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teaching and nursing professions and to the Government Service. In the years 1940-45, 82 Maori students entered the training colleges, and about 24 Maori girls have entered the nursing profession. There is, however, still a big gap between school and employment, more especially for our Maori boys. We have done much to increase opportunities for practical handicrafts, particularly woodwork, but this has not, to the extent expected, achieved the desired aim—that of encouraging them to enter the skilled trades. Too many Maori boys leave school for a listless life, with the inevitable drift to delinquency. Much of our effort is thereby lost. It is planned to have Vocational Guidance Officers who will establish contact with our Maori boys before they leave school, secure employment for them suited to their talent and wishes, and keep a watchful eye over them to preyent undesirable contacts and habits during the impressionable years. 6. SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS Last year I had the privilege, under instructions from the Right Hon. the Prime Minister, of accompanying the Director of Education, Dr. Beeby, and the Superintendent of Technical Education, Mr. Renyard, on a tour of the South Pacific Islands —Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, and Niue —to report to the Government on the present state of education in these islands and to submit suggestions as to steps necessary to bring about a higher standard. The trip provided a unique opportunity of making a complete survey of the varying systems of education in the different groups of islands, and thus of being able to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each. A report on the schools, together with recommendations, was submitted to Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Efforts to raise the general level .of teaching in the Islands must necessarily take several years to accomplish, but certain steps have already been taken with this aim in view. The Chief Samoan Inspector accompanied us on our visits to the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Niue. Thirty-four young islanders —27 from Samoa, 5 from the Cook Islands, and 2 from Niue have been brought to New Zealand for higher education. The headmistress of Malifa Girls' School (Samoa) came to New Zealand in the last term of 1945, and she was given the opportunity of observing a number of our best Native schools at work. Two younger Samoan teachers have been teaching as Junior Assistants in Native Schools in the Kaikohe area for the past two years, and it is anticipated that when they return home they will have a beneficial influence on their schools. Mr. W. Parsonage, who for the last four years has been an Inspector of Native Schools and who was previously in charge of education in Tonga, has been appointed Officer for Islands Education and will make the welfare of the education system in the South Pacific his special study. 7. BUILDINGS Last year we were able to increase our building programme, and the following new buildings were completed in 1945 : Te Iringa, new two-roomed school to replace the previous school destroyed by fire ; Ahipara, four new class-rooms ; Pakotai, two new class-rooms ; Wharekahika, new three-roomed school; Matata, new class-room and old school remodelled ; Rotokawa, additional class-room ; Tokaanu, new residence. I have, &c., T. A. Fletcher, Senior Inspector of Native Schools. The Minister of Education, Wellington.

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