E.—s.

The central and the senior schools would be unsuitable in New Zealand unless our free-place system were abolished and admission to secondary schools confined to the winners of scholarships or special places —a change which I think few would advocate. After careful consideration of all the reorganizations I have seen abroad, I am of the opinion that our New Zealand intermediate-school system is sound educationally and well suited to our conditions. Unlike -other systems, it aims at discovering at a reasonably early age (13 to 14), and before a pupil enters upon his course, the kind of post-primary education, secondary or technical, for which he shows natural aptitude. It is what its name implies, " intermediate " between the primary and the postprimary school. It should not be permitted to become an end in itself. For this reason the course should not extend beyond two years, except for those children who do not intend to enter a secondary or a day technical school. The period of observation might possibly be shortened to one year in the case of those pupils whose aptitudes and inclinations are clearly displayed within that time. The advantages of the new school system are so great that reorganization should be carried out wherever possible in New Zealand in accordance with the intermediate-school regulations. When an intermediate school or department is established ample provision should be made in the matter of rooms for art and handicrafts, science, woodwork, and domestic subjects. A hall should be provided for assembly purposes and for physical exercises, especially for girls. Wherever possible each school should have the Woodwork Instructors and the Domestic Science Instructresses full-time on its own staff to secure full recognition of the subjects they take as integral parts of the courses given, and to promote proper co-ordination in the teaching —e.g., among the teachers of woodwork, arithmetic, drawing, and handicrafts for boys, and the teachers of domestic subjects, science, needlework, art, and handicrafts for girls. CENTRAL SCHOOLS. Although there are " central " schools in Scotland and in some of the Australian States, the term is usually applied to the type of school that was established in London in 1911. There are now eightyfour such schools in London, with an enrolment of about 30,000 pupils. In October, 1933, the London Association of Head Teachers of Central Schools published a pamphlet in which they said that, inter alia— (1) In 1.910 the London education authority established a new type of school known as the central school, the term " central " having reference to the fact that the pupils were selected from surrounding primary schools. (2) The pupils are selected at the age of eleven by the head teachers of the central schools in consultations with the head teachers of the contributory schools, the result list of the Junior County Scholarship Examination being used as the basis of selection. Thus, the London central-school pupils are boys and girls who have been carefully chosen on the ground of their ability and general fitness to profit by the courses provided. (3) The function of central schools is to provide at least a four-years course of post-primary education for these selected children. As defined by the Education Committee of the London County Council, their objective " is to prepare boys and girls for immediate employment on leaving school, and the instruction should be such that children should be prepared to go into business houses and workshops at the completion of the course without any special training." The training given in them is cultural and a preparation for life generally, but, at the same time, it enables pupils, when they leave school, to adapt themselves to meet the requirements of modern industry and commerce. In attempting to free post-primary education from the academic curriculum, central schools have made an important contribution to the development of educational practice and organization. (4) In order to achieve their purpose, central schools have been organized in London as selective central schools with — (a) A commercial bias : (b) A technical bias : (c) Both a commercial and a technical bias. (5) The age of admission, eleven years, is too early an age at which to determine the nature of the occupation to which pupils should devote their lives. Accordingly, the education for the first two years is on broad general lines, and it is not until the close of the second year that a decision is taken as to whether a pupil is to be placed for the remainder of the course on the commercial or the technical side. In making this decision consideration is given to the special aptitudes of the pupils, their own wishes, and the demands of industry and commerce. (6) At the age of 13 those pupils who desire to do so may compete for a Junior County Supplementary Scholarship tenable at a secondary school, or for a Trade Scholarship tenable at a junior technical institution or a trade school. (7) Preparation for external examinations has played a comparatively small part in the work of central schools. (8) The general education provided for all pupils includes English, a foreign language (usually French, though in some schools German and Spanish are taught), history, geography, mathematics, practical science, art, handicraft, needlework, and domestic science, music, physical exercises, and religious knowledge. (9) Schools with a technical bias stress, especially in the later years, the practical subjects. In schools with, a commercial bias shorthand and book-keeping are introduced in the third year, and in the fourth and fifth years commercial practice and typewriting are usually included. (10) Exhaustive internal examinations are conducted each year of the central-school course. Careful records are kept, and regular reports are made on the work and progress of the pupils. These, as well as specimens of work, are available for inspection by employers when pupils are seeking

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