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1. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS. Sir, — I have the honour to present the following report for the year ended 31st December, 1932 : C::'i\ i I J ' ■ ■ Inspectorate. The following changes in the Inspectorial Staff took place during the year :■ — Mr. G. E. Overton, 8.A., Inspector of Schools, Nelson, was promoted to the position of Senior Inspector of Schools, Nelson. Dr. J. W. Mclllraith, M.A., LL.B., was transferred from the position of Senior Inspector of Schools, Wellington, to a similar position in Auckland. Mr. E. Partridge, M.A., Inspector of Schools, Wanganui, was transferred to a similar position in Wellington. The staff at present consists of thirty-five Inspectors. Owing to pressure of time, it has been found necessary to restrict the inspection of the larger public schools to one visit a year instead of the traditional two ; at the same time, the demands of economy in travelling-expenses have necessitated the elimination of visits to Grade 0 schools, unless these are located in such a way in regard to larger schools as enables them to be visited without additional cost and with little expenditure of time. The inspection of private schools has had for reasons of economy to be confined only to those schools concerning whose efficiency there is reasonable doubt. Efficiency. On the whole, the general efficiency of the schools has been maintained. Among the subjects of the curriculum the greatest advance is seen in the more cultural subjects as music and the appreciation of literature. In physical education the results are very promising wherever a specialist or a recent ex-trainee in this subject is on the staff. In these subjects the training colleges are doing excellent work. In art work, however, the improvement is not so noticeable. Many head teachers find a difficulty in making the presence of a specialist teacher felt beyond the immediate precincts of his own class. This difficulty will, of course, rapidly disappear with every increase in the supply of specialists. When supernumeraries, in the form of probationers, are again available, these specialists will be freer to operate over a greater part of the school. It may be stated here that the Boards generally are appointing specialists to the staff whenever a request therefor is made by the head teacher. Reading, in the broadest sense of the term, is probably improving. Attention is being focused on developing in pupils the appreciation of good literature, the emotional and sesthetic aspect of the subject, apart from the more purely intellectual, receiving consideration. There is here much scope for effective teaching. Owing to the more exacting demands that have been made, spelling has improved. Teachers are being asked to give more attention to the spelling of proper names in such subjects as history, geography, and science. Writing can be regarded as quite satisfactory, though printing, which is used on occasions in all classes, and which is in common use in the retail business community, might well reach a higher standard of artistry. Art is in a very fair state, and teaching practice is gradually departing from the uninspiring traditional methods. In no other subject do the capacities of teachers seem to vary so much ; in too few cases is the artistry, latent in most pupils, revealed to them. The steady stream of teachers from the training colleges with their expert instructors should, however, gradually increase the efficiency of the schools. Handwork has made very satisfactory progress. The absence of the usual supplies from the education grant has revealed the fact there there is a great reservoir of natural and waste material that can be turned to excellent account in manual instruction. Instruction in many directions is thus actually more varied than was previously the case. Arithmetic, geography, and history fully maintain their previous level. In history much importance is attached to the development of New Zealand ; in some schools it is perhaps given undue prominence in comparison with that of the rest of the Empire. • During the year an investigation was made into the teaching of science in the primary schools. The results showed much thoughtful work, but in many cases a failure to realize that the object of science in the curriculum was not so much the acquisition of certain scientific facts as the development of the scientific attitude of mind that impels man to ceaseless research into the secrets of his natural environment. In future, emphasis will be placed more on the spontaneous activity of the pupil, while the application in daily life of all facts discovered by or revealed to the pupil will be a matter of primary importance. On the whole, much good work has been done ; in one or two districts the level of attainment has been higher than that in other subjects. In all districts an attempt is made to relate the instruction to the needs of the rural population ; farmers in many districts have shown keen interest in the work, and have made liberal donations for general or specific purposes. Such school associations as home gardens and root and calf clubs continue to flourish. Experiments conducted in school plots have, in many cases, been of direct financial value to the community, but these are of even greater value in developing that aspect of mind which sees that Nature can be subdued to the interests of mankind only by increasing knowledge of her laws. Even to those who will not

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