E—2

1948 NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION: PRIMARY AND POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION [In continuation of E.-2 of 1947]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Note. —Some of the tables have been omitted because the information or part of it can be obtained elsewhere. These tables are as follows, and the tables to which reference can be made are also given: Table A s—see Table E 2 in E.-l for median ages ; Table A 9—see Table 0 1 in E.-l ; Table A 14— see Table E oin E.-l ; Table B 2—see Table E 6in E.-l ; Table D 2—see Table E 3in E.-l; Table D 4—see Table N in E.-l ; Table E 2—see Table D in E.-l ; Table J 2—see Table E 5 in E.-l. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS (Mr. D. G. BALL) FOR THE YEAR 1947 Sir, — I have the honour to present my report on the primary schools for the year ended 31st December, 1947 : Standards op Work The Inspectors and the senior teachers in the service are the guardians of standards of taste, industry, and scholarship in the schools. Evidence of good standards is the ability of children to apply themselves to a task in hand, to maintain a deep interest in what they are doing, and at an elementary level to examine critically new experiences. These are the qualities necessary for citizens of a democracy. At the same time, it is essential that a constant check be kept on the level of achievement in our schools. The Inspectors report that good work is being done. It is important in considering the work of the schools to bear in mind that education to-day differs in many ways from that of a quarter of a century ago. Two of the outstanding differences may be mentioned here. First, with our better knowledge of child growth and psychology, the emphasis to-day is on the full development of the child and not, as it was in earlier years, mainly on subject-matter. In order that the child may be active, help himself, and work with others, teaching methods have become varied. To-day the curriculum and methods of the primary school are based on the child's natural line of development and permit the exercise of all the child's powers —physical, mental, emotional, and social. At one time the curriculum was restricted in the main to " tool" subjects such as arithmetic, reading, English, spelling, and writing. To-day it is much broader and includes physical education, health education, social studies, art and crafts, music, and naturestudy. Because the curriculum is wide, and because it is not possible to increase teaching time, the original subjects have been revised and the content confined to essentials.