E.—l

4

A number of other proposals are now under consideration, some of which it is hoped will shortly be carried into effect. The most notable of these proposed reforms are— An extension of the regulations governing free places to provide for free education at technical classes related to industrial occupations, and for a higher scale of payments to technical high schools. The establishment of a system of agricultural bursaries to provide for the training of future instructors and experts in agriculture. A fuller revision of the primary-school syllabus in the direction of making it more helpful to less experienced teachers, and of securing greater thoroughness in primary education. The establishment of juvenile employment bureaux to advise and assist boys and girls on leaving school as to the best means of securing employment suited to their capacity. Improvements in the course of instruction for free-place holders in secondary schools, particularly with respect to English, civics, and history, mental arithmetic, domestic science, and agriculture. Provision for more complete inspection of secondary schools. The establishment of departmental correspondence classes for uncertificated teachers. The standardization of school buildings. Among further matters that have been under review or are ready for action when the necessary authority—legislative or financial—is given, are : Fuller provision for the extension of compulsory continuation classes, possibly to be held in the daytime; provision for the consolidation of small schools into larger central schools; an increase of capitation for schools with an average attendance of less than nine; a readjustment of the capitation grants for technical high schools; the supply of school materials; a more satisfactory and businesslike system of dealing with funds provided for the maintenance and rebuilding of public schools; a temporary increase in the allowances to School Committees for incidentals; an alteration in the electoral system of appointment of members to represent urban and rural districts on Educational Boards; the establishment of small observation schools to provide some means of preparation for untrained teachers before they enter on the work of teaching; and the establishment of a travelling dental clinic. Many of the above proposals and some of those already initiated cannot for the present be developed so fully or so rapidly as could have been done if the teaching staffs of all types of schools, as well as the staffs of Inspectors and other directing officers, had not been seriously reduced owing to the enlistment of teachers, Inspectors, instructors, and other officers. In fact, it is only by great effort that the schools can be kept going at all, and this renders the present time unfavourable for the introduction of many or great changes. Teachers and the War. Because the schools all appear to be going on as usual, few people realize the great drain made by the war on our teaching staffs. Up to the present fully 650 primary-school teachers have gone on active service. This is over one-third of the number of men teachers employed when war broke out. The remainder consists almost entirely of men of the Second Division, youths under twenty years of age, and men who have enlisted but have been rejected as medically unfit. In fact, it would be difficult to find a score of physically fit men teachers of the First Division who did not enlist. Secondary-school and technical-school teachers have an equally proud record, while four School Inspectors, a training-college principal, and two professors have also enlisted. It is little to be wondered at that the boys who have been taught and influenced in our schools by teachers with such evident devotion to their country should follow the example of their teachers and conduct themselves both on and off the field in a way that wins for them our love and admiration.