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Students for Better Living: All students in the elementary schools are given tips on social life and are shown around so that they may become familiar with different walks of life and so become prepared to face the realities of life and to choose the vocation they are most suited for at the appropriate age. New Basic Schools: During the fourth year of the Plan the Ministry of Education opened fifty basic schools in various provinces to prepare the children for secondary education. Village Schools: Where the population is scattered and it is not possible to run and maintain an elementary school, the Ministry has managed to keep education flowing by a network of village schools. During the fourth year of the Plan 108 village schools were opened. Graduates of such schools are able to join the fourth grades in elementary schools in more populated areas. Adult Education: To fight against illiteracy is one of the main objects of the Ministry of Education. Scores of adult education courses are run all over the country and the attendants are shown films and given a special magazine entitled "Read and Understand It." Ten thousand of these magazines are distributed and the demand is growing because of the 38 extra courses which were added during the fourth year of the Plan. Secondary Education: Secondary education made a number of considerable strides during the fourth year of the Plan, the most conspicuous of which was the transformation of a large number of elementary schools into secondary schools. The result achieved was so great that 130 per cent. more schools were transformed than originally intended. Two boarding schools were opened in Mazarisharif and Badakhshan provinces each accepting between 30 and 40 The First Deputy Premier, Mr. Ali Mohammed (front row) taking part in one of the conferences on Teachers' Day. graduates of village schools from the local areas. Change in the Programmes: The Ministry of Education made a number of changes in the text-books used in girls' high schools for biology with a view to furnishing them with more information on the practical aspects of the human organism. In order to meet the shortage of teachers for girls' schools steps were taken to employ the graduates of each particular school as teachers there and to provide them with more information on the subject-matter through courses taught by more experienced teachers. The employment of women in office work necessitated some thorough instruction in typing, accounting, and decorations which was taken care of by the Ministry through a number of courses in two girls' schools. To acquaint teachers in various boys' and girls' schools in the capital with laboratory work, the Ministry arranged a number of courses on practical physics where they could learn numerous modern methods of measurement and up-to-date scientific calculations during their vacations. Also, in order to meet the shortage of science teachers in the provinces the Ministry made arrangements with 11