E. —2.

Contributions to the local Agricultural and Pasture Show exhibits have been again encouraged, and the rural-school sections have usually displayed fine ranges in school forestry, root and vegetable exhibits, beekeeping, nature-study, and rural-science charts. Welbourn School won the Agricultural Society's Potato Shield. Awakino School won the Syme Forestry Shield with a very comprehensive display of native shrubs and plants. Bird Road School won the Henry Lane Dominion Challenge Shield for most awards in club competitions, &c. Mere Mere School: Ron Balsom won the Stuart Wilson Cup for the best club plot yield in the Dominion, and the Cuthbert and Tisch Shields for environment were won by Awakino and Mangamingi Schools respectively. Conveyance of Pupils. —Approximately 1,080 children were conveyed to school in Government buses or under private contract service. In addition, about 400 pupils were paid the prescribed conveyance allowance, so that approximately 13| per cent, of pupils attending school are now conveyed by motor-vehicles. During the year the policy of consolidation of schools where the parents so desired was proceeded with wherever circumstances indicated increased educational efficiency. School Library System. —During the year the Board co-operated with the Borough Council (Library Committee) and the local branch of the Teachers' Institute in organizing and establishing a Buffalo system of providing library books to country schools. Twenty-six schools came into the scheme, suitable boxes were made, and each school was provided with a number of library books corresponding to the enrolment of the pupils. A total of 2,226 suitable library books have been purchased to date, and these are issued on loan and changed each term. The capital cost was provided by the New Plymouth Borough Council (£5O), Taranaki County (£25), Waitara Borough (£l5), New Plymouth Library Committee (£25), New Plymouth Savings-bank (£2O), Schools Festival Societies (£116), and Education Board and School Committees (£75). The cost of distribution is undertaken by the New Plymouth Library Committee, to whom the Board extends its thanks. School Committees. —The Board was pleased to note that you have under review legislation affecting the election of School Committees, and trust you will find it possible during the current year to so amend the regulations that Committees can be given a little more latitude in their expenditure. I think that the School Committees generally appreciate that an Education Board is quite unbaised by affairs outside the administration of the Education Act and is honestly endeavouring to concern itself solely with the welfare of the children throughout the district as a whole. There have been occasions when certain Committees have thought that by clamorous agitation they might push their wants before the needs of others ; but these cases are rare and due to exceptional times and circumstances.

WANGANUI. (Chairman, Mr. E. F. Hemingway.) Efficiency of the Schools.—The report of the Inspectors on the year's work is attached hereto. It is pleasing to have their assurance that the general efficiency of the schools has not decreased as a result of the greater freedom permitted by the abolition of the Proficiency Examination. The report indicates that teachers are moving with caution and that few have modified their school courses or methods to any striking degree. The Board would suggest that the system of grading teachers is probably one of the main, if not the main, contributing factor responsible for this slow progress. Many teachers hesitate to adopt new methods lest they prove a failure and lest such should count against them in grading. Educational reforms, however, are seldom spectacular, and the slowness of their maturity is in itself a safeguard against hasty and ill-conceived experiments. With a view to assisting country schools, the Board adopted a recommendation by the Senior Inspector that teachers and senior pupils of those schools be afforded an opportunity to see the work done in the larger centres in art and crafts. The headmasters of selected schools in Wanganui, Palmerston North, and Marton heartily co-operated in the scheme and arranged attractive displays of this work, and also arranged demonstrations of speech-training, verse-speaking, music, physical drill, and percussion-band work. A large number of country schools visited the centres, and teachers and pupils gained valuable knowledge and inspiration. The scheme proved an unqualified success. Training of Teachers. —Three refresher courses were held during the year —two in Wanganui and one in Taihape. The first Wanganui course was held on 4th and sth March, and was conducted by two members of the staff of the Wellington Training College—Miss Hanham and Mr. Hipkins —the subjects being art, handwork, and crafts. The second course was held on 28th October, the subjects of choral speaking and music being taken by Miss E. A. Stevens and Mr. A. 0. Edwards respectively, members of the staff of the Wanganui Intermediate School. The Taihape course on sth August covered the same subjects as the two Wanganui courses, the lecturers being Miss F. A. Stevens and Messrs. A. C. Barnes and A. 0. Edwards, all members of the intermediate staff. School Committees.— Prior to the biennial election of School Committees the Board reviewed a number of school boundaries, mainly in districts where schools had been closed, and after consultation with Committees concerned made alterations enabling residents in such districts to take part in elections at the consolidated schools.

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