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produced nothing original in methods of teaching. Her sister Dominion has the rotary and platoon schools ; New South Wales the Spaule writing-tester, the Jones system and the Ellis system of teaching reading, as well as the extraordinarily successful Caldwell system of number-teaching. lam continuing to urge Inspectors to encourage originality wherever an efficient teacher shows a desire to depart from the beaten track. I have also suggested that Senior Inspectors might recommend Boards to arrange for the trial of new systems of organization in selected schools. Numbers of our teachers and Inspectors are experimenting with the recognized intelligence tests, and work in this direction is well worth encouraging. The reliability of these tests is by no means established, and the standard tests have proved in some respects unsuitable for New Zealand children. Even in their present form, however, the tests form a useful check on the classification of pupils in accordance with the ordinary class examination tests. There is a very wide field for experiment in this direction, and it is to be regretted that New Zealand is lagging behind England and America in this respect. This line of educational investigation is quite important enough to justify the establishment of a special branch, the activities of which might also include the selection and education of children of subnormal mentality. It is pleasing to note that in all districts the Inspectors commend the work of the instructors of physical drill. Very few teachers nowadays fail to recognize the importance both to the formal drill exercise and of organized games. A return recently handed me by the Chief Physical Instructor shows clearly that a great improvement in the physique of school-children has been effected since the work was first begun. Some progress was made during the year in reorganizing existing classes for mentally retarded children and in establishing new classes. Miss W. A. Valentine did valuable work in this connection, and gathered a considerable amount of useful information bearing on the extent to which mental retardates are present in the ordinary schools. Two experimental classes were established at the Mount Cook schools, Wellington. Notwithstanding most unsuitable environment good work was done, and it was made quite clear to me that it would be an undoubted benefit to society to have such classes established wherever needed. A suitable environment is, however, of paramount importance, and, as city schools rarely provide this, the special classes should be held in separate buildings with more pleasing surroundings. Other special activities connected with the primary schools are the supervision of agricultural instruction, the teaching of woodwork and cookery, the training of unskilled teachers in supplementary model country schools, the work of the organizing teachers, and the holding of special classes of instruction for teachers. Space does not permit full comments on each of these, but it is satisfactory to record that each of these activities is of great service to the primary schools and well worth the money expended on it. All the Inspectors report most favourably on the work done by the organizing teachers, whose duty it is to spend some time with the weaker teachers in country districts and to endeavour to place the instruction on a satisfactory footing. There is lack of sufficient co-ordination between the work of the Inspectors and that of the agricultural instructors, and this weakness will have to be removed before really effective work can be done. At every opportunity I have stressed the importance of the Inspectors and instructors seeing that the instruction is truly scientific in character. No good will be done if the pupils' minds are burdened with a mass of ill-digested scientific information. What is needed is that the pupils shall adopt the right attitude towards the various scientific problems as they arise, and in the process learn something of scientific method. One very important duty of the instructors in co-operation with the Inspectors is to secure a pleasing school environment. The ground improvements should not be too extensive, but should be systematic and in accordance with a definite plan. I was surprised to find that some of the Inspectors report that in several large schools little attention is given to instruction in elementary science. In contrast to this I find that in the City of Dunedin nearly every school has its garden-plots and a systematic course of science instruction. The subject is of such importance to the Dominion that every effort should be put forward to secure efficient teaching. At present all pupil-teachers and probationers are rightly required to receive instruction in elementary agricultural science, whether or not they intend making this an examination subject. Further, all Education Boards are authorized to establish classes of instruction in science for uncertificated teachers ; but I think we should go further and arrange for special refresher courses for the benefit of all teachers who are meeting with difficulty in teaching the subject in their schools. The policy of encouraging refresher courses in this and other subjects is, lam convinced, a sound one, and well worthy of extension. I have, &c., T. B. Strong, The Director of Education. Chief Inspector of Primary Schools.