higher standards woodwork, cookery, laundry work, and dressmaking for girls. Classes in these subjects are managed on the central system and by special instructors. In the larger centers, manualtraining schools are provided, to which the classes come from the regular schools. In the smaller centers the training is given in rooms assigned for the purpose in one of the regular school buildings. Attention is called to the great interest manifested in instruction on subjects bearing upon home life. The want of properly trained teachers for the domestic subjects, noted in previous reports, has been nearly overcome as a result of the establishment of full courses in home science at the Otago University and the provision, by the Government, of special scholarship funds to students desiring to avail themselves of the opportunity.

In the rural districts there is noticeable increase in the number of schools providing instruction relating to rural occupations. In the case of 10 out of 13 education districts, this work is supervised by itinerant teachers having a special knowledge of agriculture. The course of instruction includes both experimental and observational work, and in some districts elementary dairy work. This movement is fostered by school committees, agricultural and rural associations, and members of the farming communities generally. In addition to several prizes offered for competition, contributions in money to the value of about $2,500 were made to education boards during the year. The Government doubles every such contribution. Practical instruction of the same general nature as that given in the elementary schools is extended to the secondary schools receiving Government grants.

The Government gives liberal support to classes and schools for special technical instruction, apportioning its bounty to the amount contributed locally for the same purpose.

In addition to the provision of centers for technical instruction, the colony has six completely organized technical colleges, including the Dunedin School of Art, which is maintained in the interests of industries requiring the work of artists as well as that of skilled

artisans.

New Zealand has been very active in promoting the education of the native population. For the year under review there were 107 native schools, in which 4,000 children of both sexes were instructed, and the ratio of average attendance to enrollment was maintained at 85.7 per cent. The attendance of native pupils at secondary and mission schools would raise to 5,182 the number of Maori children receiving the benefits of English education.

The policy of fostering secondary education by subsidies to private schools and by scholarship funds, enabling promising pupils of limited means to prolong their education, is continued. In 1913 there

were 30 secondary schools, with 4,592 nonpaying students in a total enrollment of 5,803. The following tables indicate the present scope of the system under Government supervision and its extension during the half decade, 1908-1913:

Comparison of the number of pupils in the several branches of education in the years 1908 and 1913, respectively.

Expenditure on education in New Zealand in 1908–9 and 1913–14.
[Figures given in every case to the nearest £1,000.]

Population (including Maoris, but excluding Cook and other Pacific
Islands)....

1,008,373 1,134,506

BRANCH OF EDUCATION.

A. (1) Primary (including native schools and training colleges)..
(2) Secondary (including secondary schools and secondary departments of
district high schools)..

(3) Continuation and technical..

59,000

(4) Higher education (including university and higher technical).

42,000

28,000

63,000

C. Special schools (deaf and blind and home for backward children).
D. Superannuation, medical inspection, and miscellaneous.

Total for A, B, C, D....
United States equivalent...

987,000

1,360,000

$4,796, 820 $6,609, 600

1 Exclusive of income from reserves.

According to information received from Dr. Mark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin Evening Star, one of the most notable events of the present year in New Zealand was the retirement on pension of Mr. George Hogben, who for many years filled the important post of inspector general of schools. In recognition of his invaluable services the Order of the Companionship of St. Michael and St. George was conferred upon him at the beginning of the year by the King of England. Among the reforms accomplished through the influence

and efforts of Mr. Hogben are noted the adoption of the liberal school of salaries for teachers, the establishment of the teachers' superannuation fund, more flexible grading and freedom of classification, increased provision for the training of teachers, extension of technical education, the adoption of free secondary education, provision for physical training and medical inspection of school children, and the introduction of a special rural course of instruction in the district high schools.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

EVENTS OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST.

CONTENTS.-Educational itineraries through States of South America-The Fourth International Conference on the Blind-Notable events at Oxford and Edinburgh-The Napier celebration.

ITINERARY FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES.

During the year an itinerary was arranged by the Pan American Division of the Association for International Conciliation, intended to promote closer intellectual relations between the United States and the States visited. The party, which was in charge of Dr. Harry Erwin Bard, director of the division, consisted of 11 men, all of whom had paid special attention to history and economics, and were familiar with the Spanish language. With three exceptions, they had, also, acquired appreciation of Spanish conditions by previous residence. either in South America, Spain, or among Spanish-speaking people in the United States, and thus were insured a cordial reception in the different States visited. It was everywhere recognized by the hosts in South America that the purpose in view could best be promoted by the study of educational and social institutions. Consequently, the visitors were shown all classes of schools from the most elementary to the highest, as well as asylums, hospitals, business houses, theaters, art museums, etc., in order that they might observe all characteristic agencies for the promotion either of knowledge or social welfare.

The itinerary occupied the time from May 30 to August 11, or 74 days, 44 of which were spent at sea. It extended from Rio de Janeiro, on the eastern coast of South America, to Santiago de Chile, on the west, and included every city of note on both coasts. On account of the many centers of interest visited, it has been impossible for members of the party to do more than record their general impressions. Everywhere they were struck with the fine buildings provided for schools and other public institutions, the equipments of the higher scientific schools, and the extensive plants for technical and agricultural instruction. In several cities their attention was called to provision for welfare activities which engage the efforts of local authorities as well as those of private philanthropy. Special mention is made in their reports of the Maternity Hospital de Climerio de Oliveira, at Bahia, Brazil, which is managed in close relation with the

medical school of that city; the Hotel for Immigrants, at Buenos Aires, which is under Government supervision, and the Hospital of San Salvador and the Providencia Home for Orphans, both at Santiago de Chile.

Although the main object of this carefully planned visit was kept in view, its economic bearings were not entirely overlooked. One member of the party had been specially charged to observe the conditions affecting trade relations with the United States, and their bearing upon courses of instruction in the high schools of this country. In a brief report on this subject he says:

The most important conclusion of our visit is the great value and importance of the study of Spanish in our high schools, and, as soon as possible, in our elementary schools. The 100,000,000 people of the United States will have more and more to do with the 80,000,000 people in Spanish America in business, science, arts, literature, and politics. The opening of the Panama Canal and the great European war have tended to bring the two great peoples much closer together. They are looking to us for credits in the financial world, manufactured articles, raw products, machinery, books, just as they have looked in the past for political examples.

They have been reaching out toward us much more than we toward them. They offer their high-school pupils English for three or more years in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. They send an increasingly larger percentage of their best students to continue their education in the United States. They everywhere teach more of the history and geography of the United States than we teach of Spanish America, so that the average Latin American is not so ignorant of the United States as we are of his country. What has been said of Spanish applies also to the study of Portuguese-the mother tongue of 20,000,000 Brazilians. * Along with this knowledge of Spanish there must

*

*

be training in geography, history, manners, customs, literature, and art of our Latin American brethren.

When a person knows these he will be in an appreciative and sympathetic attitude. He will then be muy simpatico.1

STUDENT ITINERARY IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Among the events of international importance which the outbreak of war in Europe caused to be indefinitely postponed was the fourth international congress of American students, called at Santiago, Chile, for the first week in September. For many reasons it seemed desirable that the delegation of young men from the United States to this congress should be selected with great care. The Commissioner of Education was accordingly asked to interest himself in the matter, and a fund for traveling expenses was subscribed by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and placed in his hands.

Of six selected candidates 2 five accepted the appointment and had started on their journey when news of the postponement of the con

1 Report made to the board of education of New York City by William T. Morrey, president of the highschool teachers' association.

The six delegates selected were as follows: Mr. Arthur C. Burch, of Northwestern University; Mr. Nemours II. Clement, of Tulane University of Louisiana; Mr. Joseph F. Gunster, of the Catholic University of America; Mr. John Heath, of Leland Stanford Junior University; Mr. Wendell E. Phillips, of Cornell University; Mr. Adelbert F. Smithers, of Columbia University.