El.—2.

Supervisor of Physical Education has now been advertised, and as soon as the position is filled steps will be taken to define the curriculum more explicitly and to arrange for the necessary refresher courses. Of all physical activities the greatest progress has . been made in swimming and life-saving. Schools were enjoined to make a concentrated effort to raise the number of qualified swimmers, with the result that in some districts the numbers so qualifying were a record. But facilities for the teaching of swimming or for swimming under supervision are in far too many cases lacking, and this in spite of the fact that deaths by drowning almost equal those on the highway, and that facilities for reaching swimming, and therefore possible drowning, spots are rapidly increasing. The lack of school baths or freely accessible municipal baths is forcing children inadequately trained or wholly untrained to take this pleasant and health-promoting form of pastime in imperfectly supervised places. Concentration is necessary on this problem with something like the intensity with which the problem of safety on the highway has been dealt, where regulations providing for certificates of fitness of both car and driver have been supplemented by the provision of roads so constructed as to reduce the possibility of accidents to a minimum. To encourage the provision of facilities in school-grounds the Department recently agreed to pay half the cost of materials up to a maximum of £200, and last year made a grant to the New Zealand Swimming Association which, supplemented from the Association's own resources, enabled some of the most expert swimmers in New Zealand to give their services in the interests of the school-children. I have, &c., Jas. W. Mclleaith, Chief Inspector of Primary Schools. The Director of Education, Wellington.

2. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Sir,— I have the honour to present the report for the year 1938 :• — Staff. The staff was at full strength during the year. Miss Hetherington resumed, duty after an instructive and profitable period spent in observing schools abroad. Mr. Tomlinson continued as Acting-Inspector. Routine Work. The work of inspection was able to proceed smoothly, not being subject to the hindrances experienced in the preceding year. During the earlier part of the year full inspections were made of twenty' secondary and combined schools, and at various times during the year seventeen registered private secondary schools were also inspected and reported on. The secondary departments of twentyeight district high schools in the Canterbury, Otago, and Southland Education Districts and the secondary branch of the Correspondence School were also visited. During the second half of the year visits were paid to all secondary and combined schools in connection with the award of Higher Leaving Certificates and the annual classification of assistant teachers. Only one teacher lodged an appeal against his classification, his appeal being subsequently disallowed by the Appeal Board. School Rolls and Staffing. The numbers of departmental secondary and combined schools remained at thirty-nine and seven respectively. The rolls of these on Ist March amounted in the aggregate to 19,511 ; this is easily the highest number of secondary pupils recorded in New Zealand, and shows a distinct advance on the figures for 1937 (18,513) and for 1936 (18,960). In spite of the general increase in rolls, however, five secondary schools and one combined school fell in grade owing to diminished attendances. The number of pupils residing in the school hostels rose from 1,475 to 1,699, a number which is almost as high as that reached in the pre-depression days of 1929. It may be pointed out in this connection that the recently instituted system of boarding-allowances of 7s. 6d. per week to children living in remote districts has been of immense benefit to parents and the allowance has undoubtedly helped to swell the rolls of the school hostels. During 1938 boarding-allowances were paid to as many as 1,873 children attending secondary and combined schools. Many of these, of course, boarded with friends or in private establishments and not at the school hostels. During the year St. Patrick's High School, Timaru, was added to the list of registered private secondary schools, which now number fifty-four. Their aggregate roll on Ist March was 4,908 as compared with 4,797 in March of the previous year. Public Examinations. For the first time in thirty-five years the Department's Intermediate Examination was not held last year. Originally the main purpose of this examination had been to determine the fitness, or worthiness, of a junior-free-place holder to benefit by a senior course in post-primary education.

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