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Broadcast Lessons for Schools. The system of broadcasting to schools has been further developed during the year, very good programmes having been broadcast weekly from all the national stations. The lessons are on an increasingly wide range of topics, and deal with subjects not ordinarily on the regular time-table, or with aspects of subjects with which teachers are not usually familiar. No attempt is made to supplant the teacher ; the object rather is to present another point of view, to encourage original thought, and to keep teachers informed of the most modern developments in the teaching of such subjects as music and literature. An inquiry just conducted by the League of Nations' Committee of Intellectual Co-operation shows that the system of broadcasting is becoming an integral part of the school-system in the most diverse regions of the world, and that, so far from this invasion of the school by machinery having a mechanizing effect, the result is stimulating and inspiring. For two reasons development here is slower than could be wished. In the first place, relatively few of our schools are equipped with receivers, but the number is rapidly increasing, and the Department hopes to make arrangements whereby radio sets can be secured at a minimum cost; and, in the second place, there is a dearth of speakers who possess the requisite knowledge in conjunction with the necessary skill in presenting this knowledge in an attractive form to young and invisible listeners. Each of these causes is in a sense dependent on the other. We hope after a certain stage has been reached to accelerate development by being able to offer more inducement to qualified speakers. Exchange of Teachers. During the year one secondary and ten primary teachers went on exchange to England (4), Canada (2), Natal (1), New South Wales (2), and Queensland (2). It is by no means possible to send abroad all who desire to go, since the number is limited to the number of outside teachers who have been nominated by their authorities for exchange with our teachers and accepted by the Department. The system is working well, and those who have recently returned have been much enriched and inspired by their experience. It is only right to put on record that the authorities overseas have been most ungrudging in the manner in which they have given our teachers the opportunities of experiencing the social and educational life of their countries. I have, &c., Jas. W. Mcllraith, The Director of Education, Wellington. Chief Inspector of Primary Schools.
2. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Slß,— I have the honour to present the report for the year 1934. Staff. During the year Mr. J. B. Mawson, M.A., resigned from the Inspectorate to assume - the Principalship of St. Andrew's College, Christehuroh. Mr. Mawson had rendered excellent service during the six and a half years he was a Secondary School Inspector, and his work, I feel sure, was much appreciated by the teachers. After his departure in August, Mr. H. B. Tomlinson, M.A., Principal of the Wairarapa High School, was employed as a temporary Inspector for a period of over two months ; Mr. Tomlinson's assistance with the grading of teachers and the recommendation of senior-free-place pupils was very effective, and enabled the year's work to be completed quite satisfactorily. The vacancy on the staff was filled in December by the appointment of Mr. J. E. Learning, M.A., Senior Assistant on the staff of the Rotorua High School. Mr. Learning took up his duties in the following February. Consequent upon the temporary closing of the Auckland Training College the Department was able to utilize the services of Dr. H. B. Wallace, Lecturer in Method (Foreign Languages) at the college, by attaching him for the year to the Secondary Inspectorate as an Advisory Inspector in French in the various types of post-primary schools. Dr. Wallace visited, during the course of the year, most of the high schools and district high schools in the North Island as well as some of the principal technical high schools. He discussed methods, schemes, and programmes with the teachers, and gave demonstration lessons where opportune ; his visits were particularly valuable to teachers in the more remote schools, who often work in an atmosphere uncongenial to literary or linguistic studies, but in all schools his discussion and contributions to method were stimulating, even if sometimes provocative. His assistance was much appreciated. Routine Work. In the earlier part of the year sixteen secondary and combined schools were fully inspected, as well as the secondary departments of the twenty-eight district high schools in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. In addition, twenty-three registered private secondary schools were inspected and reported on at various times during the year. In the second half of the year visits were paid to all the departmental secondary and combined schools in connection with the annual classification of assistant teachers and the award of senior free places and higher leaving certificates.
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