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some degree, being done in practically every school in the Dominion. Special attention has been paid to the teaching of swimming, with gratifying results. An interesting experiment has been begun at one centre in which physical education from early childhood to adulthood has been co-ordinated and developed with considerable success under the direction of an Assistant Organizer. The district selected is fortunate in having a community centre, a large post-primary school, and several large and a number of neighbouring small primary schools. The working of this experiment will be followed with interest. Safety Instruction.—Until 1943 the assistance given to teachers has lacked purposeful co-ordination and adequate coverage. In some districts, automobile associations and local bodies have helped a great deal, while in others, nothing of this nature has been done. The Transport Department, in collaboration with the Education Department, has worked out a scheme to cover the whole of New Zealand. Four Road Traffic Instructors of Schools, officers of the Transport Department, have been stationed at the four main centres to organize and supervise the work in all schools, public and private. Officers of automobile associations and of local bodies will continue to assist, bat the officers of the Transport Department, as well as participating in the instruction, will have general oversight. In each education district a committee, comprising the Chairman and the Secretary of the Board, the senior Inspector of Schools, and the Road Traffic Instructor of the area will examine and certify for fitness all persons nominated to assist teachers and to give instruction in the schools. Courses of instruction for both primary and post-primary schools have been drawn up and approved, and the work generally put on a sound, systematic basis. The Road Traffic Instructors will, through their Department, report periodically on the work to the Education Boards. Fine work has been accomplished in recent years by teachers and voluntary helpers, and further progress is noted. Children are acquiring a real road sense, and the number of accidents affecting child pedestrians and cyclists shows a marked decline. To quote from the report of one of the experienced Instructors of the Transport Department: " Primaryschool pupils in general display a keen interest in the subject, and it seems that their questions indicate a much more serious approach to the subject than was noticed a few years ago." Safety-first instruction in the schools also includes teaching on dangers arising from careless use or handling of matches, and fires, electrical appliances and broken wires, detonators, and even unexploded projectiles. The brief summary of this important phase of school work will give an indication of how civic training in the schools must be brought into line with the conditions of modern life. I have, &c., G. E. Overton, Chief Inspector of Primary Schools. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION (Mr. F. C. RENYARD), AND EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE SENIOR INSPECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1943 Sir, — I have the honour to present my report and extracts from the report of the Senior Inspector of Secondary Schools for the year 1943. Technical and Combined Schools Inspectorial Staff. —In October Mr. H. B. Tomlinson, M.A., Inspector of Technical Schools, retired from the service on superannuation. His position remained vacant during the remainder of the year, but steps will be taken to make a new appointment early in 1944. School Rolls and Staffing.—During the year significant increases in day-school rolls were reported from almost all schools ; in some cases heavy increases were reported, and no school suffered a decrease. These increases were due not only to a larger intake from primary schools, but also to longer retention of pupils for the completion of courses started in previous years.. This change is a significant one, and if continued in future years will tend to remove one of the most deplorable weaknesses of technical education—that of too early abandonment of courses started, with consequent great loss to individuals and to schools. Evening-school Classes.—Technical classes, which had dropped continuously during the war years until 1942, showed a general improvement during 1943, although they did not by any means reach the pre-war level. These numbers were swelled in many places by enrolments of Service men and women attending ordinary classes, and by enrolments in classes specially arranged on their behalf by the Army Education and Welfare Service. Some complaint was made on account of irregular attendance of students enrolled and of the early collapse of classes owing to withdrawals due to causes doubtless beyond the students' control, whereby time and effort were wasted and increased strain placed upon administrative and teaching staffs. It is recognized, however, that some disorganization was to be expected and was indeed nevitable in war conditions. Staffs. —School staffs were maintained during the year by calling upon persons who had left the profession and others who in normal times would not have been regarded as adequately trained. Some relief was afforded towards the end of the year by the return of a few teachers from the Services, and schools were glad to welcome back members of their staffs who, in many cases, had seen active service. Technical schools generally, however, are short of trained teachers of science, mathematics, engineering, and woodwork, as men with qualifications in these subjects are eagerly sought by the Services, and cannot easily be replaced from the remaining body of men available for all civilian purposes. These teachers form the backbone of technical-school staffs, and schools have had a difficult task in trying to carry on without them. It may be mentioned here that during part of 1943 the Auckland Technical School had seventeen male and one female teacher away with the Armed Forces or in industrial undertakings directly related to the war, most of them being teachers of science, mathematics, and technology. It is hardly to be hoped that the standard of teaching has been fully maintained, but efforts have been made to lessen the severity of the impact upon the schools by spreading the remaining teaching-power available more thinly over a wider field. The process cannot, however, be continued indefinitely, and there is clear evidence that unless the pressure is relieved some deterioration in standards cannot be avoided.

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