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Show 2 REPORT OW THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAK AFFAIRS. - the primary grades. Every effort has been made to fulfill this pro-vision, because it is economically sound in principle and whenever effective must reduce the scholastic period and the consequent cost of it. There are, however, many instances where the lower grades are still in school only one-half of each day because funds were lack-ing to provide suitable classrooms and some additional teachers. But this initiatory expense would be insignificant as compared with the ' aggregate savin from fewer years of schooling to accomplish a given number o f grades. READINGCO URSE FOR TEAOHERS.-lTaw~~ w isely passed by the last Congress providing for the anting of educational leave to teachers in our service for a period o ? 30 days is very helpful and greatly ap-preciated. Su plementing this rovision, reading course work has been planned ?or teachers not onf y' to keep them progressive in peda-gogics, but to broaden their knowledge upon matters of public inter-est and general welfare, and in this direction standard works for reading circle discussion have been selected upon such subjects as ''American social problems," "The school as a social institution," and "Problems of American democracy." A further list of books was suggested from which employees were advised to urchase one or more for private use, and the plan contemplates that f efore the close of the year each instructor shall -w reware and submit a short thesis A on tlie Subject of study. Maiiy teachers are usin a part of their annual leave to lengthen their time at summer sc f 001s under educational leave of absence which, with their regular readin course work, will enable them to earn credits that will eventually%e sufficient to secure degrees, and can not fail to increase the teaching efficiency of our service. HOMEEO ONO~~IICASN D HOME BIJILDING.-Tis~ n~o~ s~ub ject of more importance to the Indian people than home making and home keep-ing. Therefore, as a step forward in Indian education a speciahst in home economics was employed to supervise all s,chool work per-taining to the betterment of Indian home life. During the year this supervisor visited more than 50 typical schoo!s and made a careful study of housing, food, clothing, and instruction. She also assisted in reorganizing the work and instruction of many schoo!s in home econoniics and ,gathered ? great fund of information which wlll be used in improving conditions another year. "Home building," was tlie special subject for study in all schools last year. The pupils of sufficient age submitted essays upon this sub-iect which verv generallv showed a studions interest and the result of good instructiin. " SUKVEOFY I NDIA~ CNI I T I O NIN OXLAROMA.-T~S~ta te legisla-ture of Oklahoma having appropriated fnuds for tlie expense of a survey of all schools in that State, invited the United States Bureau of Education to conduct tlie survey. In consideration of the large Indian population in Oklahoma, the Conlinissioner of Education re-quested representatives of the Indian Burean to particiapte in this work. Accordingly, Chief Supervisor Peairs and the snpervisors of the eastern and western districts of Oklahoma becpme membe'rs of this survey committee and spent nearly three weeks in compan with Dr. Thomas Jesse Jones, secretary of the Phelps-Stokes ~ouniation, and Miss Bertha Eckert, of the National Y. W. C..A., the other members of the corninittee, visiting and studying typlcal schools of |
