E.—l,

form) with all the attendant activities of drawing, costing, ordering, and the like, and the girls will concentrate on housewifery. As much as possible of the theoretical work of the school will spring out of and centre around these practical activities. The Maoris of the East Coast have received the scheme with enthusiasm, and it is not at all improbable, if it is successful here, that it may be extended to other country districts, pakeha as well as Maori. Accrediting for entrance to the University is still the central topic of discussion in the secondary schools. The Senate has reaffirmed its intention to introduce a system of accrediting for schools on a selected list. The secondary schools are on the whole unfavourable to this, and would prefer the entrance qualification to be the School Certificate Examination followed by an extra year at school. Whatever be the outcome, it is certain that the post-primary schools must be freed from the cramping influence of the University Entrance Examination. One new technical school—Horowhenua College, at Levin—was opened during the year. The most interesting development in the technical schools was the inauguration, in conjunction with the Labour Department, of a scheme for training adult workers for industries, particularly for those most closely related to the war. Selected men are to be paid standard rates of pay while being trained intensively in technical schools for approximately three months in such trades as fitting, turning, and welding. This is important as a short-range war effort: its long-range effects on technical education and apprenticeship may be far-reaching. The first intermediate school was opened in 1922 :by the end of 1940 there were eight intermediate schools and eleven intermediate departments with 5,532 pupils on the roll, as against 4,339 for the previous year. It has been laid down quite definitely that the progressive establishment of intermediate schools is a part of the Government's educational policy, and that wherever practicable the independent type of school will be preferred to the department attached to either a primary or a post-primary school. It seems probable that, for the duration of the war at least, the establishment of new intermediate schools will be confined to those areas where new buildings of some sort, primary or intermediate, become essential. Even so, the demand is so great and the cost of a completely equipped intermediate school so high that during the war what might be termed skeleton intermediate schools will be put up, consisting of the ordinary class-rooms and offices, library, woodwork - room, and cookery - room. It is fully recognized that further facilities such as assembly hall, and rooms for sewing, metalwork, and crafts, are desirable for the full working of an intermediate school, and the proposed schools are being so planned as to allow of expansion when the building situation eases. Even in their incomplete form they will be far in advance of the primary schools they are replacing. A long-range school survey has been begun of all areas where intermediate schools might eventually be needed, in order to ensure that all building programmes undertaken are in conformity with the final plan. There were at the end of 1940 eight recognized Free Kindergarten Associations controlling 39 schools, with 1,810 pupils on the roll. The conditions under which Government grants can be earned were made a little more generous during the year, and the giving of further assistance, particularly for the training of staff is under consideration. There is a dearth of kindergarten trainees, due largely to the fact that they are not paid during the period of training, and it seems probable that, unless the work is to suffer, some practical encouragement may be necessary to make kindergarten training sufficiently attractive for the right kind of girl. A new experiment is being tried in Dunedin : the Department is to assist in establishing a kindergarten at the Karitane Hospital which is to serve the double purpose of training Plunket trainees in the management of the pre-school child, and the kindergarten trainees in the feeding and physical care of young children. This will tend to close the gap, of which authorities have always been conscious, between the work of the Plunket Society and that of the kindergartens. On Ist July, 1940, there were 1,749 primary pupils and 745 secondary pupils on the roll of the Correspondence School, a total of 2,494, as against 2,430 in the previous year.

1 Secondary sehools. I

1 i ? Technical , schools. y

i Intermediate , schools. 3

J. 3 Kindergartens. 1

5 Correspondence , School.

5