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widely established, the Medical Inspectors and physical instructors co-operating in the work, and although it is too early yet to estimate the complete results, there is every reason to believe that the increased attention to this aspect of physical instruction is bearing valuable fruit. To provide a staff of specialists to conduct the work in its entirety is, however, manifestly impossible. It can only be initiated, supervised, and corrected. The effective application of the scheme of exercises selected must rest with the teachers themselves, whose training in consequence is of capital importance. Both Medical Inspectors and physical instructors have devoted a considerable amount of time to the instruction of the students of training colleges to prepare them for their future duties in the schools. This is regarded as one of the most important branches of the work, the value of having teachers thoroughly instructed in the requirements of physical education and taught to observe physical defects in their pupils and maintain a healthful school environment being incalculable. The Medical Inspectors report on the school buildings in respect of lighting, heating, ventilation, cleanliness, &c, and have been able to suggest many improvements where little or no expense is involved. Emphasis is placed on the value of fresh air, open-air teaching being strongly recommended. An open-air class-room accommodating about sixty pupils was used in Wellington from April to the end of the year, and although some of the conditions could not be considered favourable, the reports of the teachers and the superior gains in height and weight of the pupils plainly show that the experiment was an unqualified success. The result is in accordance with similar experiments made elsewhere, and goes far to establish the principle of the open-air class-room wherever circumstances permit of the arrangement. The expenditure on medical inspection for the financial year ended 31st March, 1916, was—Salaries, £1,765 ; travelling-expenses, £527 ; material, apparatus, for-warding-charges, &c, £55 : total, £2,347. The expenditure on physical education for the year ended the 31st March, 1916, was as follows: Salaries, £2,272; training classes, including camps for teachers, £2,877 ; equipment for training classes, £15 ; travelling allowances and expenses, £1,464; sundries, including advertising, books, office-cleaning, freight, &c, £199 : total, £6,827. The receipts from sales of Junior Cadet equipment from schools where the cadet corps have been disbanded amounted to £990. The Syllabus of Instruction. A revised syllabus of instruction was issued for the primary schools in the year 1914. Inspectors report that teachers, in the main, have acquainted themselves with the newer requirements, and fully appreciate the value of the modern ideas and improved methods introduced within recent years. Manual Instruction. During'the year classes for elementary handwork were carried on under the Regulations for Manual Instruction in connection with 77 per cent, and for manual instruction in connection with 60 per cent, of the public schools. The percentages for the various education districts were as follows : — Elementary Manual Handwork. Instruction. Auckland ... ... ... ... ... ... 65 50 Taranaki ... ... ... ... ... ... 69 68 Wanganui ... ... ... ... ... ... 94 74 Wellington ... ... ... ... ... ... 78 63 Hawke's Bay ... ... ... ... ... ... 71 65 Marlborough ... ... ... ... ... ... 62 13 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 52 Grey ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 36 Westland ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 21 North Canterbury "... ... ... ... ... 86 62 South Canterbury . ... ... ... ... ... 99 78 Otago ... ... ... ... ... ... 99 80 Southland ... ... ... ... ... ... 90 68 The total number of public schools at which approved classes were held was, for elementary handwork ,1,793 (an increase of 280), and for manual instruction 1,398 (an increase of 100). j Capitation amounting to £34,450 was distributed during the year to Education Boards on account of classes. The amount for the previous