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A.-3

36

" The change from the village teachers for handicraft to full-term probationers has resulted in a great advance in the quality of the work, especially at Tufukia, where basket-making is not a village occupation as it is at Hakupu. The girls employed are maintaining better discipline and showing greater interest in their work than the casual instructress, and are better able to correlate the work in drawing with the making of baskets. " The sewing teachers are directly under the charge of the wife of the headmaster, who closely supervises the work at both Tufukia and Hakupu. Progress is necessarily slow if it is to be thoroughly done, but good work is being done, and next year should find a good advance in the elements of needlework. " Agriculture.—Owing to the scarcity of soil on Niue in general and at Tufukia in particular, this is a most difficult subject to obtain useful results. At Hakupu a small section of land has been planted with different varieties of bananas, while another section has been devoted to growing cotton. Both crops are showing up well, and, as the children are keeping records, much useful information should be gained. "At Tufukia little can be done except with a view to improving the environment. A section of land has been made available for the use of the school at some little distance from the school. This is being cleared with a view to growing bananas, taro, and fa. The latter for use at the school for basket-making and other Native handicraft. This land should be ready for planting next year. " The general school subjects are all progressing well. Regular progressive lessons on health and hygiene have been given, and next year it is intended, with the co-operation of the medical Officer, to give special lessons to the staff on this most important branch of school work. " During the year books on English, arithmetic, reading, and spelling have been written specially to meet local requirements, and with their assistance there should be no difficulty in carrying on the work continuously while I am away. " The past three year's work on Niue has been full of interest and instruction for myself as well as the children. With the knowledge gained it is intended to draft out a new syllabus of instruction suitable for our special needs. More consideration will be given to handicraft and teaching in the vernacular, as being of more practical value than aiming at any advanced standard of English and arithmetic. " The assistance given and consideration shown by the Resident Commissioner to the school and staff in past years has been again extended to us and is fully appreciated by all."

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