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the limitations in regard to life, environment, and experiences in general through the complete isolation in which they live, the results were indeed creditable. The Staff. —The educational machine is functioning smoothly and the staff is a happy family. Bach member now has a much clearer understanding of the methods of teaching, class-management and general routine work, and applies them with more definiteness and greater confidence. The tendency towards initiative and resourcefulness is developing. The usual staff meetings have been held, and from the residt of the deliberations much good work has been put into practice. The work has not in every case been strictly confined to school; instead, the influence and help of the staff has been extended into the social life of the people. Medical Lectures. —During the year the Medical Officer visited the school and delivered interesting addresses, which were much appreciated. None had ever looked into a microscope before, and when certain parasites, not uncommon to the human race, were viewed through the microscope as hideous monsters all looked at each other in amazement. Such lessons have great driving-force, and have the desired effect where words fail. Medical Inspection.—Shortly after school reopened a medical inspection of the pupils was carried out. This took some weeks, and each pupil received a thorough inspection. The personal health record was entered on medical cards specially drawn out for the purpose and filed at the hospital. Except for a few minor defects, the Medical Officer reported that the children were, as a whole, a hardy and healthy lot. Any child requiring medical attention reports to the hospital until a cure is effected. Dental Inspection and Treatment. —During the early part of the year all children were dentally examined by the Medical Officer. Agriculture.—Agriculture, gardening, and experimentation are vital subjects to these people, who are primary producers, and their prosperity depends almost entirely upon what the soil produces. Teachers and children have developed a liking for this class of work, whereas little more than a year ago it was considered menial and not a true educational school subject. Although agriculture is now firmly established as a' school subject, and although the whole general appearance of the grounds has been changed, yet it is felt that for the amount of energy expended, and the hard work done, the results are not commensurate with the efforts expended, and that this class of work has not yet reached the true value that it is desirable it should have as a school subject. Because of the rocky nature of the soil, taro and yam have not been a success ; maniota, maize, tomatoes, lima beans, peanuts, cabbage, and kumaras have done fairly well; granadillas and passion-fruit are quite a success. Choko seem to grow strongly for a time, but usually succumb to the attacks of a small brown beetle and a variety of epilachna. The banana plantation is but fair ; the young orange, Brazilian cherry, and sweetsop trees are beginning to make growth. Papayas are vigorous growers and fruiters, and do splendidly on Niue. Lemon and lime trees are also coming away, but the coffee and the cacao plantation were a complete failure. The salt spray during the hurricane season ruined these at a time when they were looking healthy. Experiments to introduce hardwoods for future use and soft timbers for boxmaking have been a failure, while fifty transplanted trees died. The garden has not been in existence long enough to discover the most suitable rotation of crops, but from minor experiments made it would seem that taro, corn, kumaras, and maniota, or cane, kumaras, maize, and taro, would do. It may be necessary to substitute one of these by sowing a leguminous crop. Lima beans, peanuts, or cowpeas are valuable catch-crops not only for their food value but because the tubercles on their roots are the home of many bacteria which enrich the nitrogen-supply of the soil. Detached Class-room.—A new room, erected this year, relieved the congestion in the main school considerably, and was occupied at once. This open-air class of building is ideally suited for the tropics, and is much superior to the older structure, being cooler, better ventilated, and more hygenic in every way. Mr. Caughley considered that this type of building was well-nigh ideal for tropical climates and for the general health of school-children, as well as being in keeping with modern hygenic thought in regard to the construction of suitable class-rooms. Reclamation and School-ground Extension. —In order to extend the school-ground a considerable area has been reclaimed on a rocky and rugged section running out to form a point beside the sea. Coral outcrops and large rocks on this point were sledge-hammered and levered out with crowbars ; pieces broken were dumped into hollows, the whole levelled and top-dressed with small stones. Soil was carried from the bush and placed into pockets purposely left. Cuttings from a large hardy and shady tree called puka were planted in these pockets of soil, and most of them struck root and are growing well. Large pao and puka trees grew on and about the part reclaimed, and shade a considerable section of it. Technical Instruction. —-The work carried out in the technical classes has been of a purely practical nature, the idea being to produce useful boys about the home and the village who can use the ordinary class of tool to their own advantage. Sewing Classes. —Because no sewing-mistress had been appointed to the Tufukia School, sewing was not taught during the whole of the year 1926, nor the first quarter of the year 1927. This important subject was reintroduced towards the end of April of the present year. The primary aim and the basic principles underlying sewing were to produce the handy girl about the home, and, after all the elementary forms of stitching were known, the immediate aim was that each girl should be able to make completely some useful ordinary garment. Native Handicraft Classes.—Native crafts have been reintroduced as a school subject at Tufukia. Native crafts on Niue are, as with the Maori crafts in New Zealand, dying out. This is due partly through neglect to have the craft taught, and partly through the younger generation preferring to buy in shops. A competent Native instructress was appointed in April of this year. The instructress is a capable person, and good at every kind of Native craft. A class was started at once, good progress has been made, and the handwork turned out so far is indeed a credit to the teacher.

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