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of the parents and the enthusiasm of the staff. That a high standard of work is being maintained is proved by the progress that the pupils make when they leave the Correspondence School to attend a public school or a secondary school. The school endeavours, as far as possible, to keep in touch with former pupils, advising and guiding them when necessary. Of the twenty-two pupils of Standard. VI who sat for examination in December, twenty gained proficiency and the remaining two competency certificates. It is regrettable that many of these children are unable to continue their education owing to their distance from a secondary school and the expense involved in sending them to board in town. Physical Education . The value of physical education, as a preventive of disease and as a means of a perfect all-round physical improvement, leading to increased efficiency, is more fully realized than ever before. Since the inception of the present scheme in 1913, the physical condition of the children of our schools has improved to such an extent that the more obvious curable and preventible physical deficiencies have almost disappeared.. There remains, however, much still to be done, especially in the prevention of the development of the less-obvious defects leading to serious loss of efficiency as the child develops into adult life. The prevalence of these deficiencies, arising as they do from remote causes, calls for concerted action between all the societies and institutions dealing with the welfare of young children. Corrective classes are being established in increasing numbers, and it is hoped that the application of suitable treatment will still further increase the number of the physically efficient. For the normal child interesting movements, games, dances, and eurhythmies supply a motive for active exercises, and there is evidence that what may be called a " physical fitness conscience " is being widely cultivated. Swimming and life-saving are now compulsory subjects in the training colleges, and these important arts are taught and practised wherever facilities exist. During the year a refresher course for instructors was held in Dunedin under Dr. Renfrew White, an eminent specialist in orthopcedics. The instructors received great benefit from the training received there, and entered their new year's work with widened vision and fresh enthusiasm. The students in. the four training colleges were trained by the instructors, who, in addition to this work, visited during the year over four thousand schools. Manual Instruction. Staffing. —On the 30th June, .1.927, there was in the employ of the various Education Boards a total of 119 full-time specialist teachers engaged in giving instruction to senior pupils in woodwork, metalwork, and domestic subjects, besides twenty-two specialist instructors in elementary agriculture. These teachers were classified as under. Class VII is the highest, and in Division I are placed those teachers whose classification is based on academic or professional qualifications equivalent to at least a University diploma involving three years' preparation of University standard.

Full-time Classified Teachers in Manual-training Classes as at 30tii June, 1927.

-Division I. Division II. Class. Men. Totals. Women. Men. Women. VII .. VI .. V .. IV .. Ill .. II .. I .. 1 3 8 4 1 i 6 9 5 16 15 I! 2 1C) 5 8 6 10 8 3 11 27 30 25 20 ■■28 Totals .. 16 16 20 65 40 141