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ultimately settle on the land such training is well worth while, for in a country like New Zealand no trade or profession exists that does not come into close contact with those whose life is spent in rural occupations. An understanding of the farming industry, its advantages, and its difficulties, and of the farmer's point of view, is very necessary for all. Physical Education. The new system of physical education introduced a few years ago makes steady, though somewhat slow, progress, except in schools where specialist instructors or students just recently from the training colleges are available. The system is an excellent one, but it is probably rather more difficult for the teacher to grasp than the preceding course. Where qualified staffs are available the system produces most pleasing physical effects, and is at the same time very popular with the pupils. While the only available instructors are attached to the training colleges, it is not possible to do very much to promote the system in rural centres, but wherever possible these instructors have paid short visits to country districts and have also formed classes of teachers in the training-college centre. The very successful refresher courses at the Auckland Training College provided an excellent opportunity for some hundreds of teachers to acquire at least the spirit and the elements of the new course. Brief courses in outlying districts will be conducted from time to time as circumstances permit. Instruction in swimming and life-saving has made excellent progress ; the modern girl is not a whit less enthusiastic than the modern boy. Proficiency Examination. The system adopted in the previous year of requiring all candidates to sit for the Proficiency Examination was continued last year ; the advice of the teachers was sought in each case, but no candidate was accredited with a pass on this advice only. The results showed a return to the normal standard, the average percentage of proficiency passes being 79-5 in public schools and 81-1 in private schools. It is satisfactory to note that the efficiency of the instruction shows no decline. The increasing percentage in the private schools may be ascribed to two causes—an increase in the efficiency of the instruction, and, probably, a greater degree of caution exercised in the promotion of pupils to senior classes. For some years past it has been the policy of the public schools to give those older pupils that have spent a year in Form I (S5) the opportunity of showing what they can do in Form II (S6), the instruction in all subjects except arithmetic being of a very similar nature. District High Schools. The district high schools scattered throughout the Dominion continue to function efficiently. The reluctance, once observable, of well-qualified teachers to take service in the secondary departments of these schools has now largely, though by no means entirely, disappeared. This reluctance was due to the not wholly unfounded fear that these secondary assistants, once they entered these departments, would find themselves unable to re-enter the primary service and equally unable to get promotion into the older-established secondary schools. Now that these departments are visited regularly by the Primary Inspectors and occasionally, but regularly, by the Secondary Inspectors, this fear is disappearing. It is very essential that these rural secondary departments should attract teachers well qualified academically and at the same time of proved teaching efficiency. Now in increasing degree we see success in examination subjects, and what is perhaps even more pleasing, success in those subjects not tested by public examination —e.g., art, music, appreciation of literature, and handicrafts—but yet of supreme importance in fashioning the complete human being. More and more these schools are spreading in rural districts the culture that formerly was the privilege of the cities only. They afford to the" rural youth a splendid opportunity of sound physical development and close intellectual and moral supervision at one of the most impressionable and difficult periods in adolescent life. Further schemes are now in train to make the courses of instruction more closely adaptable to the needs of the district and the natural capacities of individual pupils. Special Classes. These classes, composed of children who are of a mentality too low to profit by education in an ordinary school class, and yet not so low as to be altogether ineducable, continue to function with enthusiasm, sympathy, and success. The aim of the classes is to develop a healthy body, and by means of special physical exercises and manual occupations, an adaptable mind. When to this is added some facility in reading and in the writing of letters, and in money calculations, the young persons should be able to fit into the society of their fellows much better than if they have been suffered to remain discouraged and defeated at the lower end of the school. It is very desirable that these classes be conducted in the same grounds as those for normal children in order to provide that stimulating recreational and social environment so essential to a complete education. In a few cases this has unfortunately not been found possible. An investigation recently made showed that a very much higher percentage of backward children who had passed through these classes was m or part time employment than was the case with similar children who had not had the benefit of specialclass training. In Wellington and Auckland after-care associations have been formed to deal with such pupils after their school course is over and with those other unfortunate children whose

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