A.—3.

and the demonstration in manifold experience of what it demands in order that they may attain ease, confidence, and comfort in the new environment it weaves around them." The following are extracts from the Annual Report of the Education Officer (Mr. A. McKenzie) for the year ended 31st March, 1936 :— Schools, Attendances, &c. —There are eighteen schools maintained by the Administration in the Cook Group. The following table shows their distribution and roll numbers : —

The schools marked "* " are subsidized Mission schools. Number of boys on rolls, 1,347 ; number of girls, 1,102. In addition to the above, the Roman Catholics have six schools. Their location and roll numbers are : —

Thus 2,816 children are being educated throughout the Cook Group. The percentage of attendance in some schools was as high as 95, while that for the Group averaged 90. Teaching Staff. —The total teaching staff is seventy-one. There are twelve European teachers and fifty-nine Native. The Europeans are trained and fully qualified. The Natives are all uncertificated teachers. Eleven schools are managed entirely by Native teachers. Three have a European headmaster with Native assistants. Four have a European headmaster and one European assistant, while the rest of the staff is Native. One European assistant is in charge of the European section of the Avarua School. This section is in reality a Grade I School. Native Assistants.—These assistant teachers are bright, willing, and pleasant to work with. Although they have a good deal of natural ability, they lack initiative, due in part to the fact that none has been trained after the manner of a European teacher, and none has had the opportunity of seeing a fully-staffed European school in operation. The time is approaching when it would be an advantage to have a few college-trained Native teachers to form a nucleus in the Native staff. Training Native Teachers.—Native teachers are usually chosen from the brightest boys in a school. European teachers regard the training of Native teachers as one of their most important duties. Since there are no secondary schools here, and since, as shown above, the European staff is a skeleton one, it is difficult to attain a high academic standard. For this reason much of the time is spent in obtaining a grasp in the principles of class-teaching, in organization, and in the technique of teaching. Special attention is given to the drawing out of time-tables, schemes of work, work-books, and to keeping registers and all school records accurately. Demonstration and blackboard lessons are also given, and teachers are expected to put these into practice when they return to their classes. New Syllabus of Instruction.—This was put into practice for the first time during the year, and caused a great deal of interest among the Native teachers. The Syllabus of Instruction for Public Schools in the Cook Islands, issued in 1922, had served its purpose, and was replaced by a new syllabus more in keeping with modern educational views and practice. It has been framed to meet conditions that at present obtain, and, at the same time, is slightly in advance of immediate requirements. In

10

"SSL" j Rarotonga .. .. .. .. .. 4 1,005 Aitutaki .. .. .. .. .. 1 406 Mangaia .. .. .. .. .. 3 302 Atiu .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 189 Manke .. .. .. .. .. 1 68 Pukapuka .. .. .. .. .. 1 161 *Mitiaro .. .. .. .. . . 1 27 *Penrliyn .. . . .. . . .. 2 122 *Maniliiki . . .. .. . . . . 2 88 *Rakahanga .. . . .. .. .. 1 51 *Palmerston .. .. .. .. .. 1 30 18 2,449

Island. Roll. Group. Rarotonga .. .. . . . . 179 Mauke .. .. .. . . 52 Lower Group. Atiu .. . . .. .. . . 44 Lower Group. Mitiaro .. .. . . .. 23 Lower Group. Manihiki .. . . .. . . 25 Northern Group. Rakahanga .. . . . . . . 44 Northern Group. 367