E.—2

1884. NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In Continuation of E.-2, 1883.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

The Organizing Inspector to the Inspector-General of Schools. Sir,— Wellington, 31st March, 1884. In accordance with the terms of your general instructions, I have the honour to send in my report on the Native schools of New Zealand for the year 1883-84. Seventy-two schools have been in operation during the year —viz., fifty-six village, two halftime, eight subsidized, and six boarding schools. The boarding schools are not under the direct control of the department; they are connected with religious denominations, and are in receipt of capitation grants from the Government. The teachers of subsidized schools are employed by the Natives, the Government granting a subsidy of limited amount practically, the teachers receive only this Government subsidy. The schools are, generally, either experimental schools, undergoing a probation before being raised to the rank of village schools, or they are village schools at which the attendance has fallen below the limit fixed by the Native Schools Code. State of Matters generally At the close of the year sixty-nine schools were in full working order • of these, forty deserve to be called good, twenty-four are fairly efficient, and five are languishing and generally unsatisfactory' Of the nineteen village schools established since the Education Department took charge, sixteen are in a flourishing condition. Of the other three, one has been suffering from the effects of a very bad fever epidemic, which carried off no less than twelve of the school children. I suppose there is no European school in the colony that would not be temporarily emptied by such a calamity The school is now recovering, and bids fair to do well. The attendance at the second school was brought very low by a total failure of the crops in the district. The children have now returned to the district, and the school began the year well. In the third case a misunderstanding between the Natives and the teacher caused a temporary collapse. The difficulty has been got over by the appointment of a new master. It remains to be seen whether the change will be permanently beneficial. In spite of the constant drawbacks to Native education, such as Native ignorance ai I neglect of sanitary laws, and the consequent frequency of epidemic fevers of a bad type—Native improvidence, and consequent remittent starvation in certain districts—Native proneness to believe the statements of persons, either Maoris or pakehas, who, through self-interest or mere wantonness, endeavour to persuade them to put no trust in. the good faith of the efforts made by the Government to benefit them—Native want of home control or parental discipline—in spite of the frequent succession of Land Courts, attended as they unfortunately are by abuses that appear to be incapable of being removed, although they seem to be in process of being mitigated to some extent—in spite of publichouses and bush grog-shops, at which Maoris are encouraged, or are at any rate allowed, to get as drunk as may be, and to continue so as long as they have any money and which so often make the Natives willing captives and spoil them utterly — in spite of the facility with which Natives are allowed to become hopelessly indebted to the utmost extent that their land claims are likely to satisfy at some time or another, and so are made to lose heart and hope for themselves and their children—in spite of all these drawbacks and difficulties, fairly satisfactory results are being obtained, and I think that it may be said that, on the whole, the efforts of the Eesident Magistrates, of Native school teachers, of clergymen, and of philanthropic Europeans generally are in many districts overcoming, to some small extent at all events, the bad influences that tend to keep the Maoris down and to lead to their extermination. In those districts, though, where there are few or none of these counteracting beneficial influences the Maoris are slowly but very surely dying out. Schools opened, reopened, or closed. During the year new schools have been opened at Huria, near Tauranga, at Te Wairoa, in the same district, and at Waioeka, near Opotiki: these schools have all begun work under favourable circumstances, and are likely to succeed. The legal difficulties in the way of securing a site at Waimamaku, near the South Head of Hokianga Harbour, have not yet been surmounted. Neither I— B. 2.

E.-—2

has it yet been found possible to secure a site at Tangitiroria, a settlement far up the Northern Wairoa, and once noted for its mission-stations, Catholic and Wesleyan. A school is much needed and would be successful at each of these two places. The Poroti School was reopened as an experiment but the Natives of the district appear not to have been sufficiently intelligent to value the opportunity a second time afforded them of getting their children educated, and the school had to be closed again very shortly after the reopening. The school at Omaramutu, eight miles from Opotiki, had been closed for several years because the Natives had nearly all removed to Opotiki. Last year they returned to their old settlement, which has now a large Native population. Under the circumstances the request of the Natives that the school should be reopened has been complied with. If the people have not been too much demoralized by their long residence in town, they will undoubtedly be able to maintain a very good school at Omararnutu. Te Ngaere had to be closed, the Natives there were altogether too apathetic to make it worth while to keep the school going. This is to be regretted, seeing that there is a very large Native population in the district, and that the children will now have to grow up illiterate. The last master would, I think, have made the school successful if it had been possible. The Natives living near Waiotahi all removed to another district this of course proved fatal to the subsidized school there. Tokomaru affords another instance of apathy on the part of some of the Natives with regard to their children's future. Extensive repairs and alterations were urgently required here, and the Government, in accordance with a salutary rule now always' acted upon, refused to incur the needful expenditure unless the Natives would give a perfect title to the site on which the improved buildings were to stand. This they would not do. As the school was unsatisfactory in other respects, it was decided to close it. It is to be hoped that wiser counsels will prevail here eventually, and that the Natives will make up their minds to give the required title—a very small matter- to them. This is one of the districts where there should be a very strong school, and no doubt there will be one by-and-by, when the Natives have learned by experience that through the want of one they are being quite left behind by their more enlightened' brethren in other parts of New Zealand. The experiments made at Tolago Bay did not succeed. A petition, signed by nearly every one in the district, Maori or European, had been sent to the Government, asking that a young half-caste who had been educated at Napier should be appointed mistress of the school. It was thought that, though a regular village school could not be maintained at Tolago, a subsidized school might answer the purpose. A trial was made accordingly but the thing broke down. The school work was done satisfactorily enough, but difficulties arose that rendered advisable the closing of the school. New Schools and New Buildings required. The people of IJmuhika, a permanent Maori village some seven miles from Matata and eight from Te Teko, ask for a school. They offer a suitable site, and it seems likely that if a -small school were established there a very fair attendance could be secured. Petitions from schools had been sent in from Kenana, Takahue, Parapara, and Kaikinikini, all in the Mangonui District: it was not considered advisable to grant a school in any one of these cases, but Takahue is to be provided for ,by the removal of the Kaitaia School to a position further up the valley. The Natives of Tikitiki, a settlement on the left bank of the Waiapu, near the East Cape, have asked for a school. There is a very good one about three miles away but, seeing that there is a broad and dangerous river between, it and Tikitiki, I think that it would be well to accept the offered site and to build, as the population of the district is quite large enough to keep two very good schools going. The negotiations with regard to school sites at Te Oreore and Papawai, in the Wairarapa District, have 'not yet come to' an end. Persons that have never had anything 4d do with acquiring land from Native joint-owners can have little idea of the troubles and difficulties that have to "be-surmounted before such a presumably simple matter as the acquisition of a title to a school site of two or three acres can be accomplished, unless indeed the land is held entirely by the old Native tenure — then the thing is simple enough. Difficulties of this kind are now preventing the establishment of a school at Te Waotu. Arekatera, a leading chief of the district, is very anxious to give a site, and the Government would gladly found a school on it, but Arekatera is joint owner with his children, and it is hard to see how the thing is to be managed. The difficulty here is very similar to that which has hitherto prevented the establishment of a school at Waimamaku, in the Hokianga District, referred to in previous reports, A petition has been sent in for a school at Te Ahuahu, near Waimate, Bay of Islands. It seems probable that a fairly good school could bo maintained there. The Natives of Tuparoa, on the East Coast, are very anxious to have a school in their district there is certainly sufficient population at Tuparoa, Eeporua, Earnoto, and Taumata-o-mihi to furnish a good attendance at one of these places. Perhaps Tuparoa is as good a position for a school for the. district as any of the other places named , at all events a school is to he erected there as soon as a site can be secured. It may be advantageous to state here the principles that regulate the choice of a school site in a district that is considered suitable for the establishment of a Native school: — (a.) The site must be near (say within half a mile of) some large Native settlement, the children of which would be expected to form the bach-bone, of the school, and supply attendants in bad weather, &c. (b.) It is desirable, but not indispensable, that t ore should be wood and water on the site. (c.) The soil must be of good, or, at the worst, of fair, quality, and one-fourth of it at least must be suitable for a garden. the site should have a northern aspect. (d.) The site must not include, or be very near, a wahi, tapu. : (c.) It must be accessible in all weathers,' and safe from floods. (/.) A part of the site should be sufficiently level for a playground, suitable for cricket, &c.

2

3

E.—2,

... (g.) .It is desirable that the site should be between the kaainga to which it.belongs and the next largest settlement in the district. (h.) In remote districts the Natives should be prepared to give four or five acres of land; it would not necessarily be all good, but two acre's, at least, must answer the description given in (c). Schools in Full Operation ■The schools are dealt with in groups, geographical position being taken as the basis of classification. Irian gonui. District Superintendent, Mr. H. W t . Bishop, E.M. In this district there are now only seven schools, Te Ngaere having been closed. Te Kao, Parengarenga Harbour.— This school is not very far from the North Cape, and is farther north than any other school in the colony. The Natives hero have always shown a proper desire to have their children educated : when, for a time, they were unable to get Government assistance they took the matter in hand themselves. Nov/ that they have suitable buildings and a good teacher their interest continues unabated. The results obtained so far are satisfactory. At the inspection forty-three children were present: they made a very fine appearance; they were all remarkably clean and neatly dressed, and their answering was good. Ahipara. —This school did better at the last examination than it had ever done before. Thirtyfive children were present at inspection, and the results wore fairly satisfactory. It seemed as if the troubles from which Ahipara had suffered were over, and that it was.going to do its-work in peace; but it was not to be so. A bad fever epidemic broke out, on account of which the school had to be closed for a considerable period at the end of the year, and now it appears that difficulties have sprung up similar in character to those that formerly hindered the success of the school. On the whole, it w:ould.seem that the state of matters here is very unsatisfactory, and that no good will be done in. the district until, on the one hand, the bad sanitary conditions that appear to make Ahipara a hotbed for the production and propagation of fever-germs, have been ascertained and remedied, and, on the other, until some of the European residents have ceased to make teacherbaiting, their standard amusement, or have removed to some other district. In connection with the matter,of sickness amongst the Maoris, it may be rnentiqned that difficulty is often experienced in Native school districts, with regard to the dispensing of medicines that the Native Department is .always willing to supply liberally, when they seem to be required. It often happens, that no professional aid is procurable in cases of sickness amongst the Natives, without very great delay, and expense that they really cannot afford to .incur. In such cases few will.be prepared to deny that a teacher might relieve much suffering, and sometimes: prevent, deafh, if ho would undertake to give out to the Natives, as they appeared to need them, doses of castor-oil, a few, drops of chlorodyne, a little sulphur-ointment, or a few grains of quinine.. Very little medical knowledge would be required in order to qualify a teacher to give these things in safe doses and at the right time. Generally Native school .teachers are .very willing to do their best in this matter, and many of them have thereby acquired the. affection and esteem of the Natives, who, like other people, readily discern and appreciate earnest efforts to help .them and do them good. In some cases, however, the teachers are so evidently unwilling to be troubled, out of school hours, with the Natives and their concerns, that, the Natives in turn become indifferent about the school and its concerns, and withdraw such help as they might otherwise give to the master. This matter of dispensing medicines is one about which the Natives are most sensitive, and, if they see no outward and visible sign of the master's caring whether they live or die, so long as he is not troubled with their ailments, it is hardly to be wondered at if they get to care nothing at all about the welfare of the school in which the master does take an interest. I think the instruction given to me to report particularly, for the Minister's -information, on all cases in which teachers show unwillingness, or plead incapacity, to undertake this duty, has not been given too soon. It ought to be stated, however, that the duty is not always a very pleasant one. The Natives do give groat trouble at times about this matter, and it is conceivable that they might .consider a,teacher responsible for any accident that might occur through their own neglect in administering medicines given them for their children, j Xi the same time there is no difficulty in the matter that could not easily be overcome with ordinary prudence and commonsense. Puliepoto.— This is generally one of our largest schools . there were, however,.only twenty-four present at inspection, a detachment of seventeen children had gone off to the North Cape gumdigging some five weeks before. , The children examined did well on the whole. The master of this school may be considered as one of the first and most energetic promoters of Native education by means of village schools; he has done b& n.uch, perhaps, as any teacher in the colony to prove the utility and to insure the success of such schools. Kaitaia. —-The school at Kaitaia has been languishing for several years, mainly through the unsuitability of its position. The,children that can attend regularly always.do remarkably well, and show that much care and pains have been taken with them; but the attendance has always been small. The school is now being removed to Pamapuria—a much better location. Three settlements should now contribute their quota to the school, and it will probably be the largest in the district. Eifteen children were present at inspection. ... , Aiuanui. —This school had hardly recovered from the disorganization resulting from a change of teachers, and it was not yet in a very satisfactory condition. Mr. Broughton, the former master, had been very popular with the Natives, and, consequently, his successor would require time to make good his position. There had been a considerable falling-off in the attendance, and only eighteen were present at inspection. This falling-off, however, had boon caused by the failure of the kumara crop through two floods that had come down the Victoria Valley since the beginning of the year; there was little food in the district, and the children had been compelled to go gum-digging in order to live. The master is an experienced teacher, and no doubt a few months will set-matters, right here.

E.—2.

Peria.— Thirty-seven children were present at the inspection of this school. The results, obtained were not quite as high as they had been the two previous years. This was owing to the fact that the school was just in the midst of one of those difficulties that occur from time to time in Native schools when most of the senior children have passed the higher standards, and a large proportion of the juniors have just completed the period at which they are called upon to go up for the Eirst Standard. There has, however, been no falling-off in the general character of the work. This school has suffered a great loss during the year through the death of Hemi Kahoe, late Chairman of the Committee, who took great pride in the Peria School, and worked hard to promote its SUCC'GSS Te Moari, Kaeo.—This school continues to be successful. Eorty-six children were present at inspection : the majority of these answered well at the examination, the short time that the school has been in operation being considered. The master of this school works with a will, and, being, what one rarely meets, " a born teacher," he never fails to make a good show at examination time. " Aptness to teach " is to the master of a primary school a far more valuable possession than the most accurate and extensive scholarship could be to him if he did not possess this aptness. On the whole the results of the year's work in Mr Bishop's district can hardly be considered as more than fairly encouraging; but there is reason to hope for better things next year. Bay of Islands District Superintendent, Mr J H. Greenway In this district there are five schools. Mangakahia.—'Fifteen children were present at the inspection of this school. Mangakahia is in a very isolated position, and is not suitable to any teacher that has not been used to a bush life. In fact the country is so rough and difficult of access from every side that the mere living here is, in the winter-time, in itself a hardship to a town man, to say nothing of his wife and family. The teacher that was here last year has accordingly been removed to a less secluded district, while another, who has no objection to being in the wilds, has taken his place. I think the change will prove satisfactory to both teachers. The falling-off in the attendance here is only temporary.; it is owing to failure of crops and long-continued sickness. Paihia. —This is a small subsidized school, only nine children were present at the inspection. The arrangement under which this school is subsidized appears to work well. A capitation grant is made on the average attendance, up to the number 15, the minimum attendance required for a village school. As soon as this number is reached the school becomes ipso facto a village school. If the average sinks, the capitation is again reverted'to. Besides the stimulus thus brought to bear on the teacher through the character of the grant, there is the advantage that both teacher and Natives are urged to do their best to bring the attendance up to the number required to restore their school to its original standing. In this particular case, however, no such stimulus is required : the mistress takes great interest in her work, and produces very fair results. Waikare.— This school has also had to be reduced to the rank of a subsidized school. The Natives here are very apathetic, or they might keep up a fair attendance. They have now a new teacher, it is to be hoped that they will do more for him than they did for the lady they had previously At the last inspection ten children were present. With comparatively little trouble twice or three times that number might be got to attend. Ohaeawai.— Fifteen children were present at inspection. The Natives here do not take much interest in school matters. This is rather surprising, seeing that the chief is a well-informed and well-meaning Native, and that he has very considerable influence with his people. Perhaps it is owing to the proximity of a publichouse, which nearly always has a bad effect on a Native school, even when it is fairly well conducted, as this one happens to be. Any way, the teacher is-not to blame for the small attendance. I feel sure that she does her very best for the children under her care, and that she is a skilful and energetic teacher The examination results were very satisfactory. 'Kaikohe.— Although inspection-day was very wet, fifty-eight children were present when the school opened. This is one of the schools that appear to me to satisfy all the requirements of the department most completely There is really nothing in its management to find fault with, and there are many points connected with it that deserve special commendation. The very high percentage of 82-45 was obtained, and thirty-five complete passes were secured. If all Native schools were like this there would indeed be reason to feel hopeful about the future of the Maori ' A few words of explanation may be advantageously given here with regard to the columns in Table No. 3 headed " Percentage obtained at Examination." In the examination schedules there is a column for " Marks obtainable." In this column a figure (3, 4, 5, or 6) is inserted opposite the name of each child that has attended at least half the number of times the school has been open during the previous six months. This figure represents the number of subjects in which the child must show sufficient knowledge in order to pass its standard. The total of these figures is then ascertained. , ~, . ~ In the column headed "Marks obtained" there is set down, as each pupils examination is finished, a figure corresponding to the number of subjects in which he has passed. Opposite the the name of °any absentee, whose absence is found on inquiry to be owing to causes over which the master has no control, is set a figure corresponding as nearly as may be to the average number of marks obtained by the children of the same class who are present, but below that number rather than above it. The'total of marks obtained is then ascertained. This number, multiplied by 100 and divided by the "marks obtainable," of course represents the percentage obtained at the examination. . I think that this method of obtaining percentages, though open to some objection on the ground that it is rather troublesome, and that it is, slightly, too favourable to a school that has an irregular attendance—seeing that there is a probability that the children absent on the examination-

4

E.—2

5

day are among the more irregular attendants generally, and consequently more backward than the average of the class-marks would indicate —gives a far better idea of the efficiency of a school than do any of the methods ordinarily employed. Under this system all scholars qualified by attendance are " presented " for examination, and the master is entirely freed from liability to the imputation of having "weeded out" his worst scholars in order to obtain a high percentage. In fact the main advantage of the system is that the results of the examination of the school as it stands at examination-time cannot in any way be modified by the action of the master It should be borne in mind that, though this percentage gives an excellent idea of the amount of good that is being done at a school, it is no certain criterion of the capability or industry of its teacher. Only a good master can get a high percentage, but an excellent master may get a poor percentage through causes beyond his control, such as irregularity of attendance through an epidemic, famine, or continued rough weather Perhaps it would be safe to say that the capabilities of a master as an instructor and educationist may best be judged by inspection , that the examination shows the absolute amount of work actually done, and that the percentage number affords the best available means of determining what amount of progress has been made during a year by a school as a whole. The results obtained in the schools of the Bay of Islands District differ very widely amongst themselves the difference between the feeble languishing affair at Waikare and the successful vigorous school at Kaikohe is immense. It is to be hoped that the Natives in the districts where the schools are so far below the mark will exert themselves .more in the future, and so avoid the reproach, that will be sure to fall upon them before very long if they do not mend their ways, that they have been foolish enough to allow their own children to fall behind the Native children of other districts through laziness and neglect. Ilokianga. Mr. S. Yon Stunner, E.M., District Superintendent. In this district there are now ten schools. Pakia.— This is a subsidized school. Twenty-six children were present at inspection. , The examination results were very moderate, but the school had only recently been reopened after being closed for a long period most of the children, too, are very young. There should be manifest improvement at the next examination. Whakarapa. —Thirty-three children were present at inspection. As the school had been opened only about four months, but small examination results could be expected. The master has had no previous experience in this kind of work, but he will speedily become a good class-teacher Good results may be expected here in a short time. I was sorry to see that the new buildings here had suffered considerable wear and tear during the short time they had been occupied , the muddy state of the tracks leading to the school would account for this to some extent, but it -should hardly make some of the rooms look shabbier than those of schools that have been occupied ten or twelve times as long. This school appears to have suffered greatly at the end of the year through famine, consequent upon a long-continued feast held to celebrate the opening of the new Native church. Mangamuka. —Thirty-eight children at inspection. Good work was done by the First-Standard children, and also by those at the top of the school. The middle standards were almost unrepresented. The pupils at this school just now are old scholars from Eakau Para who are well advanced, and comparative beginners belonging to the Mangamuka district. The condition of this school was on the whole quite satisfactory Whirinaki. —Twenty-nine present at inspection. Whirinaki is now recovering its old form; judging from the inspection and the examination, I should say that this is going to be a fine school by-and-by. The master is energetic, and is gradually making good his footing amongst the Natives. This is a well-populated district. The Maoris did not elect a Committee last year. Irregularities of this kind are annoying, but they have to be put up with. The teacher should endeavour to prevent the recurrence of this omission. Omanaia. —This school is doing excellent service. For what may perhaps be called all-round industry the master is hardly to be excelled , his work outside of the school is referred to below The school work showed considerable improvement, which is likely to be progressive, both the percentage and the number of passes were much higher than they were last year. Thirty-six children were present at inspection. Motukaraka. —Thirty-one present at inspection. Both the percentage and the number of passes were somewhat lower than they were the previous year, the results, however, were very respectable, seeing that the passes obtained for high standards were numerous. Owing to the nature of the ground, and the necessity of making the teacher fairly comfortable, this has been rather an expensive school I think, however, that full value is received for money expended here. Waitapu. —Waitapu was again well up to the mark in nearly every respect, although the district had suffered much from a fever epidemic that had been fatal in some cases. There seemed to be reason to fear that the Natives had become panic-stricken by this fever, and that they would entirely desert the districts around Waitapu. There has been some improvement, however, although the place is not yet healthy Of course, if the attendance continued low, it would be necessary to remove the teacher to another school. This would be a matter for regret, seeing that master and school are well suited to each other, and that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get another teacher who w-ould be likely to conduct the school successfully Twenty-one children were present at inspection. Upper Waihou. —Scarcity of food had compelled many of the Natives to leave the_ district temporarily, and take their children with them. There were, therefore, only twenty-six children at the inspection. The difficulty has been quite got over, and there is now a large attendance at the school. The examination was most-satisfactory, and a very high percentage was obtained.

R—2.

6

Whangape. —Fifty-three were present. I was much pleased with the condition of this school. Its prospects are highly encouraging. The Natives were even more enthusiastic about their school than they were at my first visit. Then it offered to them only prospective and uncertain advantages ; now they see that it is really a great benefit to their district. A very gratifying change in the manners of the children was plainly perceptible, while their attainments were much higher than I had ventured to expect. This schoolalready deserves to be ranked with the best Native schools in many respects : if the future progress of the children sliould be equal to what it has been in the past, Whangape will, in three years' time, be equal in all respects to those at Peria and Te Wairoa, and even to the best of the South Island schools. lam sorry to hear, however, that fever has been very prevalent in the district for some months past, and that the school is suffering on that account. Waima. —Forty-nine children at inspection. Good schools are plentiful in this district, and Waima has one of the best of these. The school is far better than the schoolroom. This is said to be built on some American principle . the w r alls are without studs. Ido not like the principle ;it seems to favour the free admission of wind and rain. The Natives would probably be prepared to give a reasonable price for this old building; if so, it would be very advisable to erect a new schoolhouse. Eemarkably good work is being done here ■ improvement in children and in parents is plainly discernible. The good influences of the school are felt all over the Waima Valley It is pleasing to note that the Natives fully recognize the benefits they are thus deriving. A large number of Natives were present during the examination ; most of them took great interest in the proceedings, and were evidently highly gratified, as the work went on, to find that their school was likely to do more than hold its own amongst the other good schools in the district. It will bo seen from the foregoing sketches that nearly all the Hokianga schools are doing good, and some of them excellent, work. There can be no doubt that at present Hokianga has the best group of Native schools in the North Island. Whangarei. In the Whangarei District there is now only one Native school. Mr. James S. Clendon, E.M., is the District Superintendent. Ngunguru. —Fourteen children were inspected. The mistress of this school had been at work but a short time when I visited it. It appeared to be reviving somewhat. There is no reason why there should not be a good school here, though it could hardly be a large one. The teacher appeared to be a favourite with both Maoris and Europeans. Auckland, Viaikato, and Thames. Mr. G. T. Wilkinson, Native Agent, Auckland, is Superintendent of the district, which contains six village schools and two of the boarding schools subsidized by the Government. Matakohe. —Eighteen children were present. The inspection v;:,z very satisfactory. I was much pleased with everything connected with the carrying-on of the work of the school. The master evidently does his best to get his pupils on, and it is to be regretted that he has not a more favourable field to labour in. Where he is, his efforts are, to a large extent, wasted. There had been serious disagreements amongst the Natives, and they had also been troubled with one of those prophets and doctors that crop up from time to time in Maori settlements, and set everything awry, including the school. Large numbers of Natives from surrounding, districts had come to be healed, or, at any rate, to see what was going on. Of course these visitors brought their appetites with them. Meanwhile cultivations were neglected, and the burden of providing for the future was thrown upon Providence, which evidently does not care to help people, that act so fcolishly. Sickness and death followed these events, as a matter of course, and things are in a bad way at the Native settlements in the Matakohe district. The district has, of course, to suffer a recovery : this will probably be a tedious process. On the whole, this is a very discouraging school. Pouto Point. —Sixteen children were inspected. The recently-appointed master had just arrived. The new building should answer the purpose well, and there should be a good school here shortly.. The teacher has had considerable experience at Te Aute, where he was assistant master ; he appears to have made a favourable impression on both Maoris and Europeans. Otamatea.-— Twenty-three children were present at inspection. There has been a very considerable educational revival in this neighbourhood, and the school now bids fair to do well. The Native population is not very large, but all the children of school ages attend. The school is taught half-time by the master, who spends the rest of his time at Oruawharo ; as the mistress is very competent to take charge of the Otamatea School during the master's absence, the arrangement works very well. The pupils, and especially the seniors, passed a very good examination. Oruawharo. —Eighteen children were inspected hero. The school had been opened only a short time, and striking results were not to be expected. A good beginning had been made, however, particularly in arithmetic. The district in which the Otamatea and Oruawharo schools are situated is now well provided for. The making of these very satisfactory arrangements has been facilitated to a large extent by the co-operation and assistance of the resident Wesleyan clergyman, to. whom the thanks of the department have been tendered. Kifikiri. —The new school at the Thames is doing satisfactory work. Twenty-six children were present at inspection. Of course the smallness of the percentage obtained is accounted for by the fact that the school had been only a few months open when the examination took place. Judging from what has already been done, I expect that this school will take a good position by-and-by Waitetuna.— Only six children were present at inspection, and these answered but poorly ; there should be much better results next year. It is fair to the teacher to say that there had been many and serious drawbacks to the success of the school. New buildings had been in course of erection; there had been a total failure of the crops, and parents consequently had to go away to get a living

7

E.—2

at roadwork, swamp-draining, or gum-digging. When Maori parents leave their settlements for any time they generally take their children with them, when I visited the school there were only eight children in the settlement. This disappointing state of matters should be regarded as merely temporary , the Natives were getting a large area of ground under cultivation, and the result of inquiries made in the district was to encourage the hope that the school will be found to be quite successful when next visited. Bay of Plenty West and Hot Lakes Mr. H. W. Brabant, E.M., is the District Superintendent. The district contains eight schools. Maungatapu. —There had been a very severe fever epidemic here, which had been fatal to no fewer than twelve of the pupils. However, fifteen children were got together for the inspection. The virulence of the fever had then abated considerably, but there were still sufferers from the scourge. Under the circumstances no examination results were to bo expected. A new master has been appointed to this school; I have not yet had an opportunity of seeing him at work. Huria. —Twenty-four children were present at the inspection. The school had been very lately opened, and there were, as yet, no results. This school is being worked as a three-quarter-time school along with a similar one at Te Wairoa, a settlement further down the harbour. A master and a mistress take charge of the.se two schools. The Natives at Huria showed a pleasing amount of interest in their school. Te Wairoa. —This school has not yet been visited. It was opened at the beginning of the year with an attendance of fifty. The Wairoa, Huria, and Maungatapu schools should meet the requirements of all the Natives living around Tauranga Harbour. These requirements have hitherto received insufficient attention. Te Awcthou. —Twenty-four children present. There has been most encouraging improvement at this school. The teachers and the Natives all appear to bo doing their best to make it successful. The new buildings are, I believe, the cause of the pleasing change. Natives may perhaps have tried to do it, but they could hardly take much interest in their school while it was conducted in a hovel, and a very miserable hovel too. The examination results were satisfactory. 8010-iii. — Twelve Maori boys were present at inspection. The attendance here is not nearly as good as it might be. It was originally intended that this school should supply the wants of numerous small settlements around the shores of the lake. All of these settlements, except two, have long since discontinued sending children. The reason assigned for the withdrawal is that it is not possible to feed the children while they are at the school. Eoto-iti now depends on the two villages, Mourea and Taheke, for its pupils. Perhaps it would be well to remove the school to some other locality where the Natives would not mind taking a little trouble to get their children educated. The few boys that had attended regularly answered very well indeed. The master works very systematically, and produces very solid results. (The attendance has greatly improved lately.) Ohinemutu. —Only fifteen children were present at although sixty-six were on the roll. This is the most provoking of all the Native schools : the populousness of the district, and the easy circumstances in which the Maoris are placed, would lead us to expect that this would be the best school in the colony, whereas, as far as' results are concerned, it is far and away the worst. With' sixty-six children belonging to the school, only three First Standard passes were obtained ! It is hard to believe that a compulsory-attendance clause would not do good here. The state of matters was evidently not the fault of the master wdio is a very good and hard-working teacher. (He has since been removed to a better school, and a new teacher has taken his place.) The Maoris of Ohinemutu say that by-and-by when their land titles are all settled, and when the Natives have had longer intercourse with Europeans and have become more familiar with European ideas, their attention will be turned to education and similar matters, and that there will then no longer be reason for my annual complaints about their school. It is to be hoped that it may be so. In the meantime it is hard to help believing that, after all due weight has been given to such considerations, there is an outstanding balance of apathy and neglect that can be accounted for only by reference to the extraordinary temptations to which the Ohinemutu Natives are subjected through the peculiar circumstances of the place, and which prove to be too strong for them in spite of their being amongst the most intelligent and amiable of Maoris. It is quite certain that, if these Natives intend not to be swept away by the effects of luxury and excess, they must very soon begin to do something in the way of educating their children and of changing their own mode of life. There is one pleasing feature in connection with Ohinemutu that may be mentioned. Some of the leading men, such as Eotohiko, Kokiri, Mr Eogers, and others, are beginning to see that education is a matter to which some attention should be given. Lake Taraivera. —All schools in this district are more or less depressed this year; Tarawera, amongst the others, was not entirely free from the prevailing influence. The cause of the temporary falling-off was the scarcity of food. This sort of thing is deplorable when it is considered that the Wairoa Natives earn a great deal of money every year by taking tourists to the terraces at Eotomahana. The immediate cause of the destitution was the'mortality amongst the older Natives here and at Whakarew 7 arewa, and the consequent tangis. It is a point of honour to supply all comers to these wakes with as much as they like to eat, and too often also to make them as drunk as circumstances will permit. The consequence is that a large number of deaths is always the precursor to a period of semi-starvation. This appears to have been the main cause of the fallingoff in the attendance at Tarawera, as parents hail had to remove to other districts in order to get enough food to keep them alive until the annual influx of tourists should again give them the means of purchasing food. Still, thirty-five children were present at inspection, and made a very good show at the examination.

E.—2.

Maketu. —Only sixteen children were present. These all answered well. The circumstances here are rather peculiar There are two separate tribes living together ; squabbles between them are frequent, and it seems to be impossible to get them to act in concert for any laudable object certainly they would not sink their differences in order to promote the welfare of the school. These Natives have numerous land claims also, which take up the greater part of their attention. Besides these difficulties, there is another not quite so patent, but very effective in hindering the school from being successful. This is a sort of chronic discontent occasioned by the cessation of the expenditure of which the Arawa used to get a very full share in former times. They are constantly wanting more from the Government than they are now likely to get. On the whole, one is justified in saying that it is to be wondered at that the Maketu School gets on as well as it does. If the master were in a favourable district he would get capital results. Taking it all through, the results that are now being obtained in the Tauranga District can hardly be considered as satisfactory, but they have been especially poor during this year because disease and Land Courts have been unusually prevalent. There is, however, reason to hope that as time goes on there will be improvement. The Natives of this Tauranga District are certainly not behind other Natives in shrewdness and general ability, and they have many fine traits of character peculiar to themselves. If they can once be got into the way of trying to give themselves a fair chance, by living, more temperately and by fitting themselves by means of education to compete with Europeans, they will do well enough. Their intelligence will probably cause them to see this before long, and then they will pay more attention to the education of their children. Bay of Plenty Hast. Mr E. S. Bush, E.M., is the District Superintendent. Eight schools are under his care. Fort Galatea. —At the time of my visit to this isolated district the Natives were busily engaged in getting rid of a considerable sum of money that they had received for a large block of land. This is a matter that brooks no delay No Maori, at least no Galatea Maori, is thoroughly happy until he can reach the very bottom of his pockets without difficulty Under the circumstances it was impossible to have either inspection or examination. I think this school should have another year's trial. The state of matters at Galatea is this The Natives have now parted with a large portion of their best land, they will, therefore, either remove farther inland, or make up their minds to settle on their inalienable reserves at Galatea if they adopt the former course the school will have to be closed, if the latter it may be kept open with advantage. Te Teko. —No work had been done here for some time, and the school had to be closed temporarily The master and the Natives failed to come to a good understanding at the outset. All efforts to compose matters failed, and the teacher, who had done capital work elsewhere, was removed to another school. A new master, one who has had considerable experience among the Natives, has reopened the school. Should he show tact and judgement in dealing with the Te Teko people there is little reason to anticipate failure. There ought to be a very good school here. Matata. —This fine school did not do nearly so well this year as it had done at the two previous examinations. The school had been closed for a considerable period, while the removal and repairs of the buildings were being effected, and the mistress had had, through severe illness, to be removed to Auckland, and to remain there for some months. No doubt the lost ground will be recovered next year. Whakatane. —Forty pupils were inspected and examined in classes. No standard, examination could be held. The school, like that at Matata, had been closed for some time for repairs and alterations. Soon after these were finished the master, Mr S. A. Parker (a very hard-working, conscientious, and efficient teacher), was taken ill and died. The new master had been only a short time at the school. The prospects here were decidedly encouraging, and they have greatly improved since. Torere. —Forty-three children were present at inspection. This is a very good school, and it seems to be improving. William King, the chief of the district, continues to take a great interest in the welfare of the school, and to do his best to promote it. The examination results were not very high. There had been a change of teachers this generally involves a temporary stoppage of the progress of the pupils. It had not lasted very long, however, in this case, seeing that a respectable percentage and a fair number of passes were obtained. Omaio. —This is at present rather a small school, but it is an admirable one. The master has not been very long at the work, but he is already an excellent teacher. Great progress had been made since the preceding examination. Twenty children were present at inspection, and the capital percentage, 83-9, was obtained. Te Kaha. —Seventeen children were inspected at Te Kaha. As at the previous year's examination, good work was shown. Three rather small boys made a very good attempt to pass Standard IV , some weakness in arithmetic just prevented them from getting through, had they succeeded, the school would have stood very high indeed. The circumstances of this school change buc_ little from year to year. The Natives are very industrious and well-to-do if it were not for tangis and hakas, which from time to time disorganize their industries and cripple their resources, they could hardly fail to become a wealthy community It seems to me that a little extra effort on the part of the Committee would materially increase the attendance at this school. The schools in this district do very well, all things considered. Two of them were in an unsatisfactory condition at examination time, but they have since recovered somewhat. Should the district continue to improve as it has done it will soon be nearly as good as Hokianga. East Coast. Mr. James Booth, E.M., is the District Superintendent. There are now only two schools here, but the number will probably be increased before very long.

8

9

E.—2

Waiomatatini. —This is one of our most satisfactory schools. It would be difficult to overestimate the amount of good it does. It is not very easy to find what the Maoris think of the matter, but to a European the difference between this district and one where there is no good Native school seems very great indeed. The state of the case appears to be that, when a less civilized race is coming into contact with a more civilized one, some kind of buffer so to speak, is required to make the shock less violent and more easy to be borne by the weaker people. A good Native school is just that buffer, and it acts in this way It fulfils the office of interpreter of European ideas to the Maoris. These of course are presented to the children in a very simple and easily intelligible form , the parents, through their children, gradually become acquainted with these ideas, and at last, when illustrations of them occur in a concrete form, the Maoris have been made so familiar with the idea that the illustration is received as a matter of course, and with little or no harmful effect upon them. It would not be quite fair, however, to give all the credit for the comparatively satisfactory state of matters at Waiomatatini to the school, there are several enlightened and far-seeing Maoris in the district, whose influence has a most beneficial effect on the other Natives. Thirty-nine children were present at inspection, and the examination results were good. Akuaku. —Thirty-three children were present at inspection. The condition of the school had improved considerably since the previous examination, but there was much room for further improvement. This school is a remarkable instance of those cases in which the Natives are thoroughly indifferent about their children's education. The parents seem to be quite apathetic if their children like to go to school, it is well, if they like to stay away, it is also well. The boys here find amusement in the bush and in wandering about the beach, they like this better than they like going to school. The girls, on the other hand, find the time hang heavily , to make it pass less tediously, they go to school. The consequence is that this is now virtually a girls' school, but few of the boys attend with anything like regularity, or make even fair progress. Tokomaru. —Sixteen children were present at inspection. The master had been suffering from long-continued illness, and the attendance had been extremely irregular. The results obtained were very small—two passes for two years. As has been already explained, the school is now closed. Tolago Bay. —Twenty-nine children were present at inspection, and the examination results were very fair, but, as already explained under the heading, "Schools closed," it was found advisable.to dispense with the teacher's services, and to close the school until satisfactory arrangements could be made for securing a suitable teacher The great drawback to the success of the village schools on this coast has been the superior inducement offered by the boarding schools at Napier There, parents get their children boarded, lodged, and taught for nothing, and, though, of course, this can be done for but comparatively few of the children, yet all parents seem to think that at some time or another they will be able to send their children to a boarding school. This tends to make them neglectful of the advantages offered by the village schools. The authorities of the boarding schools, however, are now paying some attention to this matter, and are trying as far as possible to prevent the injurious competition. Wairarapa. There are two schools in this district. The business done elsewhere by District Superintendents is here managed by the central office. Te Oreore. — Sixteen children were present at inspection. Great improvement in every respect had taken place at this school. The master had had little or no previous experience when he took charge, but he has made good progress in mastering the details of his work, and is likely to become a very good teacher It is hoped that before next inspection the school will be more suitably housed. Papawai. —Nineteen children were present at inspection. This school had lost its master, Mr. C. D. Satchell, who was a very promising teacher, and much liked and respected by the Maoris, young and old. His place had been taken by a female teacher, who had been but a short time at the school when I visited it last. It is hoped that Papawai, too, will be placed on a better footing as regards a building before very long, but the negotiations for the securing of a site seem to hang fire dreadfully South Island and Stetvart Island. There are thirteen village schools and one subsidized school in this district, which has no Superintendent. Waikawa. —Fourteen children were present at inspection. This school is suffering from a temporary depression. A homicide, committed in the neighbourhood some two years ago, affected the school injuriously The sufferer was one of the chief supporters of the school, he always maintained some of the children who attended. His death caused one or two other Natives to leave the settlement with their children, thus the number of children at Waikawa has been seriously reduced. There is, however, reason to hope for improvement; there are about a dozen young children in the village who will soon be ready for school, and it may be fairly expected that the elder Natives will return to their home when time has somewhat softened down the feeling produced by the homicide referred to. The children examined did very well indeed. Wairau. —Only eight children were present at inspection, it was harvest-time, and the services of the children could not be dispensed with. This little school does good work. There is, however, small reason to hope for any great increase in the Maori attendance. A stray European child joins the school now and again, and helps to swell the number on the roll for a while. As a rule, however, Europeans that attend a Native school, when there is a public school at hand, generally prove to be of the nature of a "thorn in the flesh" to the master. It is not unfrequently the case that such children have tried every school in the neighbourhood, and have ignominiously failed to do any good. 2—E. 2.

E.—2

10

It almost seems as if the parents of such children think that it would not be consistent with the principles of equity if the Native school teacher did not get a taste of their children's quality too. At least this is the only assignable reason for their being sent to the Native school. Mangamaunu. —The children of this district and their teacher were suffering from influenza and many of the young people were quite laid up. However, as many as possible were got together and inspected. Fourteen children went through the examination, and very creditable results were obtained. In spite of the children's illness they did much better than ever they did before. The teachers have been able to do much good to the Maoris, parents and children, belonging to this district. Wairewa. —Twelve children were present at inspection. Complaints had been made to the Department by some of the Natives with regard to tho instruction given here. These complaints must have been based on some kind of misapprehension ten out of the twelve children examined passed well, and the school gained a very high percentage. It is to be regretted that some of the Natives in the district, for superstitious reasons, withhold their children from the school, which might easily have a much larger attendance. Onuku. —Twenty-seven children were present at inspection. As has been pointed out before, the circumstances of this school are peculiar; it is nominally a Native school, but a large majority of the children in attendance are Europeans. Ido not see how the anomaly is to be got rid of. There is not room for two schools here, and the Government is to a large extent committed to the keepingup of a Native school for the few Maoris in the settlement. Under the circumstances it is gratifying to be able to report that the school is a very good one, that the Europeans in the district have no wish to exchange it for a Board school, and that the labours of the master and his wife are highly appreciated by both Maoris and Europeans. The examination results were very good indeed. The percentage was 83-56, and the passes were high and numerous, six Fourth and five Third Standard. Bapaki. —Twenty-one children were present. The attendance has fallen off somewhat, but here again, there is reason to hope, only temporarily The master has been removed to an important school in the North Island, his place being taken by another of our most successful teachers. A first-class master is to a certain extent wasted at a school where the majority of the children are young and the attendance is small. But the Eapaki people have always shown an encouraging interest in their children's education, and it is hoped that they will do their best to keep up a good attendance and to retain their new master Kaiapoi. —Thirty-six children were inspected. As usual, this school did remarkably well, it is one of the best in the colony. An unusually large number of high passes —twelve—was obtained, the percentage was good, too, in spite of the presence of a good many young children, who have been less than two years at school. Waikouaiti. —Thirty-eight children were present at inspection. It has been mentioned in previous reports that much more is done at this school than merely instructing the children in the standard work. The children receive excellent mental training here. The pupils, when undergoing examination, give the examiner the impression that they could do much better work than they are actually asked to do, and their knowledge is always found to be very sound and thorough. The teachers of this school are very enthusiastic about it, and their success is fully equal to their enthusiasm. Otago Heads. —Twenty-two children were present. Very satisfactory work was done. The prospects here are less encouraging than they were a year or two ago. The removal of Mr Taiaroa, M.H.E., to Taumutu, has caused some of the Natives to go away to other districts. lam informed, however, that there will be a fresh supply of pupils for the school by-and-by, as there are many young children at the Kaik besides, it is not improbable that some of the Maoris that have gone to Kaiapoi and other places will return after a while. In the meantime the European attendance is slowly but steadily increasing. On the whole there seems little reason to fear that the school will decline further. The late master has, in accordance with his own request, been removed to Eapaki. After eight years' hard work at the Kaik, a change will probably be beneficial to him. Mr. Lucas has done first-class work at Otago Heads, and he takes away with him the good wishes of all the pupils and the parents of the district where he has laboured so long and so successfully His successor is an efficient teacher, and will, no doubt, do his best to keep the school up to its present form. Port Molyneux.— Nineteen children were inspected. This school lost its teacher about the middle of the year. The principal drawback to the employment of unmarried ladies in Native schools is that, after they have become thoroughly acquainted with the work, they very readily leave the service. The late teacher succeeded so well here that her successor will have to work very hard in order to keep the school up to the standard of efficiency that it had reached. The present teacher is a good worker, though, and I feel sure that with a little more experience with the Natives, and additional practice in teaching, she will do very well indeed. Biverton. —Nineteen children were inspected. The master of this school would do himself more justice if he paid more attention to the requirements of the standards. Slavish adherence to forms and to mere standard work cannot be too strongly condemned, but every teacher should remember that, however much else children may know, if they have not mastered the standard work their knowledge must be defective, seeing that these standards require only the real rudiments of each subject to be mastered. Much good work, however, had been done during the year. The existence of a Native school wdthin a quarter of a mile of an excellent Board school is rather to be regretted, it is probable, however, that if the Native school were closed many of the Maoris and half-castes that attend it would not go to school at all. Besides, the Maoris are entitled to a school by the terms of an agreement made with them in former times. Buapuke.- —This subsidized school was not visited this year. The Eev J. F H. Wohlers, who has charge of this school, writes as follows "There are only seven children in the island old

11

E.—2,

enough to go to school. Formerly before European settlers had come to the south of New Zealand, and when the Maoris were in an uncivilized state, the Island of Euapuke, situated in Foveaux Strait, between two large islands, was an important place, and therefore well populated. But that is changed since European settlements have been established in the South, and Maoris have been civilised. Now the energetic and advancing families have left the island and are mostly settled at Stewart Island hence so few children for our Native school at Euapuke now There are no Europeans on- this island, Euapuke, besides myself and my wife." Oolac. — Forty-one children were present at inspection. The inspection was extremely satisfactory no Native-school stands this test better The examination results were not quite so good but, on the whole, fair progress had been made during the year. The juniors were, relatively, not nearly so good as the seniors. Bather serious disagreements between the teacher and the Natives have rendered it desirable that the teacher should go to another school. The new teacher-is from Waikawa he has there done good work for several years, and is much respected by Natives and Europeans. His opportunities will be much greater at his new school, which is an important one, and likely to become still more so. The Neck, Stewart Island. —l have again to speak most favourably of this school and all belonging to it. If the attendance were somewhat larger there would not be a more useful school in the colony Twenty-five children were present at inspection. A high percentage was obtained, and the passes were numerous. The foregoing remarks show that the South Island schools are nearly all very efficient. It has been mentioned in former reports that the Native schools of the South Island have a great advantage over those of the North, in that the southern children are so much more in the way of hearing English spoken. This advantage is being diminished year by year , but, as may be seen from the following figures, the South Island is still distinctly ahead of the North: — Children examined. Passed. Percentage. North Island .. .. 1,060 410 ~ 38-6 South Island ... 282 .. 130 46-0 If only the number of children that passed the two higher standards, those that involve a really serviceable knowledge of English, be taken into account, the superiority of the South over the North becomes still more apparent while only 21 1 per cent, of the children examined belong to the South Island, 44-2 per cent, of those that passed in Standards 111. and IV are southern children. The somewhat larger proportion of white children in the southern schools makes a little difference, but not very much. Boarding Schools. St. Mary's, Auckland. —There are now only,two Native scholars at St. Mary's, Ponsonby. The number is too small to make it worth the teachers' while to give the children special instruction in the standard work they take their chance with the other children attending the school. St. Stephen's Parnell. —Thirty-nine boys were present at inspection. The attendance is considerably smaller than it was last year A very high percentage, 89-58, and twenty-two good passes, were obtained from twenty-five boys qualified for examination by attendance. The senior boys know a great deal more than enough to satisfy the standard requirements, and are very strong indeed in arithmetic, composition, and geography. The circumstances of the school being considered, the organization is satisfactory The very different stages of progress of the boys, and the fact that one master has to do all the work, render it necessary that the written work should bear a larger ratio to the oral than is, on general grounds, desirable. The order, which is very good, is secured by means of regularity and system, there is no corporal punishment, and the relations existing between master and pupils are very satisfactory I have to suggest two things, that -would be great improvements to this school. It would be well if some provision were made for teaching the boys gymnastics , they are exceedingly well drilled, but they require something more. In one or two of the other schools Maoris with rather weak chests have been greatly benefited by a course of gymnastics, and, as hardly any of the Natives are.particularly sound in- the lungs, there can be no doubt that the kind of training referred to would suit them particularly* well. The department gets suitable apparatus made for about £11, £20 would certainly purchase everything that would be required for this school. The other suggestion is that better lavatory accommodation should be provided. At present the boys have to cross the yard in order to wash or to bathe this must often bo inconvenient, and would sometimes lead to neglect of cleanliness. It would be easy to erect a lavatory, with suitable basins and one or two baths, between the principal divisions of the dormitory St. Joseph s Providence, Napier. —There were only nine pupils for examination this year The cause of the falling-off is that the Department now refuses to receive as Native pupils children that are virtually Europeans. It seems likely, however, that, many of the vacancies will be filled again shortly, Maori children of the right sort arc now being admitted pretty freely This is a capital school, there is an abundance of teaching power, and this makes organization a very .simple matter. The school tone is very good, and so is the teaching. The sewing and the singing are remarkably good here. St. Mary's, Meanee. —Here there were only five scholars present at inspection. From this school also the too numerous quarter-castes have been eliminated. Vacancies are gradually being properly filled. I think St. Mary's is going to revive. Several hopeful signs were noticeable at my last visit. Hukarrere. —Forty-seven girls were present at inspection, but only twenty of these are Government scholars. This is a very interesting and useful school. There can be no doubt that it is doing good service to the cause of Native education. It is found to be the case in many districts that the mothers of children are the real obstacle in the way of their boy's' going to school, the fathers

E.—2.

12

are willing enough to have them educated, but the mothers are thorough conservatives and sticklers for the old Maori ways. Besides, they are very often unwilling to be deprived of their children's society, no matter how much the children may lose by remaining with them. It is probable that when the girls now attending Hukarere leave and become mothers they will be so far enlightened as to be friends rather than enemies to schools. I regret to find that there are still many girls here who could be well taught, for a time, at their own village school, while there are so many Maori children growing up quite illiterate in small villages where there is and can be no school at all. Te Aute College. —Fifty-five boys were examined. The standard examinations are not quite suited to this school. In accordance with the headmaster's views, with which I concurred, all the classes were examined in the work that they had actually done. The results of the inspection and the examination were extremely gratifying in every respect. There is a very wide difference between the state of this school now and that which it was in when I first examined it, though even then it was a good school. It now certainly deserves to be called a college, as the boys are doing mathematical and scientific work that would do credit to any secondary school. Te Aute was very fully reported on last year, it is, therefore, unnecessary to say more than that the course has been very much extended, and that, nevertheless, the work is distinguished by the same thoroughness and efficiency as it was remarkable for last year The higher Te Makarini scholarship *of £50, which depends on the result of the examination of the senior class, was won by Joshua Down, who was, however, only 2-2 per cent, ahead of Thomas G. Poutawera. All the boys, in the senior division did remarkably well, the lowest percentage obtained being 64-2. The two junior classes of this school are taught by a Maori, Walter Wi Paipa, who has been educated at Te Aute. This is the only case in which such an arrangement has been found to succeed. Maoris can be trained to do almost anything but to teach English to young people of their own race this lad, however, has learnt to do that successfully I never saw two better-taught classes than those that are entirely under his care. The ordinary Te Makarini scholarships examination was held at Te Aute and Whakatane in the middle of December The successful candidates were W Prentice, Alfred Down, and Abraham Wi. _ The trustees of the scholarships fund have decided that for the future these scholarships shall be given to Maoris only, half-castes being disqualified. This limitation would seem to be a just one. Maoris naturally find much more difficulty in mastering English than half-castes do, and the instances are numerous in which Maoris have been just a little behind on this account solely Miscellaneous. Expenditure.—A. statement of the expenditure incurred in connection with Native schools, and of the way in which this expenditure is distributed, will be found in Tables Nos. 1 and 2. Teachers.— At the end of 1883 there were employed as head-teachers in Native schools 55 masters and 7 mistresses, there were also 16 mistresses, 3 assistant mistresses, and 35 sewing mistresses. The head-teachers were classified as follows at the end of the financial year Class 1., 4, viz., the masters of Eoto-iti, Pukepoto, Eapaki, and Waikouaiti schools ; Class IE, 7 , Class 111., 22, Class IV., 16 , Class V., 14. A first-class certificate implies that the holder possesses a satisfactory knowledge of the ordinary English subjects, a special knowledge of New Zealand history, and considerable theoretical acquaintance with the subject of Native-school management. The efficiency of most of the teachers seems to be increasing as experience is gained, at any rate the results are better year by year This year the number of passes is twenty-one more than it was last year, in spite of the much greater strictness with which weakness in any of the examination subjects has been treated. Many of the masters seem to be getting that mastery of detail that distinguishes the skilful from the unskilful teacher, and enables him to make the best use of such knowledge of the general principles of education as he may happen to possess. It is this knowledge, of course, that makes a man an educationist and not a mere empirical teacher while a happy combination of scientific educational knowledge, and skill in working out the details based on this knowledge, form the stock-in-trade of the thorough master of the art of teaching. There are a few teachers on the staff who, to a greater or less degree, lack energy There are one or two cases in which teachers seem to be unable to put heart into the work. I have heard it said about an indifferent labourer that he had no elbow-grease. It is really the thing signified by the term " elbow-grease" that these teachers want. They mean very well—there is no doubt whatever about that, they would gladly do what they have undertaken, but somehow when it comes to the point, they break down, they cannot keep up the steady effort that is indispensable if success in teaching is to be obtained. Teachers thus affected generally recognize their own weakness, and unfortunately look upon it as incurable. It is nothing of the kind , if they would make up their minds to devote their whole attention for four hours daily to the work specified in the time-table, and would allow nothing to interfere with that work, they would find the time passing much more quickly and pleasantly, and would soon discover that they were engaged in the unwonted process of producing good results. A teacher, on the other hand, who filches ten minutes now to look over the newspaper, a quarter of an hour by-and-by to write a letter, who goes out of his schoolroom now and again to see how things are getting on outside, who gives the children some " work" to do and

* Te Makabini Scholabships.—Appended to " The Native Schools Code " is a full account of these scholarships which have been founded in memory of the late Sir Donald McLean by his son, Mr. B. D. Douglas McLean. They are for the benefit of boys of the Native race, and arc tenable for two years. Examinations under regulations made by the Trustees are held annually. There are six scholarships of the annual value of £35 each, and two of the annual value of £50 each. The holders of the junior scholarships must attend the Native College at Te Aute, Hawke's Bay , the senior scholarships are awarded—one each year—to the scholar that has passed the second year's examination at Te Auto College most successfully, subject to the condition that he attend one of the institutions affiliated to the New Zealand University, with the intention of matriculating, and, if possible, obtaining one of the University scholarships when his own has expired,

13

E.—2

then sits down and gets into a brown study while they are doing it, must find the time hang heavily on his hands. Of course pupils become infected with a master's listlessness, they too get into the way of doing as little as they can, and the school gradually, or perhaps not so very gradually becomes unsatisfactory. All good teachers know that, paradoxical as it may sound, the very easiest way of getting through the school-time is to work as hard as possible during every minute of it. lam glad to say that there are very many of our teachers that have found out this great truth for themselves. Committees. —We have still many very useless Committees but not a few of them do their work very well, all things considered. The European method of electing the members has been adopted. In districts where the masters have taken the trouble to make the Natives understand the thing, the new plan has generally worked very well. At the following places there are specially good School Committees Te Kao, Pukepoto, Peria, Moari, Kaikohe, Tarawera, Torere, Matata, Waiomatatini, Te Awahou, The Neck, Waima, Kaiapoi, and a few other places. In some cases very much depends upon the Chairman; in others all the members take a real interest in their work. Attendance. —This has been a very disastrous year to the Natives in many parts of the colony Fever and famine have been unusually prevalent, especially in the Far North. « Land Courts have been frequent, and, though these, of course, are very necessary, their effect on schools in the neighbourhood is invariably bad. The " King's " tour, and visits from people whose business and means of getting a livelihood appear to be connected with the process of sending " embassies to the Queen," have in many cases unsettled the Natives' minds and turned their attention away from the duty of keeping their children at the school. On the whole it is to be wondered at that the falling-off in the working average attendance is only 65, and that the number belonging to the Native schools in 1882, viz., 2,024, had fallen only to 1,923 at the end of 1883. Should the fever in the North be got rid of, a considerable increase may be expected during the present year. The attendance at the following schools has been exceptionally large or very regular, or both Te Kao, Moari, Kaikohe, Motukaraka, Waima, Torere, Matata, Whakatane, Omaio, Te Kaha, Eapaki, Kaiapoi. Tidiness. —lt is perhaps desirable that mention should be made of schools that are remarkable for their excellence with regard to this important matter An untidy Native school is exceptional, but the following are, I think, the best, at examination-time at any rate Te Kao, Moari, Kaikohe, Waitapu, Upper Waihou, Whangape, Matakohe, Ohinemutu, Maketu, Omaio, Te Kaha, Waiomatatini, Waikouaiti, and Colac. Gardens. —Mulberry-trees were last year sent to all Native schools where they are likely to succeed. In nearly every instance they are thriving. This year it is intended to send olive-plants to all favourable localities. The expense of this sort of thing is comparatively trifling, and it seems that this is the very best way of gradually introducing useful plants into Native districts. It may be that in time many industries may thus be brought under the notice of the Maoris, and that they will take to some of them. I think it would be a good plan to introduce a new plant each year Perhaps the black-wattle of Australia would be a suitable tree to take next. This is of rapid growth. It might be planted very easily, the bark fetches a good price, and the gathering of it would not involve very much trouble. All these circumstances point to the black-wattle as a tree that should be introduced with a view to its being planted on the waste Maori lands. Good gardens are to be found at the following Native schools Peria, Moari, Omanaia (the master of this school deserves special credit for what he has done in the way of showing the Maoris how large quantities of food may be produced on soil of medium quality), Waitapu, Kirikiri, Tarawera, Maketu, Te Kaha, Akuaku, Eapaki, Kaiapoi, and Eiverton. Organization.- —The organization at Taraw 7 era is peculiar, but it answers very well. The master acts on the principle that the beginning of education is the most important part of it—a very sound principle this. Accordingly he teaches the two junior classes, while his daughter who is a very promising young teacher, has charge of the higher classes. The plan succeeds admirably The organization is particularly good at these schools also Kaikohe, Upper Waihou, Onuku, Waikouaiti, and Kaiapoi. Discipline. —At each of the following schools there is one point of discipline (or more than one) for which the school deserves special mention. It would take up too much space to go into details Te Kao, Peria, Kaikohe, Waitapu, Upper Waihou, Waima, Maketu, Omaio, Onuku, Eapaki, and Otago Heads. Methods. —So much was said on this subject last year that it will be sufficient to call attention now to three schools at which remarkably good methods are used. The master of Waikawa School trains his pupils in English composition by making them take part of a reading-lesson that they have thoroughly mastered, and break it up into very short simple sentences. This differs from ordinary "abstract" writing in that the children have their books open before them, and from paraphrasing because they have not merely to give the same meaning in other words, but to express the ideas in as clear and simple a form as possible. This is the sort of work that one does when he tries to improve a draft of a very important letter The method has, I think, great merit. The pupils are encouraged to vary the diction, but they must preserve the meaning, and every point in the paragraph must be distinctly brought out. Of course this answers a twofold purpose it gives fine training in -word-manipulation, and serves as a very thorough examination in the comprehension of what has been read.—The master of Eoto-iti School carefully analyses every lesson that he is going to give, and writes out the results on a slate. As might be expected, the teaching is thoroughness itself. I suppose that every master knows that this or something like it should be done, but how very few are found to do it ! —x\t Peria I was much pleased with what the master called " a show lesson," but which was really systematic training well calculated to develop the intelligence and form the minds of the children. In this lesson no attempt was made to teach the children any new thing whatever, or to get them to draw inferences from what they already knew the sole object was. to get them to give expression to their knowledge in a pleasing and generally satisfactory

•E.—2.

14

way The strong point in the lesson seemed to be that it was a doing of one thing at a time, and that a very important one. It is too often the case that knowledge, valuable enough in itself, gets stowed away in the mind, so to speak, in a crude form, and is not readily available for use when wanted. Expression lessons of this kind are well calculated to promote an orderly arrangement in the minds of the children of knowledge acquired by them,- and to make it producible when required. There is one rather common defect in the teaching in our schools to which attention may again be drawn. I find a note to this effect "If the master would set some definite object before him whenever he begins to give a lesson he would get on very well, as he uses many devices in teaching that are not devoid of merit." This remark would be pertinent in not a few cases. Purposelessness is a grave fault in teaching, and one that it is worth taking a good deal of trouble to avoid. Becords. —The following schools are to be especially commended for the way in which all their records are kept Kaikohe, Waima, Kirikiri, Whakatane, Te Kaha, Waikouaiti, and Colac. Very good log-books were found at Pukepoto, Whakarapa, Motukaraka, Maketu, and Onuku. Instruction. —lt has been stated here and there in this report that the instruction is improving. The percentage of passes obtained increases year by year, and the results generally are of a higher character as time goes on. Table No. 3, containing the results of inspection, shows that, while twenty-five passed the Fourth Standard in 1881, twenty-nine passed in 1882, and forty-five in 1883. The number of Third Standard passes is slightly less than it was last year but this is owing to the increased difficulty of the standard, which has been raised considerably, and to the greater strictness with which all children are rejected that are not up to the standard requirements in English. I think it advisable to give the names of schools that have shown excellent work in each of the subjects during the year They are as follows : —Beading Pukepoto (comprehension extremely good) Kaikohe (juniors), Motukaraka, Waiomatatini, Wairewa, Waikouaiti, Otago Heads. Writing Peria, Mangamuka (exceedingly good), Waitapu, Upper Waihou, Maketu, Akuaku, Wairewa. English Kaitaia, Kaikohe (only two standards), Waikawa (composition), Mangamaunu, Wairewa, Eapaki. Arithmetic Omaio, Wairewa, Kaiapoi, Otago Heads, Onuku. Geography Otamatea (seniors), Omaio, Onuku. Sewing Waikouaiti, Otago Heads. Drawing Matakohe, Maketu, Ornaio, Waiomatatini, Onuku, Waikouaiti, Port Molyneux. Singing. Te Kao, Pukepoto, Whakarapa, Waitapu, Upper Waihou (admirable), Matakohe, Waiomatatini, Akuaku, Waikawa, Kaiapoi, Port Molyneux. Drill Peria, Maketu, Torere, Omaio, Te Kaha, Waiomatatini, Kaiapoi, Colac. Conclusion Maori Educational Arrangements probably Incomplete at present. Most persons that have been engaged in the work of Maori education have at times felt sorely perplexed by such questions as the following Granting that excellent work, as far as it goes, is being done by our Native schools, what tangible results is it likely to produce? Granting even that a large number of the children educated at these schools will be sensibly benefited by their education, would it not be possible, when so much has already been done, by a comparatively trifling additional expenditure to make the. work begun at the village schools so complete that the young Maoris, instead of running the risk of getting into the way of spending their time in nearly complete idleness, varied by occasional seasons of drunkenness and debauchery might be fully fitted by it to take their place among the workers of the colony, and to be amongst the most useful of our citizens? I give below extracts from speeches made at Washington last year by the Hon. B. S. Northorp, General S. C. Armstrong, and Miss A. C. Fletcher, leading American educationists, who have made Indian education a special study The papers containing these speeches are published by the United States Bureau of Education, and it seems to me that, if the word "Maori " be substituted for "Indian," all the questions referred to above, and many others, will be found to be satisfactorily answered in them :— The common feeling has boon that the Indians arc not educable that they are a doomed race and must soon pass away, and the sooner the better, and that you might as well undertake to educate wolves or wild buffaloes. Such are the sentiments most frequently and harshly expressed on tho frontier. But the Indians are here to stay According to tho census there are nearly 300,000 Indians in the United States. One fact of great encouragement in this work [Indian education] is the new view of the Indian chiefs, and the more educated in the the tribes, that the alternative before them is education or extermination. They have come to feel —it is a lesson they have been long in learning—that they must understand the white man's ways as a matter of self-defence and as the condition of their future prosperity There is a great and growing interest' on the part of the chiefs in Indian education. This is evident from their readiness to send boys and girls so far from home for their schooling. A few years ago they would have rejected such an offer with scorn. The change in. this respect is great and most hopeful, and should meet a hearty response from our Government. . Heretofore the question of Indian, landtenure has overshadowed all other considerations pertaining to his welfare. Never before in our history have the American people had such an opportunity of befriending a long-injured race as now The exigency is urgent. A liberal expenditure for Indian education will prove a wise investment. One million expended for this purpose now will be worth more than twenty millions twenty years hence.' Lot the Indian be once educated, made a citizen and a landholder, and he will never again go on the war-path. . The Indians are, of course, a widely different race, under widely different conditions, though demanding very similar training. Five years ago we at "Hampton knew nothing about them, and. took up the work as an experiment. Tho result in the individual is a success , our Indian graduates leave us strengthened and well equipped. The problem is, What shall be done with them ? They return as educated Indians to the influence of agents, who are frequently incapable men, and the chances are against them. .It becomes a question of surroundings, and these are beyond our reach. We have demonstrated the possibility of producing strong and trustworthy individuals for the conditions which alone can insure their continuous development, or a field for their work, others are responsible. A careful study of the Indian reveals him to be a man, bearing the marks of a common human nature. His peculiar environment has developed him in lines that do not coincide with our lines of development. If his ancient environment were to continue unaltered there would be little hope of any speedy or great modification of his ancient social and religious forms. But his environment has already changed, and he is to-day stranded upon unknown and untried circumstances. For this change we are directly responsible, as well as for the difficulties involved and their solution. We have corralled the Indian, and tried by various expedients to postpone facing the problem of his future, until at last further delay is impossible. His future is indissolubly linked to our own, and the welfare of both races demands careful consideration of the question before us, and the difficulties involved in it. , The industrial schools at Carlisle, Pa., Hampton, Va., and Forest

15

8.-2

Grove, Oreg., are movements towards recognizing the value of the individual Indian. At these schools he is taught trades, the value of labour, personal responsibility, and is thus prepared to cope with the world and earn his own living. If, after five years spent at either of these schools, he chooses to become a farmer, stock-raiser, or mechanic, he enters the field with' a wider knowledge, a shiftiness of mind, that he could never have gained without this industrial training received at these schools and direct and friendly contact with our own race. Such training is the key which unlocks the prison-door and sets the Indian free from the trammels of his own past and the white man's prejudice. Work makes the world akin, and the Indian can and he is willing to work, and eager to learn, as eager at least as it is possible for him to be, since he does not fully understand the benefits of knowledge. As has-been remarked, the heredity of the Indian man inclines him to the trades, and he has shown considerable adaptiveness where opportunity for such work has been given him. In any vocation, however, which the present generation may undertake, allowance should always be made for the Indian's previous -lack of training in persistent labour: this lack is perhaps the greatest drawback from which the Indian suffers. The one thing imperatively needed for the Indian is industrial education. Educate him thus and he becomes a friendly neighbour and co-worker. Keep him in ignorance and isolation and he becomes dangerous to his own future and to those about him. To my mind, Sir, these extracts point to the conclusion that what is required in order to complete our system of Native education is some sort of arrangement under which all boys that have finished their school education shall have an opportunity of learning a trade, and of mixing with Europeans for a considerable period. It is hardly necessary to do anything in this way for girls, seeing that all Fourth Standard pupils are offered scholarships at Hukarere or St. Joseph's Providence, where they are carefully taught all kinds of household work and needlework; it is for the boys that something should be done, either in the way of making them skilled artisans or of enabling them to become thoroughly acquainted with European methods of farming and stockraising. I am inclined to think that the plan that is now being tried at Auckland on a very small scale —of apprenticing boys to trades after their residence at St. Stephen's is completed—would, if extended, answer every purpose. All that it would be necessary to do would be to make it a rule that every boy who had gone through the village school course should, if his parents wished it, be apprenticed by the Government to some trade, but giving him the option of first going to St. Stephen's or Te Aute. Some difficulty might arise by-and-by if the number of boys that had to be apprenticed became numerous such a difficulty could be dealt with, if it arose, by the establishment of some kind of institution similar to those spoken of in the above extracts, but in the meantime the results desired could be, I think, obtained by the simple and comparatively inexpensive plan here suggested. I conclude my report, therefore, by expressing the hope that you will give the plan very full and favourable consideration, I feel very sure that its adoption would have an excellent effect in advancing the interests of Maori education. I have, &c, James H. Pope.

E.—l

TABLE No. 1. List of the Native Village Schools, and Schools at which Native Children are maintained by the Government of New Zealand, with the Expenditure on each and on General Management, during the Year 1883, and the Names, Status, and Emoluments of the Teachers as in December, 1883. In the column "Position in the School," M means Master; F, Female Teacher; A F, Female Assistant; S, Sewing Mistress.

16

County or Borough. School. Salaries. Boardingschools, Higher Education, and Apprenticeship. Expenditure during Buildings, Sites, Fencing, and Furniture. General School Requisites, Travelling, and Contingencies. 13. Total. Teachers of Village Schools at the End of the Year. ■3 O P4 t>. a>. .a^ Beniarks. s s. a. 121 13 4 £ ; s. a. £ s. a. 3 14 0 £ s. a. 2 0 0 £ s. a. 127 7 4 M M M M F M AF M S AF M S M S M F M S M F M M S M F M F M S M F M F M S F F £ 110 20 120 20 145 20 110 35 175 20 20 185 20 10 80 20 135 20 160 35 100 20 165 35 165 20 90 20 140 35 130 35 60 20 165 35 155 35 110 20 Mongonui Tβ Kao . Minchin, T. M. Minehin, Miss Tobin, W H. J. Tobin, Mrs. Dunn, R. H. Dunn, Mrs. Crene, P. .. Crene, Mrs. Masters, 0. M. Masters, Mrs. Masters, Miss Capper, J. F Capper, Mrs. Norris, Miss Corston, P. L. Corston, Mrs. Calkin, S. .. Calkin, Mrs. Bow, A. Bow, Mrs. .. Irvine, G. D. Irvine, Mrs. Phillips, G. W Phillips, Mrs. Hill, C. P .. Hill, Mrs. . Aimer, E. B. Aimer, Mrs. Thurston, H. C. Thurston, Mrs. Cockroft, J Cookroft, Mrs. Magee, E. J. Magee, Mrs. Moloney, M. Moloney, Mrs. Harrison, J Harrison, Mrs. Tennent, A, P. Tennent, Mrs. Hickson, Mrs. Watling, Mrs. Awanui 135 12 9 41 i 8 20 2 11 197 0 4 Kaitaia . 165 0 0 23 11 3 5 14 0 194 5 3 Ahipara . 140 0 0 79 12 2 12 14 11 232 7 1 Pukepoto 215 0 0 48 16 0 28 4 9 292 0 9 Hokianga Peria Tβ Ngaere Te Moari Whangape , 210 0 0 100 0 0 164 5 10 185 0 0 136 9 6 13 1 9 37 17 5 18 5 0 11 9 1 14 11 3 44 2 11 18 5 8 357 18 7 127 13 0 246 3 2 221 10 8 Whakarapa 83 0 0 751 0 0 61 1 0 895 1 0 Openea 30th April. Upper Waihou 192 10 0 75 15 0 13 16 3 282 1 3 Waitapu 185 0 0 164 0 0 8 14 9 357 14 9 Whirinaki . 110 0 0 0 19 0 23 11 0 134 10 0 Bay o£ Islands .. Waima Omanaia . Pakia 166 5 0 160 0 0 65 0 0 26 15 6 41 11 S 3 13 0 50 13 6 6 5 1 9 9 0 243 14 0 207 16 6 78 2 0 Subsiaizea. Eeopened March quarter. Motukaraka 200 0 0 53 5 9 11 8 4 264 14 1 Mangamuka 200 0 0 20 15 0 220 15 0 Mangakahia 130 0 0 22 0 0 15 15 10 167 15 10 Subsiaizea teacher paia accoraing to attenaance. Boaraing-school. Closea. PaiHa ,. Ohaeawai Taumarere (Mrs. Tautari's) 67 11 6 130 0 0 563* 0 0 5 0 0 15 6 3 13 0 68 17 0 138 13 0 563 0 0 135

E.r-Alv

3—E. 2.

17

Kaikohe .. . . 210 0 0 ; 7 2 6 48 3 1 265 5 7 Mitchell, J. Mitchell, Mrs. Mitchell, Miss Blythe, W. H. Sturge, Miss M S AP M E 175 20 35 Whangarei Waikare .. Ngungnru Poroti Matakohe : 88 15 0 ! 68 6 8 10 0 0 137 10 0 6 0 0 5 12 9 2 13 2 10 0 0 2 13 3 94 7 9 76 19 10 20 0 0 141 3 3 'so Subsidized; teacher., .paid, according to attendance. Closed. Hobson i 0 0 Ovens, J Ovens, Mrs. Haszard, E. Haszard, Mrs. Winkelmann, C. P . Winkelmann, Mrs. M M M S 120 20 135 35 80 20 Rodney Otamatea and Oruawharo 191 5 0 '' 19 13 6 12 13 10 223 12 4 Hobson Eden Parnell [B] Raglan .. Thames Pouto Point St. Mary's (E.G. Girls') St. Stephen's (Ch. Eng. Boys') Waitetuna Kirikiri . 79 3 4 42 10 0 701 1 9 409 10 1 13 6 5 501 19 10 42 10 0 701 1 9 376 12 3 783 6 7 Boarding-school. Boarding-school. 122 10 0 ! 142 10 0 ] 241 10 5 597 10 9 12 11 10 43 5 10 Hooper, Mrs. Stewart, E. O. Stewart, Miss Duflus, J W Duffus, Mrs. Eobinson, T. J Eobinson, Mrs. Parker, J. E. C. Parker, Mrs. Wood, J J. Haszard, G. A. Haszard, Miss Pinker, A. Pinker, Mrs. Masters, G. Masters, Mrs. Grahame, J. L. Grahame, Mrs. Woods, G. E. Woods, Mrs. Browne, W. P Browne, Mrs. P M S M M M M P M S M P M M M S 120 130 20 110 20 100 20 130 20 155 185 35 145 20 175 35 135 : 20 125 20 145 i 20 : Opened 1st January. Tauranga Maungatapu 142 10 0 331 4 2 26 8 0 500 2 2 Te Awahou 120 0 0 577 8 4 : 5 9 6 702 17 10 Ohinemutu 147 10 0 6 0 0 13 18 11 167 8 11 Botoiti Tarawera 160 0 0 217 10 0 7 7 0 59 14 6 I 5 19 1 31 9 6 165 19 1 256 6 6 S Maketu 162 10 0 I 12 9 4 19 7 9 234 13 10 • 210 0 0 455 17 9 Whakatane Matata 226 10 0 Te Teko 157 1 8 51 0 0 27 14 6 15 13 7 235 16 2 Fort Galatea 145 0 0 14 13 10 175 7 5 Whakatane Waiotahi Torere 142 10 0 64 14 0 48 16 6 256 0 6 \ 60 0 0 147 10 0 si 66 14 6 4 3 2 31 19 0 64 3 2 246 3 6 Leech, W A. ' Leech, Mrs. Nicholson, M. . i Nicholson, Mrs. . ' Levert, E. Levert, Mrs. Creeke, W. Creeke, Mrs. ,-,■] Nicholls, G. ..: Nicholls, Mrs. ,, Warner, R. .. ; Warner, Mrs. .,! Gilrnan, Miss M P M M S M P M S M S P 1 120 35 110 20 155 20 165 35 180 : 20 125 20 60 Closed 30th September. I Omaio - 125 0 O 82 5 .6 4 0 9 211 6 3 r €ook .. v \ Te Kaha , 170 0 0 82 14 6 5 10 7 258 5 1 Waiomatatini 195 0 0 11 17 4 206 17 4 i .. . - '■ il Akuaku 145 0 0 2 7 6. 13 17 4 161 4 10 ~ " - " * I' ' Tbkornaru " .: Tolago Bay Waihirere ;/■ i ,-.: .■ .. Pakowhai St. Joseph's (E.G. Girls') St. Mary's (E.O. Boys') | ~T'e~sme eaHegantca. , e . Boys*) Hukarere (Gli. Eng. Girls') Te Oreore Papawai 147 10 0 1 13 9 149 3 9 Subsidized. Closed. - :, ;: Closed. Boarding-school. Boarding-school. ■ Boaraing--soho'ol-.- —■ * Boarding-school. Subsidized. Subsidized. Wairoa .. ,-. Hawke's Bay . Napier [B] Hawke's Bay 55 0 0 14 7 6 ; 110 0 0 •■ J • 265" 1.10 4.11. 0 3 19 3 Oil 6 58 19 3 14 19 0 114 11 0 265 1 10 119 4 4 207 TOt) 400 0 0 69 8 8 74 18 4 ■ __ _l 265 1 10 119 4 4 : 400... .0. 0 119 4 4 ■"207 10 -0 ann r>. a • i 8 8 ' 3 0 3 ! ., Wairarapa West 65 0 0 56 9 5 4UO-0. V ■ ' 15 8 8 _.... _ ■• Sillars, J .. Burch, Miss .. M 'eo 60 •

E.—2.

TABLE No. 1— continued. Expenditure, &c., on Native Schools for Year 1883.

18

County;or Borough. School. Boardingschools, Higher Education, and Apprenticeship. Expenditure during Buildings, Sites, Fencing, and Furniture. General School Requisites, Travelling, and Contingencies. Teachers of Village Schools at the End of the Year. Ji I O-tj ° Bemarks. Salaries. Total. Wellington [B] . Marlborough .. St. Joseph's (E.G. Girls') Waikawa £ s. d. £ s. d. 25 0 0 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 25 0 0 204 1 7 £ 192 10 0 1 18 0 9 13 7 Nickless, H. W Nickless, Mrs. Hosking, J. T. Hosking, Mrs. Danaher, T. J. Danaher, Mrs. Beeves, H. J. Reeves, Mrs. Herlihy, P. Herlihy, Mrs. Curling, J". Curling, Mrs. Hamilton, A. G. Hamilton, Mrs. Green, F. A. Green, Mrs. Lucas, W. S. Leith, Miss McGavin, Mrs. Ireland, J. Ireland, Miss Lindsay, E. J Lindsay, Mrs. Wohlers, Bev. J. F H. Traill, A. W. Traill, Mrs. M M M M M M M S M M S S M M S 175 20 110 20 110 20 185 35 175 20 145 20 130 20 195 35 205 20 80 135 20 110 35 40 135 20 Boarding-school. Kaikoura .. Wairau ... , 130 0 0 72 13 3 2 9 3 205 2 6 1 Half salaries paid from Nativi J reserves funds. Mangarnarmu 132 10 0 54 11 10 21 13 6 208 15 4 Ashley .. Kaiapoi ,, 235 0 0 18 0 0 29 14 0 282 14 0 Akaroa .. EapaM 182 3 0 3 15 6 185 18 6 Little Eiver 165 0 0 1 18 0 7 4 2 172 4 2 Waikouaiti » I Onuku 147 10 0 6 4 1 155 12 1 Waikouaiti 230 0 0 42 16 0 8 9 0 281 5 0 Peninsula .. Otago Heads 225 16 8 43 17 9 269 14 5 Clutha . Wallace ,. Port Molyneux Biverton 146 2 9 155 0 0 9 4 0 29 1 0 8 10 6 184 7 9 163 10 6 Stewart Island Colac Bay 137 10 0 9 18 0 147 8 0 Euapuke The Neck 50 0 0 160 0 0 1 10 0 22 16 6 50 0 0 184 6 6 Subsidized. « Miscellaneous gran apprenticeship Proposed new schoo' Salaries and clerica] Inspection Half cost of public s General school requ its for higher education and 'Is 1 work (departmental) 9,360 9 5 31 10 0 525 0 0 2,323 7 11 61 16 0 4,624 3 3 20 9 6 1,030 9 0 20 13 6 17,338 9 7 61 16 0 41 3 0 31 10 0 720 17 5 406 10 9 452 6 10 school at Taumutu .isites and contingencies 406 10 9 5 0 0 195 17 5 39 3 4 408 3 6 Le iss recoveries and refunds 9,956 2 9 2,385 3 11 5,056 3 6 1,655 3 5 19,052 13 7 ! 225 7 3 i *18,S27 6 4 * Of this sum, £549 was paid from Native reserves funds, leaving a net Government expenditure of £18,273 6s. 4d.

19

E.—2

TABLE No. 2. Classified Summary of Expenditure on Native Schools during 1883. £ s. d. Inspector . 500 0 0 District Superintendent . * 25 0 0 Departmental salaries . ... 31 10 0 Village school salaries and allowances. . . . 9,450 18 8 Travelling Expenses— Inspector .. .. .. 188 8 5 Teachers' removal allowances . ... 231 12 1 Scholars .... ... 17 15 0 District Superintendents' and other 68 17 3 Boarding schools, higher education, and apprenticeship.. . 2,368 1111 Books and school requisites • • • 368 9 6 Sewing material £187 1 5 Less recoveries i > >» • > 148 18 3 — 38 3 2 Prizes for regular attendance. .... 211 1 7 Standard prizes ■ • • • • • 47 4 5 Bonuses for passing standards • • 9 0 0 Board of girls with teachers • ■ 30 0 0 Subsidies for games £14 16 9 Less contributions 5 14 6 9 2 3 Subsidies for music . . . • • • • £58 10 0 Less contributions 27 0 0 31 10 0 Planting sites •. 28 i 6 U Buildings, repairs, furniture, &c. 5,057 2 0 Sundries 157 I 7 7 18,871 0 10 Less miscellaneous recoveries . . • • 43 14 6 £18,827 6 4

TABLE No. 3. Ages of the Children on the Books of the Native Village Schools at 31st December, 1883.

4—B. 2,

Age. Boys. I Girls. Total. Percentage. Indcr five years .. %e and under ten years . 39 342 413 58 i I 40 4C5 3C3 63 i 79 1,007 716 121 4-11 52-37 'en and under fifteen years 37-23 'ifteen years and upwards 6-29 Totals 1,052 871 1,923 100-00

E.—2.

TABLE No. 4. List of the Native Village Schools, with the Attendance of the Pupils for the Year 1883 and the Staff at the End of the Year In the column "Staff at End of Year," M means Master; F, Female Teacher; A F, Female Assistant; S, Sewing Mistress.

0* X" N

20

Sehoo: Roll. Avi ;rago Attendance. Schdols. Staff at EnA of Year. 1 fa 8 0) fa* ■fll !i ■9.9 3 3 to §3 o II I* Stric Average. Fourth Quarter. Working Aver; :e. la Whole Year. Boys. Girls. Total. I '• '• Tβ j£ao Awanui Kaitaia Ahipara Pukepoto Peria Te Ngaere Te Moari Wliangape Whakarapa 1 Upper Wailiou Waitapu Whiiinaki . ... Waima Omanaia . . : Pakia Motukaraka Maiiganxuka Mangakahia Paihia 2 Ohaeawai Kaikoho Waikare Ngungura Matakoho Otamatea Oruawharo 3 Pouto Point Waitetana Kirikiri* Maaugatapa and Hvfcia .. To Awaliou 5 Ohinemnta ,. Rotoiti Tarawora Maketa Matata Te Teko2 Port Galatea Whakatane . .. Waiotahi 6 . ■ • Torere Omaio Te Kaha Waiomatatini Akuaka Tokomaru Te Oreore Papawai Waikawa Wairau ... Mangamaunu .. Kaiapoi Bapaki Little River Ortuka Waikoaaiti Otago Heads Port Molynenx Eiverton Colao Bay Raapake ' The Neck M and S Mand P M, A P and S M and S M.and P . M. and S M and P . Mand S M and P . H and S M and P . M and S P .. F .. M,AP,andS M . P M and S M and P M . M. aiid'S . P MandS 33 39 11 45 3 36 29 16 50 55 34 28 24 44 40 32 42 35 8 16 i 70 7 19 24 17 26, 21 19 24 57 11 35 53 47 36 23 27 15 27 22 ■ 21 39 47 27 26 18 21 - 19 30 44 21 16 31 37 27 19 29 36 7 23 29 23 15 16 31 19 1 32 12 43 12 7 10 12 5 41 3 18 7 5 16 21 17 5 6 10 21 12 11 50 68 20 86 28 36 106 36 7 3 52 1 23 8 6 14 15 39 31 39 8 6 8 18 12 5 8 15 14 4 8 22 1 13 14 36 5 30 22 23 11 39 2 9 13 11 5 10 g 14 3 13 11 13 13 26 5 8 12 1 . 13 19 8 37 13 83 11 34 95 32 43 10 20 16 9 9 2 10 19 47 29 31 12 10 18 14 9 6 8 9 15 3 11 13 2 8 48 2G 21 31 45 25 6 43 65 34 33 24 29 46 40 27 32 47 31 19 65 19 16 18 26 21 25 13 42 50 31 CO 28 37 64 51 43 18 14 19 27 21 4 35 51 22 27 20 23 46 33 19 27 38 14 16 58 12 11 7 18 20 23 8 29 35 24 21 17 32 29 45 41-25 21-25 13-00 27-25 26-25 29-75 8-00 41-75 48-25 26-00 28-50 23-75 25-25 47-50 33-00 24-00 31-25 37-50 20-00 7-50 14-00 60-75 10-25 8*75 11-75 18-75 19-25 21-00 11-25 27-25 22-25 24-00 18-50 8-75 39-75 17-75 52-00 11-70 12-00 33-00 7-50 41-50 21-00 20-00 32-75 22-50 14-75 20-25 16-50 15-00 11-25 20-25 39-75 20-50 14-50 21-75 34-25 26-75 15-75 22-50 37-50 5-75 '19-00 29 12 8 14 17 8 4 16 33 13 15 12 13 26 17 4 10 17 11 "8 38 5 4 6 14 12 11 5 18 18 19 21 14 19 21 24 14 7 18 19 13 "l9 20 c 13 8 10 20 16 19 17 21 6 8 20 7 7 7 7 8 12 4 14 17 5 11 3 18 12 21 43 19 15 32 36 21 4 35 53 22 28 20 23 46 33 23 27 38 17 16 58 12 11 13 21 20 23 9 32 35 24 32 17 32 33 45 42-00 22-75 13-25 36-25 33-25 29-75 8-50 42-25 49-25 27-00 29-50 23-75 25-25 47-50 33-25 25-50 31-25 38-00 22-00 8-50 14-25 60-75 11-25 9-00 14-50 20-25 19-25 21-00 14-25 28-75 23-00 24-00 28-25 9-00 41-50 21-75 52-25 14-00 13-25 33-50 7-50 41-50 21-50 20-50 32-75 32-00 15-00 21-00 17-00 15-75 11-75 21-00 40-25 20-75 14-75 23-50 34-50 26-75 16-00 23-25 38-00 5-75 20-00 M M and P M and S M and P M and S 16 59 11 51 6 28 5 23 11 51 M and P M'and S M arid P M and S .. M P M and S M and P M and S 41 •"21 25 43 43 19 28 26 17 15 20 48 24 15 31 43 26 20 26 45 6 28 42 18 22 36 25 10 15 24 13 12 18 41 20 12 24 37 24 16 21 41 ■ 5 22 ■27 13 10 21 14 5 12 15 10 7 5 18 10 5 12 19' 10 8 10 24 4 12 15 6 12 15 16 5 4 9 6 5 13 24 10 7 13 18 14 9 11 17 1 11 42 19 22 36 30 10 16 24 16 12 18 42 20 12 25 37 24 17 21 41 5 23 M and P M and S P M and S M and P M M and S Totals for 1883 1,735 1 1 270 1,082 1 923 1,466 1,504-95 841 701 1,542 1,583-25 Totals for 1882 1 952 1 1,423 1,851 2,024 1 561-00 1,473 866 "708 1,574 1,648-25 1 Opened 30th April. 2 s< 1 Opened during Mi ihool closed during December quarter. 3 Side school t< iron quarter. > Closed during March quarter, 6 i Otamatea Uosed end ; openet of Septe: during June quarter, aber quarter.

E.— 2;

TABLE No. 5 Race of the Children attending the Native Village Schools on 31st December, 1883. M, Maori; M Q between Maori and half-caste; H, half-caste; E Q, between half-caste and European; E, European.

Summary of the above Table.

21

M and M Q. H. E Q and E. Totals. Schools. M. P. Total. M, P. Total. M. P. Total. M. P. Total. Te Kao Awanui Kaitaia Ahipara Pukepoto Peria Te Ngaere Tβ Moari Whangape Whakarapa Upper Waihou Waitapu Whirinaki Waima Omanaia Pakia Motukaraka .. Mangamuka .. Mangakahia Ohaeawai Kaikohe Waikare Ngunguru Matakohe Otamatea Omawharo Pouto Point Waitetuna Kirikiri Maungatapu and Huria Te Awahou Ohinemutu Eotoiti , Tarawera Maketu Matata Port Galatea . Whakatano Torere .. , Omaio Te Kaha Waiomatatini. Akuaku Tokomaru Te Oreore Papawai Waikawa Wairau Mangamaunu. Kaiapoi Rapaki . Little River Onuku Waikouaiti Otago Heads Port Molyneux Riverton Golao Bay Ruapuke The Neck 29 10 11 6 16 9 3 12 38 13 6 14 18 19 19 5 8 17 13 5 42 6 4 8 13 12 7 5 15 22 20 14 19 21 30 20 7 23 26 12 10 23 19 9 17 12 9 8 3 15 8 6 1 9 2 5 5 19 4 4 13 5 7 8 24 16 1 10 25 16 10 9 11 13 17 2 7 17 10 7 20 9 6 5 6 9 9 6 12 23 6 11 7 14 13 24 7 14 14 4 11 13 16 4 11 1 5 4 10 21 8 7 5 6 6 6 42 15 18 14 40 25 4 22 63 29 16 23 29 32 36 7 15 34 23 12 62 15 10 13 19 21 16 11 27 45 26 25 26 35 43 44. 14 37 40 16 21 36 35 13 28 13 14 12 13 36 16 13 6 15 8 11 5 27 6 9 1 1 2 2 1 2 13 2 7 1 3 4 1 1 "l 2 1 "5 "3 6 1 5 5 3 2 2 "'l 2 1 1 3 2 19 2 4 2 1 6 2 5 13 1 6 8 7 5 3 1 7 7 4 1 4 2 9 1 1 2 6 2 2 3 1 1 2 1 5 4 2 9 1 10 1 4 3 8 1 ii '3 3 1 8 7 4 5 1 3 4 4 2 4 5 2 2 6 2 11 3 15 5 1 15 5 12 1 1 3 14 9 6 8 2 4 6 5 7 8 2 14 2 3 16 32 17 11 14 20 9 5 17 40 15 17 15 18 27 21 12 13 23 16 9 43 7 6 9 18 12 12 7 24 23 23 37 21 22 45 26 9 34 27 15 11 25 23 11 17 18 11 9 5 19 13 7 15 22 10 9 12 26 4 14 16 9 10 . 17 25 16 1 26 25 19 16 9 11 19 19 15 19 24 15 10 22 12 10 9 8 9 13 6 18 27 8 23 7 15 19 25 7 25 14 6 14 18 20 8 11 8 6 6 15 , 29 11 8 16 21 . 16 11 14 19 2 14 48 26 21 31 45 25 6 43 65 34 33 24 29 46 40 27 32 47 31 19 65 19 16 18 26 21 25 13 42 50 31 60 28 37 64 51 16 59 41 21 25 43 43 19 28 26 17 15 20 48 24 15 31 43 26 20 26 45 6 28 6 8 4 2 1 'lO 5 1 7 2 2 8 'l 4, 2 11 2 2 11 3 1 2 ~8 11 1 3 "3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 2 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 2 3 3 3 1 4 4 7 2 1 13 4 6 2 1 1 3 1 7 1 2 2 5 13 3 3 3 8 1 1 1 4 1 i 6 2 13 7 6 4 1 7 11 8 8 5 1 9 24 15 14 9 2 16 7 2 6 'is 2 19 2 8 2 5 8 '3 11 2 ".6 176 8 Totals for 1883 785 596 1,381 99 99 198 168 344 1,052 871 1,923 Totals for 1882 657 1,501 106 102 208 173 315 1,123 901 2,024 844 142

Boys. Girls. Total. Percentage. laori, and between Maori and half-caste [alf-caste ietween half-caste and European, and European Totals 785 99 168 1,052 596 99 176 1,381 198 344 71-81 10-30 17-89 871 1,923 100-00

E.—2.

TABLE No. 6. Results of Inspection, 1883.

By Authority: Geoegk Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—-1884.

22

Passes o: Pupils examined. Percentage obtained at Examination; II. Classification of Teachers. Name ol School. bailed to pa-ss any Standard. I. III. IV Tβ Kao Awanui Kaitaia Ahipara Pukepoto . ' Peria Te Ngaere Te Moari Whangape Whakarapa J Upper Waihou Waitapu Whirinaki Waima . Omanaia Pakia Motukaraka Mangamuka Mangakahia Paihia . Ohaeawai Kaikolie 2 Waikare Ngunguru Matakohe Otamatea Oruawharo s Pouto Point Waitetuna Kirikiri Maungatapu and Huria J Te Awahou Ohinemutu Rotoiti Tarawera Maketu Matata TeTeko 4 . Fort Galatea l Whakatane 6 Torere Omaio Te Kaha Waiomatatini Akuaku Tokomaru ° . Tolago Bay 6 Tβ Oreore Papawai 5 . . Waikawa Wairau Mangamaunu Kaiapoi Rapaki Little River' Orniku Waikouaiti .. Otago Heads Port Molyneux Riverton Colao Bay Ruapuke 8 The Neck .. i 22 8 5 21 15 20 4 22 23 15 10 16 28 19 22 19 20 12 6 9 10 7 12 5 1C 17 11 5 22 16 4 1 7 2 6 16 18 3 4 8 5 14 3 i. 12 1 2 4 25 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 4 2 6 7 1 9 5 3 2 11 3 6 i 2 10 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 2 i 4 2 1 1 1 1 4 "i 2 1 •2 1 2 V III. III. V I. III. V. IV II. III. II. III. V III. III. V III. II. III. IV. IV II. V V IV III. III. V IV III. IV. IV V I. III. IV. IV V IV IV III. V III. IV II. IV 60-45 60-65 78-57 45-12 71-79 73-37 60-46 62-91 75-12 80-62 74-41 60-17 69-65 68-52 33-30 58-00 70-37 55-55 60-71 75-00 82-45 52-73 58-72 66-60 58-58 25-00 38-93 30-61 34-00 1 1 9 7 1 52-38 8 13 8 41 8 1 2 1 i 1 5 2 3 2 1 1 2 4 82-92 73-05 75-00 47-62 29 6 8 20 22 11 25 8 15 G 5 6 19 11 3 10 15 9 9 16 24 7 9 8 8 5 1 3 3 3 1 1 i 2 6 2 1 1 3 1 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 1 2 10 1 'i 1 '3 V V III. IV IV III. I. III. III. I. V IV II, II. 65-51 83-90 76-60 64-88 55-50 42-42 32-92 64-38 35-00 69-11 67-16 75-64 81-68 52-11 87-71 83-56 78-01 78-70 69-23 54-38 52-50 3 3 1 7 5 4 4 2 3 7 3 1 5 4 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 C 1 5 2 'i 2 8 19 8 3 3 III. 79-79 Totals for 1883 802 268 151 77 45 Totals for 1882 1,106 263 146 81 29 .3. s New jhest percenti school, age. 8 N< 4 No examination. )t visited. 5 Master died. " Closed. 1 Beoently opened. 2 Passes most numeroi 'His