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Further meetings with representatives of the Maori Schools' Committee were held during the year, and the following matters were discussed : reading material, scholarships, refresher courses, regulations for Maori schools, school supplies, reports, &c. Again the Inspectors of Maori Schools met the Auckland Education Board Instructors of Agriculture to discuss problems connected with nature-study and agriculture teaching and club work in Maori schools. The special grant for club work in Maori schools was increased to £5OO to further the calf and lamb club movement and to foster agricultural and horticultural clubs. The special grant for this work has been of great value, and club work is now on a firmer basis thaxi formerly. The supply of materials and equipment improved generally, but some fines, particularly stationery items and towelling, were still difficult to obtain. Shipping difficulties also contributed to the non-supply of some items which could be obtained only from overseas sources. In accordance with Cabinet approval, the vote for Maori schoolsfor books, materials and requisites, and general expenses of schools was increased to £20,110. The main reasons for this increase were — (1) The need for a greater quantity and variety of visual and practical teaching equipment, and for a greater range of apparatus of an individual nature, which is essential for the Maori children. (2) Because of the restricted nature of home environment —e.g., lack of books, radios, and normal home equipment —these deficiencies were compensated by a supply to the schools of library books. (3) It was necessary to restock the schools with valuable teaching materials which had not been supplied for many years owing to the war conditions. Difficulty was experienced in obtaining supplies of maps and infant apparatus owing to the non-availability of supplies and the impossibility of obtaining anybody willing to make the infant apparatus. Certain materials and equipment which were previously covered by special items and grants, but which have now been included in the increased capitation grant to public schools, were provided from the increased vote. Supplementary readers were again available and, as only one issue had been made during the past two years, approximately 130 titles were distributed this year. During the year several teachers from Samoa, Niue, and the Cook Islands were placed in selected Maori schools to observe and practise teaching methods. These teachers are brought to New Zealand for a six-months' period and are under the supervision of the Officer for Islands Education. Several exchange teachers from Great Britain were also given the opportunity of paying brief visits to some of the Maori schools. A manual-training centre was established at the Whakarewarewa Maori School, Rotorua, and we were fortunate in securing the full-time services as instructors of Mrs. D. du P. Herbinson and Mr. A. J. Wark. Satisfactory transport was arranged for the pupils from the neighbouring schools. There is good reason to be pleased with the first year's work of the centre, and to expect steady progress in the future. The announcement during the year that a new series of infant readers had been selected was enthusiastically received by infant-teachers in the Maori schools. The language problem, particularly during the first few years of the Maori child's school life, is still our greatest problem, and it is felt that the new series of readers, with the limited selected vocabulary, will be of great assistance in helping overcome this basic problem.

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