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REPORTS (EXTRACTS) OF EDUCATION BOARDS. AUCKLAND. (Chairman, Mr. T. U. Wells.) School Accommodation. —The Board appreciates the difficulties experienced by the Government in providing, from its limited funds, grants for urgently needed school accommodation, and with a view to assisting in the matter has, from its own funds, made contributions towards the cost of new building works, including remodelling of schools. The Board desires to point out, however, that there are still many cases where proper school accommodation is needed, and urges that, when funds permit, attention be given to the question of replacing unsuitable privately owned buildings, such as halls, &c. Remodelling of many schools is also necessary, particularly in cases where two teachers are obliged to work in the one room. Teachers' Residences. —The Board hopes that in future it will be possible for the Government to make grants for a larger number of teachers' residences. The problem of providing suitable accommodation for married teachers is still a common one in many rural districts, and although it is recognized that school accommodation must take precedence, the Board trusts that funds will be available for the provision of residences in a number of urgent cases. District High Schools.—During the year a district high school was opened at Kawakawa, making a total of twenty-seven such schools under'the Board's jurisdiction. The Board recognizes that the district high schools are of great value in affording to country children facilities for secondary education. The Inspectors' reports and the results of public examinations show that the instruction in district high schools compares favourably with that in secondary schools. Intermediate Schools.—The reports of the Inspectors continue to show the value of the work carried out in the intermediate schools in this education district, and confirm the opinion of the Board that the system should be extended to other centres when possible. Wireless Broadcasts to Schools. —Arrangements were continued during the year for the wireless broadcasting of lessons to schools. At the beginning of the year 98 public schools and 5,083 children listened in to the broadcasts. During the year the numbers increased to 162 schools and 8,410 children. In addition, a number of private schools availed themselves of the service. Refresher Courses.—As the training college was closed during 1934, the opportunity was taken to utilize the services of lecturers to conduct refresher courses at various centres in the subjects of physical instruction, art, handwork, and junior school method. The courses were of great value to the large number of teachers who availed themselves of the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest methods in those subjects as demonstrated at the courses. TARANAKI. (Chairman, Mr. J. A. Valentine.) Agriculture.—By request of the Board, the Senior Instructor in Agriculture, in co-operation with the agricultural instructional staff, prepared a pamphlet containing suggestions on the courses in agriculture and nature study for the use and guidance of teachers. This book is proving very helpful. Physical Education.—Refresher classes for teachers were held in several centres (the Instructors being Mr. Reid, of the Auckland Training College, and his associates) with the object of giving teachers an opportunity to attend demonstrations of methods of dealing in a scientific manner with the fundamental principles of physical education " The Growing Body." Teachers' Residences. —Some years ago movable baches to provide sleeping-quarters only for single male teachers were supplied to several outlying schools. But the Board now finds that owing to the congestion in the ranks of the more highly graded teachers, our young teachers in schools of Grade I and Grade II cannot obtain promotion. Nevertheless they marry and they live in these movable baches, which were never intended for the use of married teachers. For example, at Mangatupoto, Purangi, Whareorino, married teachers —in some cases with a family—are living, cooking, eating, and sleeping in these one-roomed baches. The conditions are altogether unsuitable for decent, refined people. My Board has devised a cheap, movable residence of three rooms with bath and laundry facilities which will meet these cases. In other rural areas there are Grade II and 111 schools without residences or accommodation of any description for the teachers. Hence, it would appear that there is need for the adoption by the Department of a definite policy with regard to the supply of teachers' residences in rural areas, just as residences in such areas are supplied for the use of the police, of railway employees, and of postal officers. WANGANUI. (Chairman, Mr. E. F. Hemingway.) School Environment. —No report of this Board would be complete without a reference to this matter. I was able to pay visits of inspection to a number of schools representative of the various portions of our large district, and in every case there was ample evidence of the continued practical interest taken by teachers and Committees in the environment of their schools. The work carried out during the year can safely be classed as excellent. As the years progress, there is an increasing

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