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Recommendations. 1. The position of the Boards of Advice in educational administration should be considered. They should be either abolished or given increased duties in connection with purely business matters, such as those relating to buildings, maintenance allowance, attendance, &c. I consider that a Board or Committee for each school would be preferable to the present district system. The Committee should not be allowed to interfere in the expert work of the Department as performed by Inspectors and teachers. 2. The state of our existing buildings, and the conditions to be fulfilled by future buildings, should be seriously considered. («.) A departmental Committee, consisting of the Director of Education, the Chief Inspector of Schools, representative members of the architect staff of the Public Works Department, and a representative expert from the Public Health Department, should draw up in detail the conditions to be enforced in all future school buildings. (6.) To remedy gradually the serious defects of lighting and ventilation in existing schools a sum of £5,000 should be set apart, to be expended under the personal direction of the Director in conjunction with an officer of the Public Works Department detailed for the purpose. 3. In future all school grounds in the country should be of at least 3 acres in extent. The play-ing-spaces for town schools should be increased in size wherever practicable. If necessary, Shire Councils should be asked to grant land under sections 239 and 650 of " The Local Government Act, 1903," or Boards of Advice requested to raise subscriptions for the same object. 4. Teachers' residences of much better type should be built in future, and no residence should form part of the schoolhouse. Teachers should be encouraged to make permanent homes at their schools. 5. The vote for buildings and their maintenance should in future be allocated on business lines. A percentage on the valuation of wooden, brick, and stone .buildings, respectively, should be allowed for maintenance, instead of the present haphazard system. In connection with the matter of providing and maintaining school buildings the question of placing the buildings in charge of the municipal bodies should be considered. 6. A schedule of approved works and of school supplies over and above absolute necessaries should be drawn up, and a grant should be provided to supplement local subscriptions by £1 for £1. The recent experience of local interest in Arbor Day shows what may be done when public 'opinion and interest are organized. 7. All future supplies of desks should be " dual desks " of the pattern in use in New Zealand. Where galleries are removed, the infant-desk and backed seat used in the Otago District should be used. 8. An amendment of the Education Act so far as relates to the compulsory clause is urgent. The New Zealand law is far superior to that of Victoria. The age of compulsion should be from six to fourteen years. This is the limit in England, New South Wales, and Western Australia. 9. The problem of co-ordinating into a national system the recognised grades of education —primary, secondary, continuation or higher primary, technical, and University—should be taken in hand, and the powers of the Education Department should be enlarged so as to allow of State-supervised continuation and secondary schools. The report of the Mosely Commission should be studied in this connection. The New Zealand system of district high schools should be established. These and evening continuation classes in centres where they are required would be a substantial gain at present. I have, &c, Frank Tate, The Hon. the Minister of Public Instruction. Director of Education.

I have read this report. If this Government had not to pay £82,360 for pensions in connection with the Education Department it could provide everything recommended by Mr. Tate. Thos. Bent, Premier. 15th August, 1904. Approximate Coat of Paper. —Preparation, not given; printing (3,750 copies), £13 lis.

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