E—3

As vacancies could not be filled by the appointment of certificated teachers, a number •of uncertificated teachers were employed as relieving teachers, and this in part accounts for the large number of those teachers. In addition to the number of teachers given in the above table, there were 32 probationary assistants and 92 junior assistants. The decrease in the number of junior assistants compared with the figure for 1948 (114) is due to the fact that a number of junior assistants were admitted to training college in September, 1949, under the emergency scheme and it was not possible to replace them so late in the year. From the following table it will be noted that there is a steady increase in the number of students admitted to the various teachers' training colleges :

Maori Schools' Quota for Training Colleges

* Still in training college. I again wish to thank the Auckland, Hawke's Bay, and Wanganui Education Boards for inviting an Inspector of Maori Schools to sit on the Training College Selection Board when applicants for entry to training colleges under the Maori schools' quota were being interviewed. This year we were again able to place students of the Maori schools' quota at Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and Ardmore Teachers' Colleges. 2. Primary Education It is pleasing to report that the schools enjoyed an uninterrupted year, free from any serious epidemics. This gave teachers their first real opportunity of making the changes suggested in the new syllabuses issued during the previous year. To assist teachers, several meetings were held ; and of particular value was the visit of Mr. James Hemming, Research Officer to the English Association for Education in Citizenship. Mr. Hemming's addresses on the social education of the child and the place of the school in the community were most stimulating. Another valuable innovation was the Staff School, held at Wallis House, Lower Hutt. Both Inspectors and selected head teachers derived great professional benefit from the lectures and discussions, and particularly from the fact that for a week the members of the school lived together as a community. The year was also notable for the Pacific Science Congress, which met in Auckland and Christchurch. The Inspectors of Maori Schools took the opportunity of attending some of the anthropological and ethnological lectures and discussed common problems with several of the visiting experts.

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Number Admitted Number Number Year. to Training Completing Still Engaged College. the Course. in Teaching. 1940 4 4 2 1941 9 9 7 1942 18 16 12 1943 16 12 9 1944 20 17 13 1945 21 17 14 1946 29 24 24 1947 .. 32 28 28 1948 37 31 31 1949 .. 44 38* 38* Total 230 196 178