APRIL 20.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 1159

but otherwise suitable games are of more importance at this stage than merely formal drill.

The teaching of arithmetic in the Preparatory Division should be largely incidental, especially in P1, to the occupations and games. In P2 the composition of the numbers up to 20 should be known, and the children should be taught to perform mentally and orally every kind of operation with these numbers that is within the mental powers of children of their age and development, and similarly to apply the power thus acquired to concrete examples.

The aim of the instruction in handwork and drawing at this stage should be to awaken and develop the faculty of observation, to train children to use hands and eyes in harmony, freely and correctly at will, and express graphically in suitable media the appearance (form and colour) of easily understood objects. Incidentally, the work should lead up to the work of the Junior Division. The exercises should include the representation of very simple familiar objects, both natural and fashioned, in mass and on a large scale, with coloured crayons and chalk; the free expression through illustrative and imaginative drawing of ideas formed in other lessons, particularly in nature lessons; modelling in clay or plasticine, and other forms of hand and eye training founded on sound educational principles; elementary pattern-making; drawing lines of given length with rulers. Outline should be taught through mass, and the brush and pencil should not be introduced until reasonable skill in handling crayons and chalk has been acquired by the pupils. Small objects are in general to be avoided.

For the program recommended in singing and the general principles to be observed in the course, teachers are referred to “Further Directions” under clause XVI, and the Appendix.

JUNIOR DIVISION.

2. The following shall be the subjects of instruction as defined below in the Junior Division in all schools: (1) English, (2) arithmetic, (3) drawing and handwork, (4) nature-study, (5) moral instruction and health, (6) singing, (7) physical exercises.

Needlework shall also be taken where possible by all girls of the Junior Division, and may be taken by boys.

(1.) English.

Reading.—Two or more books, of which one may be the School Journal and one at least shall be a continuous reader. Where the Junior Division is subdivided into two classes, S1 and S2, at least one of the readers used in S2 shall contain more difficult matter than is required in S1.

Composition.—Oral formation of simple sentences of a more advanced type than in the Preparatory Division; answering orally questions upon the most striking parts of the subject-matter of the reading-lesson, and upon such common objects and occurrences as would be observed by children of seven to nine years of age at home, at school, on the way from home to school, or elsewhere; the oral reproduction of easy stories told by the teacher, and the giving of continuous simple accounts or descriptions of common objects or occurrences referred to above. Easy “observation-talks,” and “picture-talks,” and conversations on various places and people, the map or globe being used to show the position of places. Purity of speech as to form and as to sound should be encouraged, and common errors corrected as they occur. In S2 there may be written composition, consisting of easy sentences upon simple subjects already dealt with in oral composition, and upon other familiar subjects, and of the completion of sentences given in an incomplete form.

Writing.—Transcription of short easy sentences, beginning with a capital, from script or (in S2) from print. Writing with a pen need not be required, nor should precise accuracy of form be insisted upon so long as neatness and legibility are secured.

Spelling.—Based chiefly on word-building, but including also other words in common use. The word-building should consist of such combinations of consonant and vowel sounds as are most commonly represented in words of one syllable, and in easy words of two or three syllables, and of simple derivatives therefrom. The sound-values of the various letters should be taught, but formal drill in phonetics, if used at all, should be used only sparingly.

Recitation.—Not less than 120 lines of suitable standard poetry, a syllabus of the work done being given to the Inspector.

(2.) Arithmetic.

First Year (S1).—The numbers from 1 to 100. Each number should be taught by concrete examples, and the composition and grouping should