home, and another lot came and worked till 4. The one principal remained on duty, but there were two teaching staffs. (2.) Practically every large school that 1 visited had an auditorium large enough to seat all but the primer classes. Most of the schools had a gymnasium, and some had a swimming-bath.

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(3.) Practically every large school had a nurse's room ; a number also had a dentist's room equipped with a dentist's chair. (4.) The headmaster's room and the teachers' common room were always large and comfortably furnished ; a lavatory opened out of each, and the teachers' room was often provided with a small kitchen adjoining, in which the teachers could provide themselves with hot lunch. (5.) The school was usually connected with the city telephone system. The class-rooms were always connected with the headmaster's room by means of telephones, (6.) I did not see any other than single desks. Even the country schools were provided with these, and in many cases they were adjustable. (7.) A hat and cloak room opened out of each class-room by two doors. The pupils entered through one and came out through the other. (8.) The blackboards were of slate. (These give a better writing-surface than do those that we use.) (9.) All the town schools that 1 visited were supplied with bubble taps for drinking purposes. (10.) Many of the schools were supplied with gramaphones, of which considerable use is made to teach ajjpreciation of music and also recitation. There were always several pianos in each large school. (II.) Many of the schools were provided with a cinema outfit. All had at least a magiclantern for use in the auditorium. (12.) Many of the schools were supplied with a vacuum cleaner, and the dust nuisance was thus reduced to a minimum. Open-aik Schools. I visited several of these schools both in Canada and in the United States. The buildings that I saw were in no way any better than the open-air rooms built during the last few years in Auckland. The chief points of interest were the food and the rest that were provided in the way of remedial treatment. Each child received a cup of hot milk or cocoa soon after arrival at school, a good plain lunch in the middle of the day, and a glass of milk before leaving. They had two hours' sleep after lunch. 1 visited one very interesting school of another type, held in the open air in High Park, Toronto. It is open from 8 a.m. until 4.45 p.m. every day of the week except Sunday, for six months —from April until October. The six-months vacation through the winter compensates for the continuous work and long hours while the school is open. This is a genuine open-air school, for the children are taught and they also sleep in the open air, under the trees, in High Park. There is a large marquee covering a kitchen and dining-room, and this provides room enough for the classes to be held under cover in the event of the weather being bad. The pupils, who numbered about one hundred at the time of my visit, are admitted on the recommendation of the school nurse and the doctor. On the day of my visit the children arrived at 8 o'clock, had organized play until 8.45, and then school-work until 9.30, when hot cocoa was served. Then they made up their bods—on stretchers- under the trees, after which there was a " free " interval for a few minutes. School-work went on from 10 until 11.30, then came fifteen minutes' organized play. At 11.45 they all had "wash-drill" i.e., all washed hands and faces ready for lunch, which was served at 12. After lunch there was a short " tooth-brush drill," when all cleaned their teeth , they then lay down on their stretchers for a two-hours' sleep. At 3 o'clock they were roused to put away their beds ; a half-hour's organized play followed, then a glass of milk was supplied to each, after which they had forty minutes' school. They dismissed for the day at 4.45. These children had all been weighed, and also tested mentally —by means of intelligence tests---on their admission in April, again in June, and again at the beginning of September. The gains in mentality after a few months of this open-air school life, with good food and plenty of sleep, were remarkable. I give a few results that 1 noted down : —

The cases quoted above are typical of the gains made, by all. The hundred pupils were taught by the headmaster and two assistants. Two cooks were employed to prepare the food. The cost for food alone was ss. per child per week. The weakness of the experiment lay in the closing of the school for six months on end.

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No. 1 No. 2 .. No. 3 .. No. 4 .. No. 5 .. No..6 .. No. 7 . . No. 8 No. 13 .. Child. Age. 14 13 12 11 14 10 12 15 13 First Mental Mental Age Third Mental Test of Test 78 9 100 100 11 122 82 94 100 59 U 85 81 9J 99 56 7i 84 81 9J 112 117 12J 140 101 11 132 Mental Age of 11 13 11 9?, ii 9 J 12 15 14 Gain in Weight. lb. H 6-1 1 o 2.1 3J 21 10| 5.i L

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Testing fob Mentality. In Canada, and also in the United States, a good deal is done in the way of estimating mental ability by means of " intelligence tests." I , tactically all city Education Boards employ one or more psychologists who supervise this mental testing, arid the results are made use of in classifying the pupils in school. I was assured again and again that this mental testing, taken in conjunction with the results of examinations in ordinary school-work, affords the most satisfactory method of classifying school-children ; and, furthermore, that the mental tests frequently reveal, in different pupils, a mentality higher than had been previously recognized by the teacher. Where junior high schools are established it is usual for pupils in the Sixth Grades of the elementary schools to be given the ; ' national intelligence test," or the " Terinan group test," before they- leave to enter the secondary , school. The results of these tests, together with the teacher's rating and all other available data, are used as a basis for placing the pupils in one or other of the several divisions of the Seventh Grade at the junior high school. Those with the highest score (other factors, such as good health, hearty home co-operation, arid earnestness of purpose, being equal) are placed in the top division of the Seventh Grade, and are given the opportunity to accomplish the work of three terms in two. In this way an endeavour is made to place all pupils according to ability and individual need. Methods of DEAIJNG with Rktabdatf.s. The provision made in Toronto for dealing with the mentally backward is typical of what is clone in most of the places that I visited. There, on the advice of the teacher in charge, the mentally backward possibly 3 per cent, of those on the school roll —are selected for examination by the school psychiatrist (a psychiatrist is a medical man who has had a special training in child psychology, and who advises from the remedial point of view), and, as a rule, some two-thirds of the children nominated by the teachers are selected for special treatment. These are children who will never develop beyond the mental age of twelve. They are then placed in special classes, under the care, of special teachers, in their own schools, and are put through courses consisting very largely of manual work. These special classes never exceed sixteen in number. At Los Angeles they select the children who are backward in a particular subject, and those who have dropped behind the rest owing to irregular attendance, &c, and place them under a special teacher for a time. As this teacher does not take more than about sixteen pupils at a time, she is able to give plenty of individual attention to each, with the result that they are soon brought up to normal. I was told that it was no unusual thing for one of these special teachers, in a large city school, to deal in this way with as many as one hundred pupils in the course of the year. Playground Activities. Many of the city schools in Canada and in the United States are badly provided for in the way of playgrounds, though this deficiency is made up to some extent by the gymnasiums. The teachers do as much as is possible in the way of directing organized play in the school-grounds, but the towns themselves do a great deal in this direction by providing public playgrounds and appointing supervisors to take charge of them. Toronto, for instance, is spending this year 125,000 dollars (= €30.000) on organized play for the boys and girls of the city. They have a number of city grounds, and through the summer holidays they also make use of the school playgrounds. They have a corps of about sixty-five supervisors and directors of play, and they also have about twenty pianists who play for the folk-dancing, &c. Besides the city playgrounds, some of which are fitted up with apparatus much the same as that provided by Mr. John Court for Victoria Park in Auckland, there are several " centres " where there are buildings which are open of an evening. Here the boys and the girls of the neighbourhood meet on alternate evenings ; they have games and amusements, but also a certain amount of instruction in handwork, &o. In connection with these " centres " there is usually a large room in which the parents from the neighbourhood can meet for community purposes. Most of the cities that I visited in the United States are conducting play activities for the children on lines similar to those followed in Toronto. Self-government. I made many inquiries for elementary schools conducted on " self-government" lines, but was not able to hear of any. There is, of course, a certain amount of responsibility placed upon monitors and prefects, but no more than there is in many New Zealand schools. Self-goverwmetit in the High Schools. —While 1 did not see much evidence of self-government in the class-rooms, I was very favourably impressed with what is done in this direction in the playing-fields. In many schools practically the whole responsibility for the maintenance of order and good conductin the playground is thrown upon the pupils. The usual procedure is for the scholars to elect a head prefect, captain, or president, who in turn selects his " executive " from among his fellows, and this executive is frequently strengthened by a representative elected by each grade or form. This body then assumes responsibility for the management of the playground activities, and for the preservation of order and good conduct outside the school-walls. As many of the high schools are very largenumbering up to two thousand five hundred and even three thousand pupils it will be readily understood that this system of self-government does much to develop in the pupils a sense of responsibility and of self-reliance. The system certainly helps to develop good citizenship. In Montclair, N.J,, the high-school prefects are recognized by the city. They are given badges, and are encouraged to exercise an influence over the pupils of their schools in the streets, to assist the aged and the young in crossing the streets, &c.

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I'akkxttkai'hrr Associations. These associations arc much in evidence throughout Canada and the United States. They are doing a very fine work in linking together the home ami the school. Owing to the interest taken in the schools by these associations, many extras are provided that the schools would otherwise be without, and the " home projects," such as the growing of crops and the rearing of animals, are carried on as successfully as they are mainly through the hearty co-operation of the parent-teacher association with the County Superintendent (or Inspector) and the school. The success of these parent-teacher associations is, in my opinion, mainly due to two factors : (I) The local system of taxation for education, which naturally induces a close personal interest on the part of the people in their school : and (2) the auditorium, or assembly-hall, with which all the larger schools are provided. This provides a meeting-room for parents, and the meetings lead to much community-work. The " Study-Work-Play " Plan. Several of the schools that 1 visited in the United States were working on what is known as the study-work-play plan. The establishment of a school auditorium, a gymnasium, and " shops " involves a considerable expenditure of capital, and the plan mentioned above is a development designed to get the fullest return out of this extensive school " plant." Tt is an attempt to make it practicable, both administratively and financially, lor school administrators to provide not only class-room accommodation, but also such modem educational facilities as gymnasiums, auditoriums, shops, and laboratories, where children may be kept wholesomely occupied in study, work, and play. The school-day is lengthened by an hour, but no teacher works more than five hours. Under this plan the " load " is balanced so that half the children are in class-rooms while the other half are at work and at play. For example, a school is divided into halves, all the classes being represented in each half. The school opens at, say, 9 o'clock, when the "A " half goes to the classrooms for academic work. While this half is in the class-rooms it obviously cannot use any of the special facilities, therefore the second or " B " half goes to them to the auditorium—onethird to the playground, and the remaining third is divided among the shops, drawing and music rooms. At the end of one or two periods that is, when the first group of children has remained, according to the judgment of the school authorities, in school-seats as long as is good for them at one time the "A " school goes to the auditorium, playground, &c, while the "B " school goes to the class-rooms. This alternation goes on again in the afternoon. The following is one type of programme that 1 saw in use (Division 1, the upper classes; division 2, the intermediate classes ; division 3, the junior classes) :

The following were the chief arguments given to me in support of the scheme : All children have to be in school from 9to 12 and from 1 to 3. All are usually turned out to play at the same time. The result is that there are never enough seats for all the children to study in, nor enough playgrounds for them to play in. Much money is invested in auditoriums, playgrounds, and school-shops, yet each of these facilities is usually occupied for only a small part of each day. Provided that the children receive during the day the required amount of academic work, there is no good reason from an educational standpoint why children should all have to do the same thing at the same time. If they are in use constantly by alternating groups, accommodation maybe provided in all facilities, at less cost, than regular class-rooms can be provided on the basis of a reserved seat for each child. For example, in a school of two thousand pupils under the traditional plan, fifty class-rooms, each seated for forty pupils, must be provided, in addition to all other facilities. Under the study-work-play plan only twenty-five class-rooms are needed, so the cost of half the rooms is eliminated.

Time. Kegular Activities. I Academic Instruction. Auditorium. I . ; Special Activities, Play and Physical Training. iSliops. &.c. The " A " School 9 to 10.40 10.40 to 11.30 11.30 to 12.30 12.30 to 2.20 2.20 to 3.10 3.10 to 4 .. Divisions 1, 2, and 3 Division 1 Entire " A " school at lunch. Divisions 1, 2, and 3 Division 3 Division 2 I Division 3 Division 2 Division 3 Division 2 Division 1. Division 1. The " B " School. 9 to 9.50 .. 9.50 to 10.40 10.40 to 12.30 12.30 to 1.30 1.30 to 2.20 2.20 to 4 .. . . . . Division 2 Division 3 . . j Divisions 1, 2, and 3 Entiro " B " school at jlunch. .. I .. Division 1 Divisions 1, 2, and 3 Division 3 Division 2 Division 3 i Division 1. Division 1: Division 2.

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Educationally, the plan makes possible an enriched curriculum, in that each child gets not only all the ordinary school subjects, but also fifty minutes of organized play, fifty minutes of " shop work, and fifty minutes in the auditorium each day. 1 have mentioned the study-work-play scheme in this report on account of its general interest. It can, of course, be put into operation only when a school is provided with an auditorium, " shops," &c. Juvenile Delinquents, At the suggestion of Mr. E. C. Cutten, senior Stipendiary Magistrate at Auckland. T made inquiry as opportunity offered regarding the manner of dealing with juvenile delinquents in the different cities that I visited. At Toronto, Judge Mott, who is in charge of the Juvenile Court, kindly invited me to sit with him one Saturday morning, to see his method of dealing with the juveniles brought before him. 1 was struck with the pains taken to get at the causes that had led to the delinquency, and the efforts that were made to remove the offender from a bad environment. In one ease where there seemed to be a mental " kink " the offender was remanded for examination by the Court psychiatrist, so that he might recommend as to the best course of remedial treatment. As auxiliaries to the Court there are " 15ig Brother " and " Big Sister " Associations, to which belong some of the leading people of the city. Their object is to lend a helping hand to boys and girls who seem to be in need of it. Where the youthful offender had been led astray through getting into bad company, the procedure adopted was to put him on probation for a term and to place him under supervision on a farm. Judge Mott stated that he was in touch with numbers of people in country districts who were willing to give such boys and girls a chance. In this way they were removed from a bad environment, and were often trained to become useful and reliable members of society. I have forwarded to Mr. Cutten a copy of Judge Mott's annual report : this gives a full account of the various activities of his Court. Summary. In the foregoing report I have endeavoured to give a concise and impartial account of what I saw during my eight weeks in the schools of Ontario and the United States. Many of my visits were very hurried, and I was obliged to leave out many places that T should have liked to see. However, I endeavoured to get as much information as possible on those points likely to be of use to us in New Zealand, and I shall be able to amplify what I have said on any of the matters mentioned above should you so desire. To summarize briefly the results of my observations :—-• \ am of the opinion that Ontario and the more progressive portions of the United States lead us in- (I) A more liberal staffing of the elementary schools ; (2) the absence of pupil-teachers and probationers ; (3) a more liberal allowance of floor-space per pupil ; (4) a much better equipment in the schools ; (5) handwork and " shop " work ; (6) the training of the mentally backward ; (7) the provision made by the cities for organized play ; (8) the development of the junior high school; (9) the consolidated school in country districts ; (10) practical health work ; (11) more liberal salaries in the cities. Tarn of the opinion that we lead in (I) The thoroughness and accuracy of work in the ordinary school subjects (this does not apply to Ontario) ; (2) the general knowledge of our pupils ; (3) our country school work ; (4) the practical training of our teachers ; (5) security of tenure of position by teacher ; (6) promotion by merit ; (7) a better system of superannuation ; (8) more liberal salaries and better conditions for country teachers ; (9) a better system of inspection.

Approximate Cost ol Paper. —Preparation, not given; printing (7(in copies), £16.

Authority : W. A. G. Skimer, Government Printer, Wellington. -1922.

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