15

E.—l

Medical Inspection. The work of medical inspection of school-children and school dentistry is administered by the Department of Public Health, and reference to the work carried out in 1922 will be found in the annual report of that Department. Manual Instruction. Staffing. The following table shows the classification of full-time teachers of manualtraining classes at the end of 1922, Class VI being the highest class, and Division I including those teachers who are classified as having academic or professional qualifications equivalent at least to a University diploma involving three years' preparation of University standard.

Full-time Classified Teachers in Manual Training Classes, December, 1922.

The table shows a total of 138 teachers as compared with 135 for the previous year. The difference would have been greater but for the fact that some of the classes have been transferred to the management of Technical School Boards through being held in technical-school buildings. Incidentals and Materials. Capitation was paid in the year 1922 at the rate of Id. per pupil-hour for woodwork, ljd. for cookery, and Id. for agriculture, as compared with l|-d. for woodwork, l|d. for cookery, and Id. for agriculture in the previous year. Notwithstanding the substantial reduction in rates paid, the total capitation amounted to £20,057, a reduction of only £1,500 as compared with the previous year. This small reduction indicates how much the classes have grown in numbers since the previous year. In addition to these liberal payments to the Education Boards on account of incidentals and materials, handwork supplies were obtained through the High Commissioner in London and forwarded to the Boards for distribution to the schools. There is no doubt that the cost of supplies has been greatly reduced by this method, in spite of the difficulties incidental to the. inception**)! a new scheme, and it is also clear that better and more suitable materials can be obtainedfat a cheaper rate by pooling the requirements of the various Boards.|| The question of enabling Boards to purchase other supplies through the Department has also been under consideration by the Government, with a view to securing reasonable efficiency at the lowest possible cost for materials. Referring to the subject of handwork, it is not expected that teachers will arrange set periods for special subjects of handwork, but rather that handwork will be introduced wherever it is possible by this means to elucidate principles and illustrate facts pertaining to the ordinary subjects of the curriculum, ft must not, of course, be forgotten that handwork has its own special value on account of its appeal to the creative instinct, in addition to the advantages it possesses as an agent in the all-round, development of the child.

Division I. Division II. Class. — - — ; ' Men. Women. Men. Women. VI V IV III II I i j 5 6 2 2 4 1 14 3 4 23 9 18 9 5 ,8 12 9 4 Totals 14 20 ~~34~ 66 I 38 04 1** 18