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These are the immediate and pressing needs that must under any conditions be met. In so far as supplies of labour and materials permit, and without interfering with the meeting of the fundamental needs mentioned above, the Government will try to improve school buildings qualitatively by making provision for — (a) Gymnasiums and halls for post-primary schools and combined gymnasium-halls for large intermediate and primary schools. (6) Workshops and practical rooms for post-primary schools not already so equipped. (c) Laboratories and special rooms to enable the post-primary schools (including district high schools) to put the new post-primary curriculum into full effect. (d) Library rooms for all large schools, primary as well as post-primary. (e) A general-purpose room for every large primary school. Major building works in progress or completed during the year include : the new pathology block, Otago Medical School; Avondale Technical High School; Avondale Intermediate School; Southland Girls' High School; Wellington Girls' College (additions); Otahuhu Technical High School (workshops); Epsom Girls' Grammar School; Hutt Intermediate School; Hastings High School; Tauranga College ; Petone Technical School; Matamata Intermediate Department; Kaitaia District High School; Rawene District High School; Murchison District High School; Ha warden District High School; and Burwood Girls' Home Hostel, Christchurch. In addition to these major permanent buildings, large numbers of minor works were undertaken and temporary buildings erected. Finance The total expenditure on education, including revenue from reserves vested in post-primary schools and University colleges, was £3,316,992 for 1935-36. For 1945-46 the corresponding figure, including £29,447 expended from War Expenses Account, was £7,945,773. Pre-school Education The Government has increased the assistance to pre-school educational services in the following ways : (1) The basis of financial assistance was made more liberal. Special increases to enable salaries to be raised were given in 1943 and again in 1945. (2) In 1942 the Government began to pay allowances of £5O a year (plus £25 boardingallowance where necessary) to kindergarten trainees, who before that were unpaid. The rate of payment was raised to £7O as from June, 1944. In 1941 there were only 31 kindergarten teachers in training ; in 1945 there were 80, and in 1946 there will be 100. (3) The Education Department assisted in establishing a kindergarten at the Karitane Hospital in Dunedin, which serves the double purpose of training Plunket trainees in the management of the pre-school child and kindergarten trainees in the feeding and physical care of young children. (4) Two emergency all-day nursery schools were opened to cater for children whose mothers were engaged in work of national importance. (5) Dental and health services were extended to cover the pre-school child, and free apples and milk are given to children at free kindergartens. As recommended by the 1944 Education Conference, I set up in 1945 a Consultative Committee on Pre-school Services, representative of all the bodies working in this field. Their report is promised for August, 1946, and will doubtless assist the Government in determining its future policy on pre-school educational services. The Government anticipates considerable development of these services over the next few years.

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