NATIVE SCHOOLS. REPORTS OF INSPECTORS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1862 Session I, E-04

E—No. 4

NATIVE SCHOOLS. REPORTS OF INSPECTORS.

(Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Act 21 & 22 Vie. C. 55.)

INDEX. Government Circulars. I. Mr. Gorst: Waikato and Bay of Islands Schools. 11. Bishop of Waipa: Suggestions. 111. Messrs. Smith, Wardell, and Carkeek: Papawai Schoo., IV. Mr. Harsant: Kawhia Schools. V. Mr. Carleton: Auckland Schools. VI. Messrs. Brown and Taylor : Auckland Schools, VII. Mr. Donaldson : Napier Schools. VIII. Rev. Mr. Morgan: Otawhao SchoolIX. Messrs. Harper, Churton, Taylor, and Allison : Wanganui Schools.

CIRCULAE. Office of Minister for Native Affairs, Auckland, 23rd January, 1862. His Excellency having been pleased to appoint you to inspect the Native School at in accordance with the provisions of the Native School Act, 1858,1 am directed by the Minister for Native Affairs to make the following observations for your guidance : — The Act requires that Schools receiving Government aid shall be inspected at least once in each year, in order to record information as to the attainments and progress of the scholars, the nature of the instruction given ; the food, clothing, cleanliness, and health of the scholars ; the state of the school buildings; and generally as to the discipline, management, and efficiency of the schools. The Govrennient has, in pursuance of this, made provision tor the inspection of the various schools receiving Government aid, and is very desirous of receiving reports from all the Inspectors at the earliest possible date, in order that the same may be laid before both Houses of Assembly at the commencement of the ensuing session. The points on which information is specially required are— 1. The daily average numbers which have attended during the past year, and are now attendiag in each school. 2. The cost per head of each scholar. o. The extent to which instruction is given in the English language, and the proficiency of the scholars. 4. The extent to which individual training is carried on in each school. A'ld generally the Government will be very much obliged to you for whatever suggestions you may wish to make. A report lias been recently received from Mr. Gorst, Inspector of the Waik;ito Schools, which contains much valuable information of the nature requred ; and I enclose a cnpy of it (which you are, however, requested not to make public at present) for your perusal, and for comparison of the school you are now asked to inspect, with those visited by Mr. Gorst. I also transmit to you a copy of the Native Schools Act, 1858. H. Halse.

CIRCULAR. Office of Minister for Native Affairs, Auckland, 23rd January, 1862. The Government being desirous of obtaining all possible information respecting the progress of education among tlie Native race, I am directed by the Minister for Native Affairs to reque. t, that you will do him the favour to visit, on the part of His Excellency the Governor, any school at in which instruction is given to Maori children, but which does not receive Government aid under the Native Schools Act, 1853, and to report thereon to His Excellency. The Government is aware that it cannot claim any right of visitation over such schools, but it cannot doubt the willingness of all persons conducting them to contribute such information as may be useful to the Legislature in considering the best mode of promoting a work on which the welfare of the Native people so much dppends. The object being to present all possible details to the Assembly at the commencement of the ensuing session, I have to request tl.atyou will kindly direct your attention to this matter as soon as will be convenient to you. H. Halse.

E—No. 4.

E—No. 4.

REPORT OF J. E. GORST, Esq., INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS.

Waikato, sth December, 1861.

Sir,— In obedience te the instructions contained in your letter, dated October Bth, 1861, I visited all the Schools in the Waikato and neighbouring districts which receive government assistance, and all village schools conducted by the Natives themselves which I could hear of. I propose first to give a short account of each of these schools, and afterwards to submit to your consideration a few general facts and remarks on the education of Native children.

1.-Paetai.

There is a boarding school for girls kept by a woman named Roka, with a younger woman to help her. Roka told me there were 26 children in the school, but only 12 were forthcoming at the time of my visit. She said that the rest had gone to their own homes to fetch food for their support in the school. The chief building is a raupo house about 30 feet long, situated in a sort of street, which runs at right angles to the river; it has a door and window, but only the bare earth as floor. There are four raised cribs on which Roka and some of the girls sleep. On the opposite side of the street is a smaller raupo house, in which the rest are accommodated. Some time ago a wooden schoolhouse of large size was commenced, and the frame work has been standing for some months, but the building is now at a stand still. All the girls but one new comer were able to read their own language well. Several, who had been at Mr. Ashwell's school, could write and do a little cyphering. The others knew nothing of arithmetic beyond the Maori and English names of numbers. Roka herself knows neither writing nor arithmetic.

They are all taught the English letters, and all repeat little Catechisms in English, but with a pronunciation such that a stranger would hardly recognize his own tongue. The school is very ill supplied with books. Four little English Lesson books, Maori Testaments, and Prayer books given by the Church Missionary Society were all that could be found. They had 3 broken slates.

The girls are dressed in print frocks which were purchased with a donation of £10 given to the school by Governor Browne. The cleanliness and neatness in which they are kept is most praiseworthy. They live on the usual food of their neighbourhood, potatoes, flour, maize steeped in water till it putrifies, and meat, fish, or fruit occasionally. This school receives no support whatever from the Government. The teachers have no salary. The parents give food very freely for their children, just such as they would give them at home.

2.— Rawirts School.

This is a boarding school for boys, f.bout 6 miles above Paetai, on the river bank, and not near any Native village. A short time ago there were 15 boys at this school, but the number has recently dwindled down to 5. The reason of this, as far as I could gather it, is that Rawiri is more of a farmer than a scholar, and while the land and buildings are in admirable order and are continually being improved, there was no corresponding progress in the boys' learning. The parents thought their children were only working to enrich Rawiri, and not growing any wiser, so they took them away. Rawiri and three of his boys were at work on the other side of the river, so I could not hear his own story nor find out what the boys really knew. There are several raupo buildings forming a quadrangle ; one is a large house with a door and two windows, having the floor partly paved with pumice stone. In this are 3 bedsteads for the boys. At one end is a separate room for Rawiri and his wife, containing a bed. This school seems badly off for books. I could find nothing but Maori Testaments, and half a dozen slates, some broken. 1 have visited the school before and been much struck with the cleanliness and neatness of the boys. In this respect both Rawiri's and Roka's schools are patterns. The land round the school is being fenced in by the labour of Rawiri and his boys. The work is carried forward in a manner that would do credit to a European settler. About 8 acres are this year in wheat and lin grass. There is a small enclosed garden by the houses, in which a vine is trained over trellis work. The school appeared well off for food, there were plenty of pigs and fowls about the premises, and a quantity of cured pork hanging up in one of the houses. This school receives no Government assistance.

NATIVE SCHOOLS.

E—No. 4.

3.— Taupiri and Hopuhopu Mission Schools. These schools are under the superintendence of the Rev. B. Y. Ashwell. The former is a school for girls and young boys at Mr. Ashwell's own house, and taught by members of his own family. The latter is for older boys, and is about two miles distant, and on the opposite side of the Waikato river. It is under the charge of the Rev. Heta Tarawhiti, a Native deacon. Mr. Ashwell visits the school daily when he is at home, and the boys go down on Sundays and Fridays for religious instruction to Taupiri. A European teacher who could devote his whole attention to this school is much wanted. The two schools which are carried on as one establishment are separated by a distance of 2 miles, and a rapid river, which gives rise to no small loss of time and other inconvenience. On the other hand, to bring a school for older boys into the near neighbourhood of a girls' school might cause difficulties of a serious kind. The number of children in these schools has been very greatly reduced since the beginning of the Taranaki war. At that time the average monthly attendance was between 80 and 90, at present it is only between 40 and 50. A large proportion of the children belonged to the Ngatihaua tribe, all of whom have been taken away but 3. Almost all the older boys who lived at Hopuhopu have gone. At the time of my visit only 2or 3 boys were living at Hopuhopu. A great number left in February last, when William Thompson, Chief of Ngatihaua, went down to Taranaki, his own son among the rest. Some were taken away by their fathers, and others by their mothers and relations in the father's absence. William Thompson expressed great displeasure at what had happened. There were 34 present at inspection, viz :—7 men, 11 boys, and 16 girls. The following table shews the subjects of examination, and the attainments of the children,— Reading Maori:—All very good, except a few of the younger children. Arithmetic :—l7 understood addition 12 " multiplication 9 " subtraction 4 " division. The girls were much inferior to the boys in Arithmetic. Writing:— Good. Indifferent. Bad. Men 7 0 0 Boys 9 1 1 Girls 4 3 1 English Reading :— Ist Class 15 12 0 2nd Class 5 0 2 Most of the Men read English very imperfectly. English Translation :— 5 6 0 They translated the English Bible into Maori, and very simple Maori sentences into English. Geography :—lst Class, very fair. 2nd Class, knew very little. They are all taught to sing. The school is badly supplied with English books. About £5 was expended in English books six years ago, and Mr. Ashwell has lately bought some English lesson books, published by the Commissioners for National Education in Ireland. These books are quite fit to teach what they were intended to teach, namely, English reading; and they serve well enough for lessons in English pronunciation; but they are not suitable as text books for teaching the language to foreigners. There are no Maori books, except Bibles, Prayer-books, and religious books. There is an insufficient number of slates. There are plenty of filaps, Pictures, and Copy books, and a good black board. The school is a fine airy room with benches and tables. A gallery for class teaching is much wished for. The time is disposed of as follows :— Religious instruction by the Rev. B. Y. Ashwell 7—8.30 Breakfast 8.30 Morning School 10 1 Dinner 1 Sewing Bchool for girls,—-field work for boys 2.30—5 Tea 6 Evening school and prayers 7.30 8.15 The children live on potatoes and flour, with pork, fish, and fruit occasionally. The girls dormitory is a lartje airy room, furnished with iron bedsteads. They sleep two in a bed. Washing is done in a shed outside. The boys sleep in small parties in the raupo houses of the teachers, four in number. At Hopuhopu there is a good dormitory with iron bedsteads. All the children bring their own blankets for their beds; and, being often scantily supplied, sleep together for warmth. This school receives Government support. It is given through the " Church of England Board for Maori E lucation," which the Government recognizes under a section of the Native Schools Act, as the " Manager" of the school. The Board draws £i 0 per annum for each child in the school, and allows Mr. Ashwell £6 out of £10, and also £50 towards the salary of a teacher. The school estate is at Hopuhopu.

4

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF THE WAIKATO AND

E—No. 4

4.— Tamahere.

Until lately thpre was here a boarding-school for both sexes, kept by Philip Matewha, a Ngatil aua chief. The school-house is a very laroe raupo building, about a furlong from the village of Tamahere. Part of the floor is boarded. All the children were taken away fi< m the school by their parents in May last Philip said it was in constquence of the "trouble," and that he would not have them ngain. I was told by Vim. 'I hompson, that the cruse of the breaking up of the school was Philip's own " idle ness," for he was so long absent in Auckland, getting money from the Government, that when he came back the children were gone. On making further enquiries fiitri the Rev. J. Morgan, 1 learnt, that <n Feb 16-th. Philip applied to Mr. VcLean for a Government grant of £30, to buy clothing for his children ;on March 3<! th Mr. Morgan received a letter from the Native Office, directing him to spend £15 at his own discretion upon the school. On April 14th, Mr. Morgan went to Tamahere *o si c t1 c school ; Philip was at that time absent in AucUai d. and only seven children were left in the school. While Mr S J organ was sitting drinking lea, lie hard 1 hompson and others talking about the school, and '1 lirmpson said, " Piripi is very long away in Auckland, this man will not do for teacher for our school " On Atril lf-th, Mr. Morgan wrote to the Native Office, to recommend that no grant should be trade ; firstly, because the number of the children was so small ; and, secondly, because a Government grant was likely to do barm to the school. He got a reply from Mr. McLean to say tint before tie arrival of his letter, a giant of £8 had been made. The money was paid, and on Philip's return no children were to be found iv the school

5. — Matamata.

This is a boarding school for both sexes, under the patronage of Win. Thompson. It is situated on the plain of the Ti ames, about two miles below the new village of Peiia, and not far from the site of the (Id Matamata Pa. TI ere is a very large piece of land set apait for the school, in the angle between tsvo deep streams of tunning water, near the junction of which the school buildings are placed. The houses for hoys and gills are at a distance of about a furlong from each other, and both sexes have convenient bathing places. 'I here is one very good building, curtaining two rooms, with glazed windows, a t.ble mid a bedstead, designed for a European teacher. This school has suffered very much from the Taranaki war, tie number having been ieduced from 63 to 14. There are three teachers, Pialana, Ileinraka, and Ranieia ; the first is a chief of great rank. During part of the examination, seven giils and two young bojs only were present, the older boys were away at work ; but tinee of them made their aj penrance aftei wards. The order and discipline were excellent, The childien march in and out of school, and handle their books to a word of command, on the system pursued in infant schools. All the children read Maori perfectly. All wrote down Maori, dictated by the teacher, legibly and without any mistake. They wrote on slates. Their knowledge of arithmetic was most creditable, on the whole the best I have met with in any Maori school, They interned ihe multiplication and pence tails, end answered easily all the questions put on these subjects. All could write down figures for any number named, no one failed in a question in addition, and all but three succeeded in reducing a proposed number of ' twcpciiees' to pounds. All the arithmetic was done in Ei glish. They repented a number of little catechisms by rote, and answered questions in Scripture history well.

No geography is taught. The teacher said that even if he had maps he could only point to this place and that place and tell their names, and what wiser would the childien be. They have copy-books, but no ink, and no table to write at. They are all acquainted with the English litters, but cannot read. A strong wish is expressed to learn English, but tiiey have at present t.o opportunity. William 'I hompson and lis tribe have for years past been riving in every wa\ possible to get a European teacher for the school, but without success. The childien breakfast at eight, and have school till dinner time : after dinner they work till evening, and then have supper and evening school. They are very well fed bavin" pork every day. lam sorry to add that I came upon pits wheie putrid maize Lad been prepared. All were clean and neatly ditssed. The school has, for its present numbers, plenty of books, which were given by an English lady, and are most carefully pieterved : plenty of slates, of which I did in t find any cracked. Tiiev are preserved in a box, and carefully brought out by the teacher at the beginnii g of each lesson, and as carefully returned at the close. This school receives no Government aid ; it is supported by the produce of the land above mentioned, of which about 20 acres are this year sown with wheat. I found Thompson aud his eldest sou at work ploughing for the school

6. — Rangiaonhia.

There was a school at this place, under the superintendence of the Rev. Father Garaval It was given up in May, 1860. I was informed by Father Garaval, that there were at that time twenty four boys in the school They were suit away to vacation, and as the priest was removed from Rangiaowhia in consequence of the war, the school was given up. There are no school building!. The children lived ou potatoes, flour, and rice, with meat on Sundays and Thursdays. Some of the food was given by the parents, but all the clothing was provided by the managers of the school.

5

BAY OF ISLANDS NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1861.

E—No. 4

The natives have given about 190 acres of very suitable land, of which seven acres are fenced in, but no use is made of the rest. The school will be begun again as soon as peace is established. This school used to receive Government assistance, at the rate of £10 for each child, no deduction bern" made by Bishop Pompallier, through whom the Government grant is made.

7. — Minor Schools.

Mr. Morgan gave me accounts of three Native schools that existed formerly. 1. At Arowhena, twenty-seven miles south of Otawhao, there was a Native School containing about twenty-five children. It lasted nearly two years, and was given up about 3 years a"o, owing to the marriage of the teacher. The Natives thought his new position unfitted him for keeping school, and removed their children. The man, who was educated at Otaki, and is a good teacher, still lives at Arowhena. Mr. Morgan thinks that he would be ready to begin school again, if he had a small salary secured to him. 2. At Rangiaowhia there was a school of thirty children, carried on by Natives, and afterwards by two Europeans. It was given up about three years ago, because a Native woman who acted as matron died. The children who attended this school lived at home, and were clothed when they came eaoh day to school. No funds were ever drawn from Government for this school. 3. At Maungatautari there was a school of thirty children, kept by a Native named Hape, who has has not been at any school himself. The school was given up last year in consequence of the war. Hape still lives at Maungatautari.

B.— Otawhao School.

This school is held at the residence of the Rev. J. Morgan, and is taught by Mr. Law. There are twenty children—fourteen boys and six girls—besides a Native teacher and his wife. Five boys were absent from inspection—one tending sheep, and four oil leave to visit their parents. A half-caste boy, the son of a settler in the neighbourhood, comes every day to be taught in the school. No payment is drawn from Government for this child, nor is any given by his father.

Good. Beginners. Reading Maori 9 8 The beginners have only lately come to school. Writing 6 4 Arithmetic 8 did a sum in addition,

5 „ ~ multiplication, 4 „ „ subtraction.

3 „ „ division. Two were able to do sums in practice, and two in compound multiplication. English. —The more advanced children read out of little English lesson books, and could tell the meanings of the words in Maori. Geography. —They all seemed well acquainted with the names of places on the map. Mr. Law has only been four months at the school. The school hours are from nine to one, but the time is much broken in upon for industrial pursuits. The school is very well supplied with everything except slates and copybooks. The usual complaint was made of the unsuitableness of the English school books. A globe is very much desired.

The girls have a large dormitory, with five bedsteads. There were formerly forty girls here, but nearly all have been taken away since the war began. Many were sent by their parents to bake bread for the war parties which went to Taranaki. The boys sleep in a boarded house, with four bedsteads ; no monitor sleeps with them, but the eldest boy, who is said to be a very steady lad, has charge; three sleep at the native teacher's house. They live on potatoes, flour, and milk, with pork occasionally. Each child has an unlimited supply of milk. The children are well dressed ; the boys make their own trousers, and all the girls are taught to sew.

There is a fine estate of 780 acres belonging to the school, at the distance of about a mile. The title is disputed by two different parties. There is a party which disputes the original right of the grantors, and the grantors themselves complain that the condition on which the land was given viz. that a school should be built upon it, has never been fulfilled. The week before my visit, Ngata a Kihikihi native, said to Mr. Morgan, " You think the school land is yours, we think it is ours ; it was given for a school ; where is the school ?" Mr. Morgan has for three years been sowing grass seed on the land, and has cut down trees, and exercised other rights of ownership without opposition from the natives. The land is not fenced, so that numbers of strange cattle and horses enjoy the run. The cost of fencing would be about £120. All the boys are taught farming. There is a flock of 700 sheep and lambs (830 ewes and 128 ewe lambs), and about twenty head of cattle. Many of the latter were seized at the beginning of the war, and have not yet been returned. The natives living in the neighbourhood are constantly receiving assistance in agriculture ; Rewi and W. King had both been borrowing ploughs and harrows, and the school bullocks were engaged in ploughing for Epiha at the time of my visit. Mr, Morgan has had many applications for admission from young men who are desirous of learning agriculture, but has no accommodation for them.

6

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF THE WAIKATO AND

E—No. 4,

I enclose a letter from Mr. Morgan for your further information.

9.— Waipa School.

This school is at Kopua, on the Waipa, at the house and under the superintendence of Rev. A. Reid. There are twelve children, eight boys and four girls, all very young, one Native teacher, and two women; six of the children are half-castes. Mr. Reid intended the school for girls, of whom he had a good many at the beginning of the war, but all were taken away to attend upon the numerous war parties that passed through the neighbourhood on their way to Taranaki. The two points that most strike a stranger visiting this school are, firstly, the perfect cleanliness and tidiness of the little children, and, secondly, the remarkable distinctness of their English pronunciation. In the latter particular these children far excel any that I have heard elsewhere. In reading Maori, one man, two women, and four children are perfect, two can read imperfectly, five are only beginners, and one little one is too young to learn. Mr. Reid teaches English from the Lesson Sheets published by the Commissioners for National Education in Ireland.

The children are divided into four classes— Ist. Three readers, perfectly audible and distinct. 2nd. Three imperfect readers. 3rd. One man and three children beginning to read. 4th. Two learning letters and syllables. —All learn spelling. The two latter classes are taught by Monitors taken from the first class, and afterwards by Mr. Reid himself. The plan upon which all are taught is, that the teacher pronounces very distinctly each word or syllable, and all the pupils together repeat it after him. In this way a timid child is emboldened to make experiments in pronunciation until it hits upon the right sound. It is to this method that Mr. Reid attributes his success.

The elements of arithmetic are taught without figures. All knew the names of numbers ; nine were able to add simple numbers, and a few had done a little multiplication. '1 hey were questioned in English by Mr. Reid, on sacred history and the geography of Palestine, and gave correct answers in English. Singing is taught. The order, discipline, and attention of the children was everything that could be desired. There are books, slates, and everything necessary for carrying on the teaching in abundance. There is a boys' dormitory adjacent to the school-room, in which five boys sleep in three beds made upon the floor. The three children of the teacher sleep in his house, which is of raupo, close to the school The girls sleep in a room in Mr. Reid's house. The food of the children consists of: breakfast—wheat-meal and milk; dinner—bread, with eggs, milk or meat; supper —potatoes and milk. Each child has three suits of dungaree clothes in the year, made on the premises. The boys are taught to milk, but they are too young to do any other farm work. This school receives Government support. It is given through the Wesleyan Board of Education. The Board receives £10 from the Government per annum for each child in the Waipa and Karikariki schools, and allows Mr. Reid £6 out of the £10. Mr. Reid distributes this grant, at his discretion, between the two schools. Some of the parents of the half-caste children contribute towards their support ; others, well able to contribute, do nothing. I was informed by Mr. Reid, that schools could be at once established at Hangatiki and Mania, if an allowance were made for teachers' salaries. Mr. Reid would undertake to find good teachers.

10.— Whatawhata.

The school here came to an end at the time of the great meeting at Ngaruawahia, in the month of May, 1860. All the children ran away from school to attend the meeting, and they have never returned.

11.— Karakariki.

This school was commenced in May, 1859. The teacher is Martha, daughter of Wirimu Patene, a native deacon; she was educated under Mr. Reid, at the Three Kings' Institution, and speaks English remarkably well She receives a salary of £24 a year. The school is situated on the bank of the Waipa, about ten miles above Ngaruawahia. The parents of the children have lately built a large raupo house, 45 feet long, with sleeping places partitioned off at each end. It is all finished except the windows and doors, which are to come from Auckland.

The present school-room has four glazed windows, and was also built by the parents. It is very neat and clean, and part of the floor is boarded. There are eighteen children in the schoool, six boys and twelve girls, of whom five boys and eleven girls were present at inspection. None of the children are half-caste.

The children are divided into two classes ; the first contained one boy and seven girls ; the second, three boys and four girls. One little child is too young to learn.

7

BAY OF ISLANDS NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1861.

E—No. 4

Reading Maori Ist class, all perfect, 2nd „ one perfect, three read fairly, two beginners. Writing Ist class, six good and two fair. English Reading. ..lst class, six very good, two middling. 2nd ~ four can read easy English words, two are only learning the alphabet. I was much astonished at the excellence of the English teaching. It is conducted on Mr. Reid'r^ plan, and the pronunciation is very little inferior tJ that of his own school. The older girls, who formed the Ist class, answered more readily, spjke louder, aud were less shy and afftClcd than any I had before seen. English Translation. —Ist class, very good. "^^ Of all the schools I have seen, the girls' school at Kohanga is the only one that surpasses this in knowledge of English. This class learnt by heart and repeated a verse from the English Bible. Both classes learn spelling. Arithmetic. —Only two succeeded in an addition sum, and one in subtraction. Several others attempted, but made mistakes. They answered questions in mental arithmetic well. The 2nd class knew the names of numbers. The arithmetic is much inferior to the rest of the school teaching. Geography and Sacred History. — Both classes answered questions on the geography of Palestine and on scripture history very well. 'Ihe school is well supplied with everything but English books. The Bible is used as a text book for teaching the English language. The writing has been hitherto on slates only, but they are now making writing desks. The food is entirely supplied by the parents, and consists of potatoes, flour, meat, and milk. It is sometimes deficient in seasons of scarcity. There is a raupo house near the school, in wheh six of the girls sleep. The rest sleep in their parents' houses in the neighbourhood, some on the opposite side of the river. They all take their meals together. There are 100 acres of school land, of which 20 have been recently fenced in by Mr. Reid, but there is no stock. The school is supported partly by the parents and partly by Mr. Reid ; the former find buildings, and food, and one suit of clothes every year ; the latter, a school-mistress, books, &c. and the rest of the clothing. This school did not lose a single child in consequence of the war.

12.— Tapahina Schools.

There were two schools, one for boys and one for girls, at some distance from each other, in this village ; they were taught by a man named Mark, and his wife Miriam. These have been recently given up. Mark says that the children went away ; that their parents wished them to return, but they would not.

13.— Kohanga School.

This school is at the house and under the superintendence of Archdeacon Maunsel). There ar» three separate schools in the establishment, for boys, infants, and girls. (I.) In the boys' school, taught l>y Mr. George Maunsell, there were fourteen boys. Maori Reading. —Ten very good, two imperfect, and two are only learning syllables. Arithmetic 12 did a sura in addition, 8 „ „ multiplication, 8 „ „ subtraction, 1 „ „ division. All answered questions in mental arithmetic well. English —lst class. Four boys. Two good, two bad. The pronunciation was indistinct, and they could only translate single words. 2nd daai Six boys. Very fiiir. 3rd class. Four boys. Are only beginners, and can read little words. English Dictation. —lst and 2nd classes. Two good, one fair, seven bad. Writing —Ist class. Two good, two bad. 2nd class, six gond. 3rd class, four only beginners. Geography. —They all knew the names of the countries, capitals, rivers, mountains, &c. The boys were very talkative and inattentive. Tliere are books enough for the present number. They read a little English book published by the Melanesian mission, which appears more luitahle for teaching English than any I have seen in other schools. Theie is a good boarded school room and a class-room. Iho boys tleep in a raupo building filled with iron beds. Their bedding is supplied by the parents. A monitor sleeps in a separate room at the end of the building, to look after the boys. (2.) The infant school is taught partly by Mr. George Maunsell and partly by a native woman named Mary Newton, who is paid a small salary ; five of the older girls also take it in turns to assist in teaching. There are twenty-two children in this school : seven in the fiist class, ten in the 2nd, three little ones learning the alphabet, and two babies. Maori eading. — Ist class. Six read very well. 2nd class. Five read little words and syllable*, and the rest are just; acquainted with lettera.

8

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF THE WAIKATO AND

E—No. 4.

Cyphering. —They did an addition sum on the blackboard, all helping. Most of them knew the figures for numbers below a hundred. They did subtraction and multiplication sums also in the same way.

Object Lessons. —They are taught the names of different 'orms and colours, and the general properties of various objects contained in a box of miscellaneous specimens. They appeared very JsjEuch interested in this kind of teaching. l Writing.- -Two very good, two fair, eight bad. English Reading. —Five read words of one syllable well ; six can read little words of one syllable ; six know the English alphabet. They are taught singing by Mary Newton, and perform very well. (3.) I he girls'school, consisting of eighteen girls frnm the age of twelve to twenty, is entirely taught by Mrs. Maunsell. Maori Reading. —All perfect. Writing. —Twelve write in copy-books very well : on slates, one writes well, two fairly, and three badly. Arithmetic —lst class. Two women. Did sums in practice and proportion quite correctly. 2nd class. Two girls. Did sums in compound multiplication and division quite correctly. 3rd class. Eight girls. 7 did a sum in division, 7 „ ~ compound addition, 3 „ ~ compound subtraction, 1 „ „ reduction. 4th class. Six girls. 6 „ „ addition, 4 „ „ subtraction. All failed in multiplication. Mental Arithmetic —Very fair. English Reading. — Ist class. Five girls All read very well, but only one has a good pronunciation. They translated excellently. Some questions in grammar were very fairly answered. 2nd class. Ten girls. Read the lessons published by the Melanesian mission. Eight read well, but not with a good pronunciation. They translate very well. 3nd class. Three girls. Read very easy words of one syllable, which they are able to spell and translate.

English Dictation —Ist and 2nd classes. Four good, thirteen fair, one bad. Geography. —They were examined upon the Map of England, and appeared to know all the names of the towns, rivers, &c

The discipline and attention of the girls were excellent. Object l^essons. —They are all taught the properties of objects. They were examined on the subject of salt, and answered well. Besides the children above mentioned, there are four monitors, one young man, a monitor's wife, and two matrons maintained in the establishment. The total number, at the time of my visit, was sixty-two. The girls and infants' sleeping rooms are in Archdeacon Maunsell's own house. There are three rooms, all large and lofty. In the first are four beds, in which five women and a little boy sleep, In the second eight beds, in which twelve girls and a little boy sleep ; and six other girls sleep on the floor of the room. In the third are eight beds, for one woman, two girls, and twelve young boys ; and there are four more children on the floor. There are troughs for washing, in the passage outside. All find their own blankets ; but the mattrasses and quilts, which are very neat, are furnished by the school.

All the children have their meals in a large common hall. They have breakfast—wheat-meal, porridge, usually with milk and bread; dinner—potatoes, pork, and some vegetables ; supper —tea or porridge, with bread and sugar. The school estate consists of 750 acres, all enclosed. It contains three swamps. One of 30 acres has been drained at an expense of £70, another is partially drained, and the third and largest is now being drained. There are twenty head of cattle, 800 (?) sheep and lambs, and ninety taken on terms from Walter Kukutai, of which the school gets the wool The children have, for a long time, suffered from a troublesome eruption on the skin, which has occasioned a considerable reduction of numbers.

14.— Waimate, Bay of Islands.

I have also, by Mr. Fox's direction, inspected the school at the Waimate, Bay of Islands. The school had been in existence only for 4 months at the time of my visit. Mr. Ireland is the teacher. There were 23 children in the school, 17 boys and 6 girls. There had been as many as 41 but the number had been diminished in consequence of whooping-cough breaking out in the school. Two of the children have a European father and a half-caste mother, the man has been absent from his wife for some time, he corresponds with her but does not assist her ; the mother is employed as an assistant teacher in the school.

Maori Reading. —lst Class. 12 children. Only two, a boy and a girl were able to read; the boy has learnt since the school began, the girl was taught by her mother at the Maori village. 2nd Class. 7 children. They were being taught to read out of the Maori Bible, there being no lesson cards.

English Reading. —lst. Class. They are taught on a plan similar to that pursued by Mr. Reid. None can read alone yet, nor can any understand English.

9

BAY OF ISLANDS NATIVE SHOOLS, 1861.

E—No. 4

Arithmetic. —They knew the ni'tnes of numbers and the figures for them. No wriitng is taught. The school was totally unprovided with the materials necessary for teaching. 10 Maori Testa^ments and a few lesson sheets pasted upon the wall were all that were forthcoming. There were no copy books, no maps, a bad black board, no chalk, and only a few broken slates. The children are fed upon rice, flour, and milk. They have meat three times a-week. The school is held in an old mission house. The bedrooms are in the attics. The boy's bedroom contains a sort of shelf along the wall, upon which 12 of the boys sleep, and 3 more are upon the floor. It is much too crowded. The matron's room accommodates a woman and two children. In the girl's room 5 girls sleep on the floor. The parents provide mats and blankets for their children, and a few of them, part of the clothing. They do nothing else for the school which subsists on the usual government grant. Mr. Ireland says that there is no prospect of establishing any village schools. The mode in which the Government has hitherto promoted the education of Native children has been by large yearly grants to three religious bodies, which have Native schools under their superintendence. 'Ihe Government reserves to itself no right to control the distribution of the sums of money which it contributes ; it is merely a subscriber to a large amount, and exercises just so much influence as the fear of a withdrawal of the subscription confers. It is true that the Native Schools Act, 1858, specifies certain conditions on which the grants are made, for instance; that the children shall have industrial training, instruction in the English language, and sleep on the school premises, but these regulations, sometimes from sheer impossibility, are not always practically carried out, and the Government ha 3 used no means for ascertaining or compelling their observance. Under the provisions of the Native Schools Act, the schools ought to be visited each year by an Inspector ; the office has been honorary and irregular, and never discharged twice by the same person. His function is that of simply reporting, and though the duties have often been mast ably performed hy gentlemen of high position in the colony, Ido not learn that iheir reports ever produced action on the part of Government. It is to the integrity of the individual managers and not to the vigilance of the Government, that the right appropriation of the public money is due. The shape in which Government aid finally reaches the schools is an annual grant of head money, usually at the rate of £G. The Waikato schools at present furnish a striking example of one of the objections to the system of suppoiting schools by grants of head money alone, namely, that it pushes a a sinking school down. Part of the cost of keeping up a school is independent of the number of children maintained, therefore school expenses do not increase and decrease in proportion to the number of scholars, and when the number is going down and the means decreasing faster than the costs, the position of the responsible manager becomes each day more perplexing. In Waikato, from various causes, but chiefly from the war, the n embers of all the schools have been greatly reduced, and as each child is removed, it becomes more difficult for the manager not to retrieve, but to maintain, his position. The grant of t'6 a-head is not enough to maintain a child. Managers differ as to the exact Co3t of maintenance, their calculations ranging from £6 10s. to £8, but all agree in stating that the grant alone will not keep the child. The consequence is that managers are always on the look out for extraneous resources, they all suffer from ' That perpetual want of pence That vexes public men,' and most of them are compelled to screw down the costs to the lowest possible amount. The food given to the children is in some cases no better, if as good, as what they would get in a Maori village; their clothing is ragged and sordid; their bedrooms are bare of the furniture and decencies of civilization, and over-crowded with human beings; the books are torn and dirty; simply because the managers literally cannot afford the children the luxuries of clealiness, privacy, and better nourishment. It may be argued that to throw the managers partly on their own resources stimulates them to search for support for their schools, but I cannot think it just that one who has undertaken so arduous a task as the education of Native children should be saddled with the additional burden of raising funds for his work. The Government, at all events, should take care, that its grant amply covers the expenses of all those children which it requires to be maintained. The smallness of the head money is no doubt caused by a laudable desire on the part of those who have the distribution of the Government funds to bring as many children as possible into their schools. It is not impossible however that to educate a small number well might tend more to the improvement of the race, than to educate a large number badly; nor is it a hopeless task to endeavour to call in a more valuable and powerful auxiliary than even the Government, I mean the Natives themselves. Native village schools have existed in very great numbers, and their good effect in civilizing those who have established and supported them, and in reducing the wild, dirty, and naked children of a Native village to some kind of order and cleanliness, and to simple comprehensive garments, can hardly be over-estimated. These schools have usually begun with prodigious energy, speedily arrived at a pinnacle of success, dwindled down, and at last disappeared, and it has been therefore argued that Maories have no perseverance, and will never succeed in maintaining permanent schools. The cases of failure present great variety, hardly two schools having failed from the same cause, but they may be mostly embraced under two types: (1.) where the teacher gets tired of the school: (2.) where the school gets tired of the teacher. The former case might possibly be in some degree cured by giving the teacher a payment for his work ; they have generally kept school for nothing, and few even of our own countrymen would be so persevering as to do it for more than two years on such terms.* The second case is more hard of cure, as it generally arises from incapacity on the part of teachers,

10

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF THE WAIKATO AND

E—No. 4.

which it will take a long time to remove. There are very few good Maori teachers ; in most Native schools, they succeed in teaching reading and in nothing else. If a small treatise on Arithmetic were published in the Native language, appealing not to rules but to reasons, I think they would soon add Arithmetic to the school course. They usually do what is called "Mental Arithmetic" well; it is figures, which they very imperfectly understand, that trouble them. At all events, the incapacity of the present Native teachers argues some failure in the present system, and some necessity for a change. I am not aware that Native schools have ever failed from a deficiency of food, but they often suffer from scarcity when the parents have none to give. Natives give food liberally when they have it, but nothing but the gradual development of provident habits and stores will ensure their beii g always in possesson of a supply. If the Government would offer, that in all those places in which the Natives would erect suitable buildings, say, separate sleeping houses for boys and girls, and a school-room, and undertake to feed and clothe the children, it would give a salary for a teacher, and the books, slates, maps, &c, necessary for teaching, a large number of Native schools would be at once called into existence. Teachers would probably be recommended by the resident Missionaries, under whose general superintendence it would be desirable to place the schools. The continuance of the teacher's salary might be made conditional on the teaching reaching a certain stnndard of efficiency, the children being properly fed and clothed, and the buildings being kept in repair ; all which facts might be ascertained by visits of a responsible Officer of Government. A system like this is in operation at Karakariki, under the Rev. A. Reid's superintendence, with admirable results; the school has passed the two years, which seems the allotted term of Native school.', and is in a state of high efficiency. Part of the clothing is given in addition to the books and teacher's salary. The Native village schools by themselves, even if permanently established, would improve very slowly ; the best way to hasten their progress is to furnish good models to imitate. It is always easier to copy a pattern, than to originate a design* If the managers of the existing mission schools were permitted to take fewer children, and train them up in the decencies of civilization, as well as in learning habits of industry, the Natives would riot like their own schools to be behindhand in this particular. If the grants of Government money were made direct to the real managers of the schools, and for specific purposes, the Government would be in a position to influence the energies of the managers towards the attainment of this end, For example :— (1). To make grants for buildings would enable the Government to take care that ample accommodation was provided for each child. As an illustration of what I mean, a regulation might be made, and would be eagerly carried out by the managers, had they the means, that, instead of the children sleeping in v crowded room, two and three on narrow bedsteads, and others huddled upon the floor, each child should have a separate bed with clean and sufficient bedding, screened from the rest by a low wooden partition or a curtain. I have been assured by two or three experienced and successful managers of Native schools, that to have a place of their own, where they could enjoy the luxury and benefit of privacy, would be a boon gladly accepted and highty valued, at least by the elder children ; that the care of their own place would promote habits of order, cleanliness, and refinement, and a distaste for the communism of the Native village ; and that the outlay required for the attainment of all these benefits would be about five or six shilling a head. (2). If grants were made for teachers' salaries, the Government could provide that each school had an efficient European teacher, without any duties that involved absence from the school. (3) Government might supply each school with sufficient antl suitable books, and other apparatus for teaching, and make the manager of the school responsible for their preservation. (4.) A grant of head money would enable the Government to require so many, and so many only, to be maintained as could be provided with becoming and sufficient clothing, fed on wholesome diet, and generally kept as well as an English child. An example would be so set to the Natives, of treating the children in such a way as to check that prevalence of scrofulous disease, which is a chief cause of the rapid decrease of the race. Lastly.it is impossible that schools can be improved by the Government, unless they are regularly visited and inspected by some responsible Officer, and unless the Government secures some guarantee for the observance of its regulations, by reserving power to withdraw its grants from particular schools. It is not impossible that luropean schools, so conducted, might become sufficiently popular among the Natives to attract several candidates to supply any vacancy. Should this be so, either the parents might be induced to offer some payment for admission, which would enable the number of children in such schools to be increased, without additional cost to the Government, or the most promising child among the candidates might be chosen for admission. In the latter case, the European schools would become secondary schools, in which the best children from the Native villages could have their education carried to a higher stage. This wouhl prepare the way for what has been much desired and talked of, a college in which the best of the Native race could be trained to scientific and learned professions. Good schools are a necessary preliminary to a College. No one is fit for or much benefited by admission to a college, whose education has not been carried up to a certain point in a school. Until the country is covered by numerous and efficient Native schools, Native Colleges are an impossibility ; they can only become, what most Colonial Colleges are, schools for big boys. J. E. Gorst. The Hon. the Minister for Native Affairs.

11

BAY OF ISLANDS NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1861.

E—No. 4

lI,—MEMORANDUM ON NATIVE SCHOOLS BY THE BISHOP OF WAIAPU. It being the whh of the Government to establish schools more extensively throughout the Native districts, it is important to enquire into the best means by which this measure may be carried out. First, as to the persons by whom such schools may be conducted. If English agency is to be extensively used, the expense will be necessarily enormous. There is a house to be provided, and an income, which though moderate in itself, is excessive when multiplied by the number of schools. Besides which, there is the difficulty of finding the men. Out of a tolerably large body of selected men in connection with the Church Missionary Society, there are but few who are competent, or who have the patience to undertake, not the smooth part, but the rough and the smooth together. My recommendation therefore is, that a suitable number of central schools shall be kept up, which will serve the purpose, not only of providing for that which is our first object, namely, a supply of Native Clergymen, but to insure a competent staff of Native teachers, to take charge of such schools as the Government wishes to establish. Then again, as to the support of the said schools. In those of a centr.il character, supplied with pupils from a distance, who are removed from their friends, the scholars must be fed and clothed from independent sources; but very much of the food may be raised by the scholars themselves. Other schools may be conducted at convenient localities, within reach of the parents and friends of those to be instructed. For this, there will be required Natives competent to undertake the charge, with a very moderate subsidy fiom the Government. It is the want of some payment, which may compensate the teacher for the sacrifice of his time, which has led to the failure of many attempts, which have been made to keep up village schools under the protection of Missionaries. The Missionary Societies are not able to expend money upon this object, and the Natives are not sufficiently alive to the benefits of education, to induce them to persevere in giving all the support which is necessary. There are many cases in which Natives have expressed a strong wish for a school for their children; land has been set apart; the Natives of the tribe have undertaken to sow wheat and plant potatoes ; the parents have agreed to supply clothing, and furthermore to pay a cettain sum weekly, which was to furnish income for the teacher: but late in the season the food has fallen short, and the scholars have dispersed ; or the payments to the teacher have been forgotten, and he has felt it necessary to seek some other means of providing for the necessaries of life. But the more general cause of failure has been that the teacher was an inferior man. All that is required for the successful working of the plan is ;— First, the suitable men, whom we can undertake to supply gradually from our central schools. Secondly, that the Natives be required to set apart ground, and to cultivate the food which is necessary. Thirdly, that they keep their children supplied with suitable clothing. Fourthly, that the Government give a very moderate income to the master, making its continuance to depend upon his own diligence, and also upon the fulfilment ot the part undertaken by the Natives. Fifthly, that a supervision over the master, as to punctuality of attendance to duty, be maintained by the Magistrate of the district ; but that the direction of instruction be in the hands of the Clergyman, it being premised that the Government will put forth a general scheme for the instruction which is to be given. William Waiapu. Auckland, January 24, 1862.

III—.REPORT OF INSPECTORS OF ST. THOMAS'S COLLEGE, PAPAWAI. Having this day inspected the above Institution, we have to report that we found the social position of the boys, as regards food and clothing, to be very satisfactory. The boys appean d to be healthy and happy. The respect and confidence they exhibited in their schoolmaster, Mr. Hall gave us much pleasure. The Dormitory appeared to us to be too small for the number of boys (14 boys) occupying it, and we recommend that an additional room should be erected. The secular knowledge of the boys is, in consequence of the institution havino- been but recently established, necessarily confined to the rudiments of education ; we were, however, much surprised at the progress they have made in reading simple lessons in the English language, and in writing, the progress we consider highly creditable to Mr. Hall. The industrial training of the boys appears to us to have been well attended to. Wm. Smith ) Herbert E. Wardell I Inspectors,. S. Carreer } Wellington, 21st March, 1862.

12

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4.

IV.—REPORT BY MR. HARSANT ON SCHOOLS AT KAWHIA.

Raglan, February 22nd, 1862. In conformity with instructions contained in a letter dated January 23rd, 1862, I visited, as Inspector, the School at Kawhia. Ahu Ahu, where the Mission School is carried on by the Rev. C. H. Schnakenberg, Wesleyan Minister, is situated on a peninsula of land jutting out into the harbour. The establishment consists of— 1. A large, old fashioned, comfortable Mission House, in bad repair. 2. A weather-beard house, in which the half-caste children sleep. 3. The Chapel, also used as a school-room. This is really a noble weather-boarded room, and without any pretension whatever, is, in my opinion, better adapted than any I have hitherto seen for the purpose for which it was built. It is 45 feet long, 35 feet wide, has ceiling beams of that span, and is well lighted by 12 windows. The roof wants some repair. 4. Boys' sleeping room. This a raupo building, with chimney attached. The accommodation superior to what the boys would have wiih their parents, but what Europeans would consider bad. Mr. Schnakenberg stated that he intended to alter and improve this building, at an expense estimated at £30. 5. A good weather-hoard house, well partitioned, partly occupied by Mr. Edward, the Native teacher, and his wife and children ; otherwise used as a doimitory for the girls. It seems to possess (bedsteads excepted) all requisite conveniences and comforts. 6. Various out-buildings. The number (including four half-castes) taught in the school at the present time, is 24: 4 teachers, 13 boys, 7 girls—24. The pupils are under the management and tuition of Mr. and Mrs. Schnakenberg, assisted by a young lady named Allen, (who has lately arrived from England, and who seems to enter upon the duty with spirit and earnestness), and are divided into two classes. The First Class contains about 12, who read English and Maori—some readily, others more or less perfectly. They are taught spelling. In Arithmetic, three or four were able to do a rather difficult multiplication sum quickly and correctly; the others did it with more or less assistance. The Multiplication Table seems generally nown. I noticed that four wrote well. In Geography at present little progress is made. The Second Class were mastering the alphabet and monosyllables. The Books used. Step by Step, Easy Lesson Books of Sunday School Union, London, Wesleyan Catechism, and Testament. The Singing very fair, and likely to he good under the able tuition of Miss Allen. The daily routine seems to be: in the morning, befoie breakfast, religious instruction and Maori only, taught by Mr. Schnakenberg; in the forenoon, boys, out of door employment; girls, in the mission house, learning sewing. &c, &c, under Mrs. Schnakenberg and Miss Allen: in the afternoon, English, &c, &c, taught by Mr. Schnakenberg and the ladies. The Books and Stationery seem sufficient. The Food consists of meat and fish every other day, flour, potatoes, rice, sugar, and milk. The Clothes (mostly made up on the station) are composed of prints, calicoes, and dungarees ; shawls for females. Each has a blanket. The children seemed obedient and attentive. Excepting one girl with opacity of the cornea, from scrofulous inflammation, and a little halfcaste girl, with symptoms threatening phthisis, all were perfectly healthy. I'he Government aid towards the School is £7 per head. Being requested by Mr. Skinner, I visited Aotea School. Motu Karaka, situated on the west side of Aotea Harbour, is conducted (under the supervision of the Rev. Jas. Wallis, of Raglan, Wesleyan, Minister) by Mr. and Mrs. Skinner. The Station has— 1. Mission House, where Mr. Skinner lives, and in which the girls sleep. It is in bad repair. 2. Large raupo Chapel, where school is also held. 3. Raupo House, with good Maori accommodation for sleeping for boys. 4. Teacher's House, where some of the boys sleep. 5. Various out-buildings. The average number is 26 or 28. The present number 22, viz.: boys 8, girls 10, teachers 4—22. The pupils undergo nearly the same routine as at Kawhia, and are taught from nearly the same books. The supply of stationery was not so good. The pupils are divided into two classes. In the First Class there are about 13, who read, some readily, English and Maori, and who appeared to understand what they read, translating words from English into Maori, and vice versa. They are taught spelling. Most of them can write, some very well. I was pleased to hear them, in their queer sing song way, repeat the Multiplication and Pence Tables correctly. Several are making progress with the first rules of Arithmetic, and quickly did some addition sums, without figures.

13

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

The Second Class were learning their letters, and to put them together at the time, under Maka, their Minister.

Mr. Skinner teaches them to sing; and if perhaps a fastidious man might say the performance was not good, he could not help remarking that every child in the room knew the tune, and appeared to join in. The Food.—Mutton occasionally, fish, potatoes, flour, rice, and milk. Parents have ceased to help here as they formerly did. The Clothing, which is mostly made up on the station, consists of prints, calico, and dungaree ; some of the elder boys have blue shirts and moleskin trowsers ; the monitors shirts and browsers. Where the parents do not provide blankets the school does. One child had a cicatrix of some former scrofulous sore in the neck, but he, and all the rest, looked in perfect health, and clean. Mr. Skinner receives £8 13s. 4d. per head. The children were attentive and well behaved, though Mr. Skinner mentioned that, owing to the war, he had seen a spirit of insubordination he had not previously. W. HARSANT.

V.—REPORT BY HUGH CARLETON, Esq., ON NATIVE SCHOOLS IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland, April, 1862. In compliance with th*> terms of your letter of 23rd January last, in appointing me, with Messrs. Hunter Brown and Taylor, to inspect certain schools in the Province of Auckland, I have the honour to report as follows:— I have visited St. Mary's and St. Ann's schools, the Three Kings, and St. Stephens. It is unnecessary in this report to report the whole of the information which has been already conveyed to you by my coadjutors, in whose hands our examination papers have been placed. I follow the course pursued by me on a former occasion, when appointed to a similar duty in 1858, of makinoa separate report, in order to lay before you the general conclusions to which I have arrived concerning the system under which native education is conducted. In so doing, I request that this may be taken in conjunction with my former report, to the views contained in which, with some modifications suggested by further experience, I adhere. I shall, first, however, comply with your more special instructions, by giving an account, details omitted, of our proceedings in the performance of the duties assigned to us. It was agreed among ourselves, that no intimation of our intended visit should be given to any of the schools, but that they should be taken by surprise, with a view to enabling the Inspectors to observe their ordinary condition. St. Mary's. We proceeded first to the inspection of St. Mary's on the North Shore. At the College we found two gentlemen in holy orders, and a Maori boy. These gentlemen told us that the priest was away; that they had been there but a short time, and could give us no information. After some further explanation of our object, one of them offered to find the schoolmaster, Mr. Macdonald, and conducted us to the School-house, situated about a mile from the College. The School-house is a Maori building of two rooms, the inner one having a boarded floor. The furniture consists of one table, a bench, and a chair, with a map of the world. On enquiring for the books, we were told that the scholars had takeu them to their houses. We were informed by a Native that the scholars and the schoolmaster were at work in a wheat field not far distant, to which we proceeded. We saw two or three men at work in the field, and a woman. In the creek below were several Natives collecting pipis. Afttr awhile Mr. Macdonald joined us, and we returned with him to the School-house. We asked Mr. Macdonald, how many Natives were on the establishment? he told us about sixty. How many were on the estate that day ? about forty. He was requested to muster them at the College: meanwhile our enquiry was continued. It appeared that there were no fixed school hours; occasional attendance at the School-house in the morning, but none in the afternoon. We enquired for the dormitory, and were told that the Natives lived in their own whares. At a later period we saw a tolerably comfortable house for a half-caste family. No supervision appeared to be exercised in the Native houses. Among the answers to enquiries concerning meals at the College was the following :—" They are supposed to have breakfast at half-past eight." The impression left upon my mind is, that the greater number are not boarded at the College, but live entirely at their own whares. Among other questions and answers were these:—"Had you any school here this morning?" " I had." " How many were present ?" '• I cannot say exactly." " Were there a dozen ?" " Yes, there were more than a dozen." From the School-house we proceeded to the College. Sixteen had mustered. I regret to say that the result of the examination was not satisfactory. I may here observe that the examinations in all the schools were conducted on a system of marks, in the apportionment of which we all agreed. The teachers were also invited to observe what marks were given to each scholar, the Inspectors being desirous that the nature of their report should iv each case be anticipated by those in charge of the several schools. I requested Mr. Macdonald to produce the register of attendance of scholars, required by Sec. vi. of the Native Schools Act. He told me that it was in the room above, locked up in the priest's box. I asked, " how could the daily entries be made, in accordance with the regulations of the Governor ?"

14

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

lie said that he should enter the attendance from memory, on the priest's return. I reminded him that he had already forgotten how many scholars had been in attendance that morning, and asked Lim whether his memory was likely to be clear in a week's time ? He told me that if 1 doubted bis word, he would take me up stairs, and show me the box in which the register was kept —that is to say, the outside of it. I said I was quite content to take his word for it, that the register was there, but that I should not be much the wiser for a sight of the box. I mention this conversation as a proof that the manager of the School has nO longer the means of furnishing complete returns of attendance for at least that quarter. St, Ann\. I am glad to be able to state, that the result of the inspection of St. Ann's school was much more satisfactory. We took the boy's school by surprise, and proceeded at once to the dormitory, in order to allow no time for setting the room to rights. In it there was not much fault to find. The room is large and airy, with twelve bunks along the walls. Two blankets are allowed to each ; not, however, so clean as they should be. We observed that the fire was made Maori fashion, in the centre of the room. But one of the main objects in a Native boarding school should be to wean the scholars from Maori habits, and to substitute European. This is not the least essential part of the education they ought to receive. It will scarcely be maintained that education consists only ot book learning. We were informed that as soon as the building of the Convent—a short distance from the present establishment—shall be completed, the girls' school will be removed to it, and that the whole of the premises at St. Ann's will then be given up to the boys. The North Shore scholars are then to be brought across; St. Mary's remaining as a farm. The exact result of the examination will be seen by the number of marks allotted; it suffices here to say that it was moderately good. The average attendance 13 fourteen. The register appears to be Kept with some regularity, and I see no reason to doubt its correctness. It was evident, however, upon close examination, that " the transverse lines" of entry, required by the Governor's regulations, had not been made day by day, as in strictness they ought to be; nor, indeed, does this appear to have been done at any of the schools which we were appointed to visit. Registering of absence, and not of attendance, appears to be kept by the managers; the Government return papers being filled up only from time to time. This may come to the same thing in the end, but is not precisely what was required. The girls' school at St. Ann's was, of course, allowed a short notice of our arrival; nor, indeed, could we in any case have been allowed to enter until the airival of the Bishop, the rule being strict in that regard. The management of the girls' school seemed very good, in every respect; a model of neatness and regularity. The observation made upon the Government register on the boys' side of the establishment, applies to this side also; but owing to the strictness of the discipline maintained, there can be no doubt of the regularity of attendance. The Three Kings. We proceeded at once to the dormitories. On the boys' side in fair order. Two blankets and a coverlet are allowed to each bed; we were told, also an under sheet; but that the sheets were away at the wash. The Native monitor's room is quite European in style. The girls' dormitory is in another house, in excellent order. The same fault, however, is still to be found which I observed on a former inspection—the lack of appliances for personal cleanliness. We saw but one small wash-hand basin in the dormitory ; hanging over it, one roll towel. The number of scholars on the books was twenty-seven; four arrivals were expected on the following day. Present on the day of inspection, twenty. The result of the examination moderately good. The Government return of attendance is not made up daily ; but quarterly, from the master's private book, in which absence is recorded. If a scholar sleeps on the premises, he is considered returnable, St. Stephen's. The dormitories art the best that we have seen. Instead of one or two large rooms, there are eleven small ones, remarkably clean, with conveniences for washing in each, Also a room for the Melanesian boys, when on visit. The whole establishment appears to be on a very satisfactory footing, although, as nearly as I can learn, not precisely in accordance with the terms of the trust. But I have not examined the trust deed or grant. Proficiency of the scholars, good upon the whole. We were informed that a few of the best had left a short time before. General Observations, I ask leave to append a few remarks upon the present system of Native education, supplementary to those contained in the report which I was directed to make in 1858. On a general review, anil after allowing for late disturbances, I cannot say that the system has achieved success. A large sum being contributed in aid by Government, the questions arise,—how many are taught for the money ? how much the scholars learn for the money ? and how far they are permanently weaned from Native habits ? The extreme numbers are before the Government in the returns furnished by the managers; the numbers present at examination, in the report made by the Inspectors. It will scarcely be maintained that the expectations from the grant are fulfilled. It is evident that education is exceptional, that it does not reach the masses. The managers of the schools are not to blame for this; on the ccntrary 8

15

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

in their anxiety to increase the number of scholars, they seem too indiscriminate in regard to admission, The fault must be in the system. In regard to the amount of learning acquired, I am obliged to state that the examinations have not been so creditable as when I last inspected, four years ago. An exception must be made for St. Stephen's, where there is some improvement. This, however, may be attributed to peculiar advantages enjoyed there, in the services of volunteer preceptors. The teaching of English must be pronounced almost a failure, every where. Few, however, of those who have not actually made the attempt, seem to be aware of the great difficulty of teaching to persons unaccustomed to mental exertion, a language wholly dissimilar in structure to their own. A similar difficulty is not unfrequeutly met with even amongst ourselves. A Frenchman would acquire all the Romance languages with facility, because they are cognate to his own ; but rarely acquires the mastery over tongues of Teutonic origin. There are not many among ourselves, in this colony, who have acquired a sound grammatical knowledge of the Maori language, or who have got beyond the mixed jargon which passes current between the t(vo races. Even such elementary school books as are needed for the more easy teaching of English to Natives have yet to be compiled. It has been found that ordinary English lesson books are far from sufficient for the purpose here; they have to be re-written, with special regard to the peculiarities of the Maori language. A mechanist, whose inventions were of a highly original character, once told me, that he not only had to devise ths machinery, but also to invent the tools with which to fashion the parts. Our preceptors are in a like predicament; they have yet to make their tools. I am informed that the task for compiling the necessary school books would be voluntarily undertaken, if a moderate sum to cover necessary expenses, printing, &c, were allowed from the Government grant. I have already suggested that prizes should be given for proficiency in the study of Ko Nga Ture, the digest of English law which has been made for the use of Native Magistrates. It would be well that prizes were also offered for proficiency in the English tongue. As a further inducement to exertion, hopes of e.nployment in the Government service might be held out. I have enlarged upon this branch of the question, feeling that it cannot be too strongly insisted on, and being convinced that civilization canuot be attained through the medium of an uncivilized and imperfect language. The question, how far the scholars are permanently weaned from Native habits, must be referred to those who are domiciled in Native districts.

In a former report I painted out, though with much reserve, the inconveniences attendant upon the distribution of Government aid by means of an annual grant of head money. Time and experience have strengthened me in that opinion. A sinking school should be fostered and sustained ; the head money system aggravates its difficulties. Quis pauper scribitur h&res. The objections might be lessened, though not altogether obviated, by combining with head money a fixed allowance. This object might be effected, without additional expenditure on the part of the Government. Let it be assumed, taking round numbers for convenience, that the average number of scholars, at a given school, for a certain number of years past, has been one hundred, and that the allowance has lieen £10 per head. From the whole sum, £1000, deduct, say one fourth. Give the £250 for the support of the establishment, irrespectively of the number of scholars in any particular year. Let the manager reckon upon that for certain; and then allow head money at the rate of £7 10s. The question, whether the Government grants ought to be paid directly to the managers of the school, or, mediately, through the Denominational Boards, leaving to the Boards the power of further apportionment, at discretion, and, consequently, of exerting pressure on the managers, is difficult, but at least deserving of careful consideration. As a general rule, the system of intermediate authority appears to fail; as was exemplified, for instance, in the working of the Land Purchase Department ; when the District Officers, instead of being empowered to conduct their own operations independently, communicating directly with the Colonial Secretary, were mado subordinate to the head of a department. Zealous performance of duties can hardly be expected, except under circumstances of entire responsibility. If the utmost amount of work is to be expected from a public Officer, he must be allowed to feel that he will have to bear all the blame of failure, and get all the credit of success. It may be argued that the managers of the schools are persons who will exert themselves to the utmost, under any circumstances. This I believe to be true ; but it is uot a good reason for lessening their independence of action. There is an advantage, on the other hand, in passing the Government grant through the hands of the Boards, —namely, that the Boards can raise or reduce the head money according to the ascertained expenses of maintenance in each district; paying, for instance, £6 per head in the Waikato, £12 at St. Stephen's in the vicinity of Auckland. This, however, is a mere smoothing over of a difficulty that is inherent in the system. In my former report, I recommended that a lump sum, by way of bounty, be given to each of the country schools, to be expended strictly in improvement of the farms attached, believing that the establishments could be rendered self-supporting, by proper management of the school estates. lam still, so far, of the same opinion ; but begin to doubt the propriety of the estates being farmed by the managers of the schools. The industrial and self-supporting system looks well upon paper; but I have been unable to find an instance, any where, of its complete success, even in Europe. The two pursuits, letters and agriculture, are incompatible. Both must suffer by the alliance, It is not having two strings to the bow, but an attempt to kill two birds with owe stone. Where the talk is of bullocks, it cannot be of letters also. The writer of the Georgics would have shown a sorry figure taking stock. Professional farmers do not always succeed ; and for the schools to enter into competition with farmers must entail a loss. These observations, however, must be taken as applying to the pecuniary view of the question only ; for if the object be to teach the management of a farm, agriculture becomes a branch of the education fcestowed. But let that object, if desirable, be avowed, and treated as involving a proper and useful expense.

16

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

It is not improbable that the schools, perhaps with one exception, might he rendered self supporting ; but only through the rental of the school estates. The endowments adjoining St. Stephen's might be leased at once; the others, when fenced and improved. For this purpose I still recommend the bounty proposed. Suggestions for consideration. Those who pull down must be prepared to build up. Having expressed an opinion that the present system should be abrogated, 1 ask permission to offer a few hints towards its renovation. We have a choice of three bases, or grounds on which to build. Firstly, to impose the charge of managing Native education on the Government. Secondly, to leave it, as at present, to the care of the Denominational Boards. Thirdly, to put it into the hands of the Natives themselves. It is to be feared that the Government, without much greater outlay than can at present be afforded, must fail. Denominational feeling among the several religious bodies is so strong ,in this Colony, that it would be a hopeless task to endeavour to persuade them to work together. They must not be brought into contact. The Government would have to maintain so many separate and complete establishments as there are denominations engaged in education in the Colony. The management by Educational Boards has been already adverted to. I most strongly recommend to the Government the last of the three courses open to us,— namely, to put confidence in the Natives, —to induce them to take the initiative, —to put themselves at the head of the movement. So long as people have all done for them, they remain listless and helpless. Give them a difficulty to overcome, a task to perform. Oblige them to seek us, in place of our seeking them. If we attempt to hunt them into education, as we have hunted them into selling their lands, a spirit even of resistance will naturally be engendered. Make education a part of the Runanga; give the direction of it to themselves ; let them feel that it is their own work. Once conscious of being free agents, they will take European advice and assistance as readily as Native assessors accept the opinion of the Resident Magistrate on a point of law. Natives can be trusted with authority; it is of so precarious a natuie among themselves, depending so much upon opinions, that every chief among them has learned how to husband his resources, and to consider the temper of those around him lather than his own. The success of the Native Ministry, foreseen by few, and to the surprise of the Natives themselves, is proof sufficient what dependence can be placed upon them in any thing that they seriously undertake. The very king movement itself, managed with consummate judgment, is evidence enough of their capacity. As a first step towards inducing the spirit of self-reliance, equal contributions from themselves either in money, land, or labcur, should be made an imperative condition of receiving Government aid. Whatever is lightly obtained is little valued, among Natives as among ourselves. Like ourselves, they are careful of what they pay for, and exert themselves to get the worth of their money. The success of the Bishop of Waiapu, as shown in the published proceedings of the diocesan synod, in creating an endowment fund for the Bishopric, and the readiness with which they have already come forward in support of private schools among themselves, suffice to show that the idea is not merely yisionary. 1 would suggest, as the most important feature in a new system, the establishment of numerous day schools, each at the least possible cost. To these the larger portion of the Government subsidy should be assigned. This would be scattering the seed broadcast over the country, instead of confining it to a few hot-beds. The direction of each school to be invariably in the hands of a Native. Should any of the day schools be in a condition sufficiently flourishing to employ an European usher, there would be no lack of candidates for such office. There are, unfortunately, only too many young men of education in this Province, unused to manual labour, who scarcely know how to keep the wolf from the door. A visitor might be appointed,—a paid Officer of the Government, —whose duty it should be to continue travelling from one to the other, to report at stated times, to give advice and assistance; who, moreover, should not be allowed any fixed residence of his own, but be required to domicile himself among the schools; dividing his time according to his own judgment among them, staying, possibly a week at one, possibly two or three months at another, but reporting each visitation to the Government. This might seem a hard condition to any one who considers office 4 under Government merely a berth ; but not to a man really in earnest about devoting himself to the work. An allowance at per diem to be made for the visitor's board. One meal between school hours to be given to the children, Maori fare. Considering the large sums of money that have been already expended on the Native hoarding schools, it would be unwise to let them sink entirely for want of support; but they should be considered as of only secondary importance in the scheme. Such a sum might be allotted to each out of the Government subsidy, as would suffice to keep it in existence, and to educate a few. These establishments will presently recover their importance, for it may reasonably be expected that some natives, within not many years, will be found able and willing to pay for their children's board, for the sake of giving them a higher class of education. Two conditions might be imposed, meanwhile, with advantage on the boarding-schools :—Firstly, that none should be admitted but such as had already passed through a day-school; secondly, a limitation with regard to age. It is waste of time and money to employ these expensive establishments as baby schools ; and the admission of men is incompatible with the maintenance of uniform discipline. I have seen a blear-eyed old man brought up for examination, knowing nothing, and incapable of learning anything; only representing, however, ten pounds of head-money. The boarding-schools in the vicinity of Auckland, one for each denomination, might be converted with advantage into normal schools, for the training of native teachers. Their expenses are necessarily so great, that it is waste of money keeping them up for the teaching of children. The number of

17

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

scholars should be restricted, and not less than £20 a head allowed by Government. This stirri added to the income derived from the endowment, ought to maintain them in European comfort. Be it remembered that luxury is the only sure antidote to the crapulousness of Native habits. The families of men in training as teachers, but of those only, might be admitted, with an allowance of £6 per head. The normal school I consider to be of primary importance, as affording the means, if desired, of preparation for holy orders. The existing system of Native education falls between two stools. Aiming at a double object, the civilization of the race and the quieting of the country, it reaches neither end effectually. It fails to civilize the race, because, as before observed, it does not reach the masses. It fails to keep down the insurrectionary feeling, for it needs something more than schoolboy's lessons to reconcile men to the idea of a lost nationality. The ordination of a single Native deacon, after the thorough preparation required, goes farther towards the peaceful maintenance of British rule, than a smattering of education bestowed upon scores of children. Do either one thing in earnest, or the Other; that is, if to do both be too expensive. Spread a little education far and wide, or thoroughly train up a few at high class schools. Permit me, in conclusion, to impress upon the Government the desirability of reeuacting the Native Schools Act, with as much amandment as may be approved; and, for the purpose of giving a fair trial to a new system, of appropriating the grant in aid to schools for the term of seven years from that date. Hugh Cakleton. The Honourable the Minister for Native Affairs.

VI.—REPORT OF MESSRS. HUNTER BROWN AND TAYLOR ON NATIVE SCHOOLS IN AUCKLAND. ST. MARY'S R .C. NATIVE SCHOOL FOR BOTH SEXES, NORTH SHORE. Inspected ivithout previous notice, January 31st, 1862. Daily average attendance stated to be " about 40," but no returns were produced. The returns from this School must be kept in a most loose and unsatisfactory manner ; no muster roll is called. We found that such memoranda of attendances as Mr. Macdonald (the teacher) keeps were locked up in the box of the Superintendent of the school at the time of our visit, absent for the week past, and expected to be absent for a week longer (a). During this time, Mr. Madconald trusts to his memory, yet on being questioned " how many had you at school this morning ? he replied, " I cannot say." " Can you name those who attended this morning ?"—" No, I cannot. " Had you a dozen?"—"Oh yes, more than that." Land and Buildings.—Three hundred acres of land are attached to this establishment. About 50 acres are laid down in grass ; 14 wheat (thin and full of weeds) ; 4 maize ; 14 potatoes ; a little oats. There is a large stone building at one side of the estate, known as the College, in which we found only one Maori boy. Mr. Macdonald informed us " that they average about four scholars at the College since the tillage has been changed to North Shore Point." This is at the other side of the estate, nearly a mile distant from the College. Here, on a steep brow above the water, stand a few Maori whares and a raupo school-house with brick fire place. In these whares, according to Mr. Maclonald, live "about 60" natives ; men, women, and children, are supported by the College. Whatever they grow is grown on College land. Of these, about 40 are returned as scholars, men, women and children; one a very decrepid old man. At the time of our arrival some were engaged gathering pipis, and a few cutting wheat. Mr. Macdonald tried to muster his scholars, and ordered them to follow us up to the College ; after a very long delay indeed, 16 finally mustered, most of whom (12) were adults, two of them were women. Food, Clothing, and Bedding.—They are supposed to have breakfast between 7 and 8 a.m., consisting of potatoes, sometimes rice, sometimes tea. Dinner at one o'clock in the school in the open air, or in their whares ; the food the same as for breakfast, varied occasionally hy the introduction of a little meat. Supper, supposed te be the same. The specimens of clothing we saw were inferior, some clean, some filthy, some ragged. Mr. Macdonald was unable to state what amount of clothes they got in the year from the College ; he only knew they were always supplied. In answer to the question, " What bedding have they ?" Mr. Macdonald replied, "Oh, plenty." But what is the allowance to each person ? "I don't know, I never saw them sleeping, that is for the priest to superintend." They have a sort of bedstead, but in cold weather they cannot be kept on them, they come down and huddle together on the floor. No particular place is allowed to each scholar. Propriety is preserved. The Native teacher is supposed to look after that. There are no girls here old enough to get into mischief. Average cost per head, ten pounds and more. Division of time.—We are here, again, obliged to quote from conversation with Mr. Macdonald. What are your hours of instruction ? " Well, I generally come here (i. c. to North Shore Point) in (a). Mr. Macdonald kindly offered to show us the box (which, he informed us, was locked), but we declined giving him that trouble.

18

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4.

the morning ; I try to get them in the afternoon." In answer to other questions, Mr. Macdonald stated, " There are prayers at the school-house at 6 a. m., by the Native teacher, and at 7 a. m. at the College for any who choose to come. I come down to the school-house at the Point about 10 a.m. :if the boys are at the College, I teach them there, if not, I come to the Point. School then from 10 to 12, after that they are supposed to go to work at a trade, or at farm labour. They work the rest of the day mostly. Evening prayers at 7p.m. by the Maori teacher. They are made to wash their clothes and keep themselves clean." Subjects of instruction.—Figures, writing, surveying, reading Maori and some English. They take their books and slates to their own whares :we saw very few indeed. From the sixteen who were mustered for us to inspect, the following results were obtained :— Three could write fairly ; four could read Maori fairly, only one could read English, and that only in words of one syllable ; three worked a sum in reduction ; two were said to be able to do sums in mensuration, but on being given a rectangular parallelogram of so many chains, length and breadth, only one could find the area. Generally, there was a want of completeness, readiness, and intelligence even in what they could do. General Remarks. —Management bad, discipline so lost as to be almost non-existent; cleanliness Very insufficient; a general " laisser-aller" system prevails. Nothing but the most vague and looselyworded information could be extracted from Mr. Macdonald. He appears unable to make himself obeyed or even attended to by his scholars ; he complains of having an unmanageable lot, many of them being the Kawau powder robbers, and one the ring-leader in that affair. An error appears to have been committed in trying to turn almost the whole population into scholars. In the meantime the Inspectors are of opinion that the population of North Shore Point are receiving more harm by the tacit sanction of their Maori bad habits by their teacher than good in the way of instruction. We, therefore, suggest that the Government should intimate to the Roman Catholic Board of Education that, in consequence of the exceedingly unsatisfactory and insufficient discipline, management, registry of attendance, and instruction at St. Mary's School, no further grant will be paid until the school be again inspected and reported upon more favourably. There are 5 half-castes in this establishment, 3 boys, and 2 girls. ST. ANN'S R. C. SCHOOL FOR NATIVES OF BOTH SEXES. Inspected February Ist, 1862. This establishment is divided into two entirely distinct schools, that for men and boys, and that For women and girls, the buildings and grounds being separated by a fence. The boys school was inspected without any previous notice, about 10 a.m. The Superintendent of the girl's school had some hour's notice while we inspected the boys, and while she sent to the Bishop for leave for us to inspect the girls' school. Men and Boys School. Daily average attendance.—The Rev. Mr. Garavel having been Superintendent during the past two weeks only, could not give us the average attendance for the past year. The present attendance, as shown by the Register, is 19, 13 of whom were mustered for inspection, and of this number 7 were adults. Land and Buildings.—Eighteen acres are attached to the College ; quality very poor, they are fenced in; 6 acres are under crop in potatoes, melons, and pumpkins. The boys' school-house consists of one large lofty wooden building, without chimney or fire place, which serves as a school-room, dormitory, kitchen, and dining-room ; it has an earthen floor, and is rather dirty ; fourteen bunks are arranged along the sides. Besides this building, there are two Maori whares near the beach, one of them with a chimney. In th«se sleep five of the men and boys ; they appeared to be tolerably neat and clean, and had bunks in them. No monitor or teacher sleeps in the large dormitory. Footh, Clothing, and Bedding.—The scholars are clothed by the College, the supply appeared sufficient ; in winter they are allowed extra blue shirts or coats ; their clothes were rather dirty and ragged ; they are allowed one clean sheet weekly ; the girls wash for them ; they are also allowed two blankets each. _ m m Food at breakfast, potatoes. Dinner, potatoes ; a little meat three times a week, sometimes fish. Supper, potatoes, and sometimes flour. They make use of plates, knives, and forks. Average cost per head.—Of this, Mr. Garavel could give us no estimate. The friends and parents of the scholars do not contribute in money of any kind. The Roman Catholic Board of Eduation allow £10 per head to this school. Division of time.—7 to 7J a.m. school. Breakfast. 9to 10 school; 12 dinner; 4to 5J p.m. school; Bto 9 school. Saturday a holiday. _ _ .Subjects of instruction.—Reading and writing, English and Maori, arithmetic, singing, scripture, They work on the land in the intervals of schooling, are not taught any trade or handicraft. The books and slates are in good preservation. In writing in copy books 5 were good, 6 indifferent. Maori dictation 3 good, 3 indifferent, English dictation (easy phrases) 1 indifferent, reading Maori, 4 good, 4 indifferent. Reading English (monosyllabic words,) 2 good 1 indifferent. Arithmetic Rule of Three, 2 indifferent ; Long Division, 4 good, 1 indifferent, 1 bad; multiplication 1 good, 1 bad; addition, 1 good. They sang a hymn in unison tolerably well.

19

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

(women's side.) Average attendance stated to be 17, of this number only 12 were mustered for inspection, 5 of whom were grown up; 3 were halfcastes, one elderly woman attended only to housework and keeping order. We were informed that the Government return is filled in daily; that shewn to us however, being the return for January, bore every appearance of having been filled in that morning. We were also informed that but little trouble was experienced from scholars wanting to go away, or from friends coming to take them; if a child is very urgent to go home, a fortnight's leave is granted. Land and Buildings. — School is held on the convent premises, which are pleasantly situated in an open paddock. There is a dormitory, school room, kitchen, dining room, all small but very neat. Food, clothing, and bedding. —Breakfast. Bread and rice on alternate days sometimes fish sometimes potatoes. Dinner, same as breakfast, a little meat also flour three times a week. Supper, same as breakfast. They are allowed milk once a day. They use plates, knives and forks. The clothing is good and in good condition, the girls make almost all their own clothes. Every thing was clean and neat. Bedding.—Each girl is allowed two blankets. There are eight bedsteads in the dormitory, some are obliged to sleep on the floor. Au elderly woman sleeps and exercises supervision in thp dormitory. Average cost per head.—On this head the Superintendent could give us no information, she referred us to the lady Superioress at the Convent in Auckland. Parents and friends do not contribute anything, unless it be a few clothes on very rare occasions. Division of time.—Rise at 5J a. m. 7to 7J school. Bto 9 housework and breakfast. 9to 11 school. I\to3 p. m. school, sewing. 3to 5 manual work. 6to 8 prayers supper and play. »h bed. Subjects of instruction.—Reading, writing, English and Maori, arithmetic, singing, geography sewing, embroidery, laundry-work, cooking, housework. We were shewn excellent samples of sewing, embroidery and laundry-work. Writing, 3 good, 3 indifferent. Maori dictation (an easy phrase, slowly pronounced.) 4 good, 1 had. English dictation, (an easy phrase slowly pronounced.) 1 good, 1 indifferent. Reading Maori 4 good, 1 indifferent. Reading English, 2 good 2 bad. Arithmetic, [(simple addition) 4 indifferent, (compound addition,) 1 good, (multiplication,)! bad. In geography 3 answered easy questions tolerably well. The singing in unison was good. General remarks —Schooling backward, especially the English. The manual work, sewing &c. appears to be well attended to, and to be the forte of this school. The discipline appears to be good. The girls were remarkably neat and well behaved. THREE KINGS' WESLEYAN NATIVE SCHOOL. Inspected without previous notice, February 3rd, 1862. This establishment is for general education of both sexes. Superintendent Rev. W. Stannard, Daily average attendance during the last year 60, prior to the breaking out of the late war it was difficult to meet the application for admittance into the school. Since the war, and especially since last August when it was feared the war might be carried into the Waikato, the greater number of scholars were taken away, and scarcely any but the very little ones left. The present attendance is 27, i. c. 2 men, 11 boys, 3 women, and 11 girls; of these there mustered in the school room for inspection, 2 men, 8 boys, and 10 girls, 1 boy absent in consequence of a bad knee, 1 minding horses, 1 cooking, 3 women washing, 1 girl cooking. In this establishment there are 5 half-caste boys and 8 half-caste girls, whose education and board is paid by the ladies' benevolent society. The register is kept by marking absences on leave and final departures; then all not so marked off are considered present and are so entered on the Government return. Some of the best scholars had recently left, some of those present had only been in school a very short time. Land and buildings.—Three hundred acres of very valuable laud are attached to the establishment, of these two hundred are fenced in, and in profitable occupation by sheep, cattle, and horses, and 8 or 9 under potato crop. Buildings of stone and wood, large, substantial and in'good order, calculated to accommodate 70 scholars. Dormitories clean and neat, kitchen and dining room rather dirty. Food, clothing, and bedding. —Breakfast, rice and milk and sugar. Dinner, potatoes and a little meat. Supper, rice or brsad or flour, tea on Sundays; the children have learned to value milk. Bedding, 2 sleep in a bed, 2 blankets, a sheet and counterpane allowed in winter. When the school was full an unmarried Maori slept in the dormitory. The present monitors are married and now no monitor or teacher sleeps in the dormitory. The children are decently clothed, looked clean and healthy, and were reported to he healthy. Average cost per head is estimated by Mr. Stannard at £15. He remarks "that so near Auckland, it would take £20 each to feed and clothe the scholars as they ought to be fed and clothed ; that both their clothing and diet ought to be somewhat better, and such as to become an inducement to parents to send their children to the school; at present, the parents and friends contribute nothing, and consider it rather a favour to send their children. They have much animal love for their children, and like to have them with them, and to look at them, but they have not such love as to make them work for their children, or look forward to helping them on in life. Last year the farm contributed £100 to the expenses of the establishment. The Wesleyan Board have

20

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4.

hitherto given more than £10 per head to this establishment; last year, for instance, £700 for 60 scholars. Now that the farm is profitable, they will probably gi«e less in future. This is an excellent feature of the present plan, namely, that the grant can be apportioned directly to the needs, inversely to the resources of each school." Division of time.—Rise at 6 a.m. ; breakfast at 8 ; 9 to 12}, school; 1, dinner ; 2 to 5 manual work ; .SJ, supper; 6to 7J, school ; 8 p m., bed. Subjects of instruction.—Reading and writing Maori and English, (the girls were not taught Maori), arithmetic, elementary geography, scripture, profane history. Industrial training. —Farming for men and boys. Cooking, sewing, washing, and house work for girls. When the school was hrger, some of the elder boys were taught carpentery ;at present there ate none learning it. Mr. Stannard statts, "we have put out several girls as servants who have given satisfaction ; we have generally applications for them beforehand ; we have apprenticed out one half-caste to a milliner, she has given satisfaction, and is now getting paid." Writing--7, good; 7, indifferent ;1, bad. Maori Dictation—(an easy phrase) 2, good; 3, indifferent. English Dictation—(an easy phrase, repeated often and slowly) 1, good ; 3, indifferent; 2, bad. (AH very slow.) Reading Maori—(Memo- : girls not allowed to read Maori) 6, good. Reading English—(men and boys) 3, good ;3, indifferent; 1, bad.—(girls) 5, good ; 1, indifferent. Pronunciation of English, good. Arithmetic ■ —men and boys. Practice ;4, good. Long Division ;2, failures. Multiplication ; 1, good ; 2, indifferent ; 1, bad. Simple Addition ; 2, bad. A decided deficiency in Arithmetic ; all very slow ; figures badly formed. Those styled good in the above list are so called because they worked the sum set without mistake, after much labour. Mental Arithmetic.—(Simultaneous examination) very poor, Elementary Geography.—(Simultaneous examination) Names of countries, capital cities—very fair. Scripture History. —Fair. English History.—A few easy questions asked ; scarcely any answered correctly. Singing. —They all sang a hymn together fairly, but there is no regular instruction given in this branch of education, as no teacher in the establishment understands music. General Remarks.—Discipline and management appear to be good. The children seem to be under good command. On this head, Mr. Stannard remarks "We are obliged to be very careful; we can only use moral suasion; no correction, or at most, only a very slight box on the ear or slap on the hand. If corrected, they run away; their parents do not send them hack again. They give us no support. Practically, our only punishment is expulsion, and the parents welcome a boy we have turned out just as much as if he had brought back a silver medal. The parents will only trust their children to us if they have some friend among the monitors or teachers. If a boy is obstinately contumacious, we rely much on the opinion of this monitor or elder lad as to whether there is any hope of his yielding, any use in keeping him, or whether it is best to send him away." On the whole, this establishment appears to be in an efficient state. ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND NATIVE SCHOOL. Inspected without previous notice, February 4, 1862. This establishment is chiefly used for training Maori candidates for holy orders. Rev. MrChapman is Superintendent, Daily average attendance.—The Rev. Mr. Chapman, the present Superintendent, having filled that office during the last six months only, could not give the daily average attendance for the last year. The average for the last six months was twenty-two. The return for Government is made up by keeping an account of all departures, final or on leave. When not thus marked off, a pupil is entered on the return as attending. The present attendance consists of 6 men, of whom 1 is a new-comer, and 4 are married; one lad not yet on the Government list, but who has been with Mr. Chapman from childhood; one little boy from Kohanga school, Waikato; and two others, making a total of nine in the male school. Four wives of teachers, six girls, of whom 3 are half-castes, one little girl, 5 years old, and one with defective eyesight, which has retarded her progress; of the above females, 10 are supported by Government. Land and Buildings.—There are 17 acres of land of poor quality attached to the establishment; they are fenced in; 5 are laid down in grass, a small piece is under potato crop. The buildings are of wood, and spacious; they stand much in need of painting, repairs to gutters, and especially a large rain-water tank to supplement a very scanty supply of very bad water from a well in the courtyard. Dormitories. — One small room, with a fire place allotted to one married couple, or two single pupils. They were very neat and clean. Kitchen, meu's dining-room, women and girls' dining-room, and the separate school-rooms for each sex were all very neat. Food, Clothing, and Bedding.—Breakfast, rice and sugar; dinner, potatoes and Jib. meat to each; supper, bread and tea. All the scholars looked well fed and healthy. They were reported to be in good health. All neatly clothed, looked clean, and their clothes were free from holes. They are supposed to provide their own clothing, but it is often found necessary to help them out with boots, trowsers, &c &c. They are al.o supposed to find their own blankets ; if they cannot provide enough they are helped.

21

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4,

Average cost per head.—The Rev. Mr. Chapman could not give an exact estimate of this, but said that unless provisions were very cheap, it must considerably exceed the allowance of the £10 per head from the Church of England Board of Education. Division of Time.— l\ a.m., prayers; 8, breakfast; 9 to 11, manual work; 11 to 1, school with Sir W. Martin or Archdeacon Kissling, for the men; 11 to 12^, school for women; 1 dinner, 2\ to 4\, school for men ; 2\ to 4, school for women; 5, supper. In the evening the men have writing or lessons to prepare for Sir Wm. Martin or for Archdeacon Kissling. They are allowed candles in their room until 10 p.m. Wednesday afternoon is a half holiday for the women, and Saturday a whole holiday (that is, free from school work) for all. Subjects for Instruction.—Reading and writing, Maori and English, arithmetic, elementary geography, Scripture history, profane history. Industrial training is confined to field work for the men ; for the women, cooking, household work, sewing, washing, aud sometimes field-work too. The books and slates were in good condition. Writing.—Men and lads very good indeed. Four men write a good running hand, one remarkably so. Women aud girls: four of the girls write well, two are as yet too young to be instructed in writing, and one or two of the teachers' wives had not been able to learn. Maori Dictation (an easy phrase). —Men and boys, six good, one tolerable: the new pupil could not attempt it. Girls, four were good. English Dictation (easy phrase).—Men and boys, four good, two tolerable, three failures. Women and girls, one good, two tolerable, two bad. The men wrote very slowly. Maori Reading.-^Men and boys, and elder girls, very good. Two or three of the men read very well. The half-caste girls are not taught to read Maori. Reading English.—l man, 2 lads aud a little boy, good; 3, tolerable; 1, bad. Women and girls—4, good; 1, tolerable; 1, bad. Pronunciation bad; the books appear very ill adapted to teach English. Arithmetic.—Men and boys : 1, did every rule-of-three sum well; 3, tolerably; 4, could do the first four rules tolerably; 2, failed; 1 man was said to know something of algebra, but (being allowed plenty of time) could make nothing of a very easy sum involving a simple equation. Women and girls : 2, could do multiplication and division of money; the rest only simple addition, most of them were slow in their arithmetic. Mental Arithmetic.—(Examined simultaneously) 1 man did easy questions well; the rest were very deficient. Elementary Geography:—(Simultaneous examination) all very fair. Scripture History.—All tolerable. English History.—Almost all were entirely ignorant even of leading facts. Singing.—They all sing at prayer time, but there is no systematic teaching. General Remarks.—Discipline and management good; writing and reading Englisk very slow, and pronunciation bad. Progress little in these two branches, and method of teaching bad. The handwriting and reading Maori very good; much better than is usual in Maori Schools. Supplementary Remarks. We desire to call attention to the loose way in which returns of attendances are made up for Government. We suggest that in every School receiving Government aid, a muster roll should be called morning and afternoon, and only such scholars marked present for that day as answer to such roll-call. If the scholars be absent from sickness or other unavoidable cause, the explanation should be entered in a column of remarks. We have been struck with the poverty and imperfection of the English instruction, and with the inadaptedness of the books used to teach English to Maories. We suggest that some steps should be taken towards the publication of small elementary books for this specific object. Much dissatisfaction has frequently been expressed in this country at the small results accomplished in the way of teaching English to Maories. We behove that in no way could a sum of money be so advantageously expended for the object of advancing the education of Maories in the English language, as by publishing such books; they would greatly increase the efficiency of the general grant in this particular direction. We desire not to ignore Sir William Martin's book, but are of opinion that more is needed. We have been strongly impressed with the great need of awakening the Maori population generally to a sense of the primary duty resting on them, of contributing in money or kind to the expense of educating their children or relatives at the schools. It is for the Government to consider whether anything more can be done towards this object, by the publication of articles in the Maori Messenger, by calling the special attention of Missionary Managers of Schools, of Resident Magistrates, and of Assessors living amongst the Natives, or, in the case of new schools, by offering (as Mr Gorst has suggested) to pay for teachers, books, and slates if the Maories provide buildings and (where the the children are boarders) provisions. It were much to be desired that the hoys at these schools should be taught some handicraft, as carpentering, shoemaking, tailoring, &c; but, so long as no assistance is received from the Maories, the expense attaching to such additional instruction appears to be an insuperable objection. We desire to express our entire agreement in Mr. Gorst's remarks on the desirability of appointing a permanent Inspector of all Native schools receiving aid from Government. C. Hunter Brown, Henrt Tatlob. The Hon. the Minister for Native Affairs.

22

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

MEMORANDUM FROM THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO THE INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS. The Colonial Secretary has intimated to Bishop Pompallier that, in conformity with the recommendation ot the Inspectors, the grant to St. Mary's School, North Shore, will be discontinued at the end of the month. Since this intimation was given, the Bishop has waited on Mr. Fox, and endeavoured to persuade him not to do so. The result of a long interview was, that Mr. Fox promised to place the Inspector of Schools in communication with the Bishop immediately, and if, before the end of the month, that Officer was satisfied that steps had been taken which would reorganize the school, make it efficient, and ensure the fulfilment of the intentions of the Legislature in making the grant, it should be continued, Mr. Taylor will, therefore, be so good as to see the Bishop as soon as convenient, aud discuss the subject with him. W. Fox.

THE INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Native Schools Department, April 19th, 1862. I waited upon Bishop Pompallier this afternoon, in obedience to your instructions, and proposed to His Lordship the following changes as absolutely necessary to ensure the efficiency of the school. 1. The removal of the present teacher. 2. The erasure from the Government returns of the names of some five or six of the scholars, who from age and other natural infirmities, were incapable of receiving instruction. 3. A much more careful supervision over the pupils than has heretofore existed, to be secured by the transfer of several of the scholars from their own whares to the College. 4. A close adherence to the Regulations of the Government in keeping the returns. His Lordship admitted the propriety of these suggestions, and promised to give immediate effect to them. I shall make it my business to inspect the school before the end of the month. Henry Taylor, Inspector of Native Schools. Honourable ths Colonial Secretary. Native Schools Department, May sth, 1862. I have the honor to inform you that on Friday last, May 2nd, I inspected St. Mary's College, North Shore, and have pleasure in reporting that a change very much for the better has taken place in that establishment. The late teacher, Mr. Macdonald, has been superseded by Mr. Coveney, a man of years, discretion, and experience, and very much calculated to secure the confidence and respect of the Natives. Six of the pupiis are now comfortably housed in the College, and active preparations are being made for the immediate reception of twelve more. The inmates of the College are under the immediate supervision of a resident Clergyman. The school-register is now kept in accordance with the printed instructions of the Governor. There are 25 scholars on the roll, all of such an age as may derive benefit from instruction. The school-house is to be put in thorough repair, and made comfortable and attractive to the pupils. The work has been already commenced. It is the intention of the Superintendent to locate the families and such of the pupils as cannot be accomodated in the College, in substantial houses in the immediate neighbourhood of the school-house. This cannot be effected at once; it will require time to complete the necessary buildings, and management to wean the Natives from their more primitive style of living. I have confidence that, under careful supervision, this institution will shortly undergo a very material change, and will arrive at a creditable state of efficiency. On the whole, I have to express satisfaction at the reformation that has taken place, and hope the Government will continue the grant heretofore made to this institution. Henry Taylor, Inspector pf Native Schools. The Honourable, the Colonial Secretary.

Vn.—REPORT BY MR. DONALDSON, NATIVE INSTRUCTOR AT NAPIER. Napier, 17th March, 1862. According to instructions of Ist Feb., I have the honor to forward the information desired. On January 1861, I commenced my first schools at Pawhakairoand Otanenuiorangi, subsequently I have also taught at Matahiwi and Karamu, besides visiting the pas on the East Coast, leaving them books and giving a lesson here and there whenever opportunity offered ; the numbers of my pupils were in the four pas above named, say seventy young and old. I must now explain my plan and system. For years I have been watching the Natives with interest. I had always heard it stated that, owing to their language being a language chiefly of vowels and sonorous words, our alphabet, especially

23

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

OUr consonants, would never be acquired by the Natives of New Zealand; I could not believe this, and resolved to try, and at the request of the Natives themselves, I commenced teaching as above stated. I am confident (after a year and more's trial), that there is not one single letter in our alphabet that may not be mastered by the Maori with practice. From my being obliged to travel from pa to pa, the progress is not so satisfactory as I would wish: besides their frequent tangis, runangas, visits, and the hitherto unsettled state of mind they have been in, I have no doubt prevented a more rapid progress ; still I am happy to state, that about twenty adults can read short sentences in English, knowing what they read, that the rest are in different states of progress, the young children even have mastered the alphabet. We have had no school-house, sometimes an old leaky whare or hut of very poor construction, at a temporary settlement, as Karamu for instance, which was chosen as a model farm, and wretched huts were hastily constructed, and where I stayed during wet weather, often under great inconvenience and personal ailment from damp and wet. I had great discouragements too, and was oftentimes nearly giving up, from the dullness of some of my pupils, who grew cross because they could not learn. But now all are convinced that they can learn if they choose, young men an I women about twenty years of age easily acquiring a knowledge of the rudiments. As soon as a regular school is established, and daily lessons given in each pa, so soon will they go ahead. Just now, as it were, when alone and unaided, and without any Government title, mv influence, of course, is less than it would be if backed by the Governor, and under his proposed new plan of education. lam happy to state that the school under Mr. and Mrs. Deerness (she was formerly of the Three Kings) at the Wairoa, is succeeding admirably; I went down and examined the pupils and settled some matters betwixt the Natives and Mr. Deerness, concerning houses, &c. ; he has about thirty pupils. He lives in the Chiefs house, pending the erection of a house and school. As a great many people here are interested in my plans, although the public generally make game of them, and laugh at the idea of teaching the Natives except by the sword, I printed a report of my visit to Wairoa, which I here enclose. I chose tbe time for my visit up the coast, when the Natives here were occupied with their grand tangi for the late Moananui. As lam well acquainted with the roads, the people, and the pas, a visit up coast does not occupy long ; a week or ten days there and back, with plenty time to talk, &c. Permit me to state as my conviction, that from Napier to the Mahia, the Natives, with the exception of a small King party at the Wairoa, under Henare and Paora, two Chiefs of that place (the former of whom is subject to periodical fits of insanity), are generally favourable to Sir George Grey's proposed policy, and are looking forward with anxiety to the arrival of the new Commissioner, Colonel Russell, for the arrangement of schools, runangas, and leasing of lands. I have persuaded them to allow no sheep on Native lands till the Commissioner's arrival. Paora Apatu, the principal Wairoa Chief, called on me here, and having expressed a wish to see Mr. Fox, I went with him aud introduced him to the Colonial Secretary ; he expressed his pleasure at the appointment of the new Civil Commissioner (although he did not know who the gentleman was who was to fill that office), looking forward to all things being properly regulated oft his arrival. The Governor's views regarding the Natives are quite popular among them ; regarding schools, for years have the Natives been requesting me to start schools for them, and since they have heard and seen the success of those already started, the different pas have become more importunate, and even reproachful, asking me to try and procure teachers. Permit me to mention the different pas —Pa Whakairo, distance from Napier, say 10 miles; Omaranui, say 12 miles; Otanenuiorangi, 8 miles; Matahiwi, 11 miles; Karamu, 12 miles ; Tangoio, 12 miles, up Coast; Aro Pawanui, say 25 miles ; Mohaka, 40 miles ; Wairoa, 50 miles, or say 54 ; Nuhaka, 75 miles ; Mahia, 90 miles, by land. Every one of these pas would assist a master, and give a piece of land for school purposes ; each pa is eager for a master to teach them English. Some other pas up country and inland have also sent me messages by stray Natives to come and see them, but time and distance prevented me, besides I could hold out no rational hopes of teachers ; besides teaching, I have had often to give advice, make up quarrels, &c. This, of course, was at a time when it behoved every honest minded settler to do what he could to preserve tranquility. I was also living six months among them with my family at the Pawhakairo, and removed to town to be more central. Owing to fortuitous and unforseen circumstances, my pay has been small, and my success, owing to having so much to do, not so great as I could have wished, still I have succeeded in giving them a taste for English schools and convincing them that all at every age could learn if they so wished. The books used by me are " Mayor's Spelling;" some, say twelve of my pupils, are at the 26th page, the others in various stages of progress ; the other book is the " Hikoi Tuatahi," a lesson book with a vocabulary, &c., compiled and printed by myself and purchased by the loudness of the Government from me, for their use. Arithmetic and writing on slates is also practised, but writing in copy books is out of the question at present, as they all squat on the floor to their lessons, having no seats or desks or proper school-house. Robert Donaldson, Native Instructor, The Native Secretary. Hawke's Bay.

(To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Herald). According to previous arrangement, I arrived at the Wairoa on Tuesday the 4th, and proceeded to call on Mr. and Mrs. Deerness, the active and enterprising Native Instructors there. Mr. and Mrs. Deerness reside in a good new Native house belonging to Toha, one of the Wairoa Chiefs. Two houses adjoining have been erected by the Natives for the children who come from different kaingas along the river. The children live in these houses and are superintended by two of the elder enes, a brother and sister, who act as monitors and look after their cooking and personal cleanliness. They are all clean, orderly and attentive. The usual number is about thirty. They are rapidly acquiring our language, and in the short time that they have been at school, have progressed surpris-

24

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

insly; some are reading, spelling, writing and counting, others are only beginning, but all evidently making some progress daily. It was pleasant to hear the voices of these children blending harmoniously together in the English hymns of "Joyful" and "'1 he Happy Land," &c. They have good voices, keep good time, and are very fond of singing. At present Mr. and Mrs. Deerness use their house as a school, but the Natives have promised shortly to erect a proper school. Some of the pupils read plainly, distinctly and fluently—very little Maori is used, conversation and lessons being entirely in English. Religious worship is held by Mr. Deerness morning and evening in English, when those who choose may attend, but the attendance is not compulsory. Mr. Deerness also holds divine service and sabbath school up the river every Sunday afternoon, whilst Mrs. Deerness has her usual scholars at her own residence. All who choose to attend are made welcome. Although the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Deerness is only of recent date, much visible good has already been effected, and your readers, I am sure must unhesitatingly wish them in this their undertaking a hearty God speed. R. Donaldson. February 18, ISC2.

Napier, 11th March, 1862. In continuation of my last letter, I have the honour to acquaint you with further particulars on the subject of " Native Education in the English language." When I commenced my schools, I resolved to make my teaching a general thing, so I began with adults and collected all the grown-up persous who would attend. I found it very hard work at first. I had no boards or slates, only a few books purchased at ray own expense. Some of the Natives furnished themselves with books. I resolved to teach them on the Lancastrian system, and I found it succeeded well. Had I started the school so as only to teach through the day, one week, or at most two, I might have had a good attendance, but the pupils would soon have dropped off. So, 1 made my school hours to suit my adult pupils; prayers are said by the Maories every morning at daylight, so, immediately after prayers, I summoned my school. By that means, they got a good lesson before going to their day's work, (I have had my school in two hours on a certain morning, crossed the river, and then rode six miles to the next station in time for breakfast at half-past eirh' a.m.) I then taught them on their return from their clay's work, and after evening prayers , and it was often 10 and 11, p.m., before we dismissed. The children, when I could collect them at any hour during the day, I used to teach an hour or so at a time. I do nor approve of long hours for children, with adults it is different. You will see by this, then, that I consider that the best hours for teaching are—adult classes early in the morning, immediately after prayers, and in the evening after supper and prayers. Children through the day at intervals, to be arranged hereafter with young children; one hour is enough at a time, then an hour's interval, then one hour's school, then two hours' (or one hour's) interval and another hour's schooling: this would be fouud quite enough per diem without tiring them. I would beg respectfully to mention here a plan I have long thought of for educating schoolmasters for the different schools. My plan is to put aside a certain piece of land received from the Natives, erect a house for a white master and his family, and fence a garden ; at all this the Natives I think would assist, perhaps to the extent of one-halt in labour. That the white master shall devote himself to teaching these pupils (who are to be teachers) during the whole of the day, twenty to thirty young men selected from the different pas by the Runanga. In less than two years, they would be good English scholars. The experiment is worth trying, if we wish to save this noble race and civilise them speedily ; every hour they are left in ignorance will add to their speedier destruction and outlasting regret. I beg, therefore, respectfully to offer (provided you have no other work marked out for me) to instruct from twenty to thirty natives, youug men of cleverness and ability, who wish to be teachers. I am convinced that in one year they would be able to teach the rudiments of English, and in two years they would be good scholars and fit for teaching their brethren. In proposing to teach twenty or thirty young men, one or two from each pa, the Runanga of each pa would bear the expense, or at least one-half. This of course would take time to arrange, and great care in the selecting of individuals, which would lie with the Runangas. Meanwhile, the usual clay schools could be kept going in this district, with a staff of half a dozen young white men, even i f they had not been much used to teaching before. I think they would have no difficulty in following up my plan, which is a mixture of the Lancastrian and Sunday school systems; thus every word as we go on is first said by the master, explained and commented on, and then practised till acquired, not in a drawling dawdling way but in a lively active tone; then, as one learns it, all learn and all speak together, &c. One year will make a great improvement in the people, after schools commence, and I can safely guarantee, (from what I have seen and can judge) that in two years the majority of the Natives would be able to express themselves in English. I think there would be no difficulty in selecting a few willing young white men as teachers, and even if they were not skilled in teaching, I would soon initiate them, as I have been mixed up with teaching and schools nearly all my life, besides having received a sound English and classical education myself. What is wanted are masters who are willing to put up with annoyances, and who have a patient temper and active habits. Robert Donaldson, Native Instructor, The Native Secretary. Hawke's Bay.

25

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

REPORT OF REV. JOHN MORGAN ON OTAWHAO SCHOOL.

Otawhao, October 22nd 1861. Sir,— I very much regret that on this your official visit to Otawhao, as Inspector of Schools, you should find our Institution so reduced in number, all the most proficient scholars having left the school. I must, therefore, beg leave to call your attention to the following points. When the war broke out, and for several years previous, our average attendance exceeded 60 children and adult Native teachers. As soon as the Waikatos took arms, a few of the parents removed their children, remarking that they could not allow them to remain in a Government school. Others were invited home to visit their friends and then detained; and on the return of my people after the battle of Puketakauere, many more children were removed, only one remaining, belonging to the people who took part in that battle. I would here remark, iv reference to the war, that while the tribes resident around other districts in this Province have not been at all engaged in the war, as in Archdeacon Maunsell's district, or as in Mr. Ashwell's district, where only a portion of two tribes at the southern part of the district joined the war, in the Otawhao district the Natives of every village, or in part, rose in arms. The neighbourhood of Otawhao was one of the chief places of meeting for those who were proceeding to the war ; so that our station was frequently crowded by armed men on their way to Taranaki, while on their return they came into our yard, some showing their wounds, while others told their tales of the various engagements, and others fired off their guns as they passed along the outer fence of the Station. We have therefore had to contend with difficulties, and experienced trials of faith and patience, to which the Managers of other Institutions have not been subject. Our best or more advanced boys were taken away to carry burdens or bear arms, and several of our girls were for months engaged in cooking for the warriors at Waitara. So far from being surprised at our present low number, I only wonder that any remained in the school. The Roman Catholic School at Rangiawhia was entirely given up at the commencement of the war. Since the commencement of the war, I have not thought it advisable to recommend parents to send their children to school, or to offer the slightest objection to the removal of those in the Institution, much as we felt the gradual diminishment of our number. I was afraid lest the parents should take the idea that they conferred a favour upon us in sending their children to school, instead of their feeling it a privilege to have them admitted to the Institution, There is another point to which I would call your attention: the want of buildings for boys on the estate, and the consequent neglect of agreement. The school estate, a block of 780 acres, was given up by the Natives to Sir George Grey and the Bishop on certain conditions. The deed of gift reads, " E hoa, c Kawana, tenei ta matou kainga ka tukua atu nei ki a hoe, ara kite Kuini, mau c whakahoki atu, c whakapumau hoki kite Pihopa o Nui Tireni, ki era atu Pihopa hoki o Nui Tireni a mua atu, hei turanga kareti, Intra ranei, hei whakatini hoki i nga kura, hei whakatupu i a matou tamariki i a te Pakeha hoki, kia tupu tahi ai hei iwi tahi ki roto o te whakapono ki a te Karaiti, o te whakarongo hoki kite Kuini. Ko te utu mo to matou kainga ka tukua atu ko te kareti. tonu." The conditions of this deed of gift have not been earned out. While large sums of moriey have been allowed and expended in the erection of buildings and improvements upon the other school estates, nothing has been expended either for buildings or improvements (except the grass laid down from Otawhao Station) as stipulated for and promised by Sir George Grey and the Bishop of New Zealand in the deed. Our boys and Native teachers have in consequence suffered much from the want of proper accommodation, while our difficulties in conducting a school under such circumstances have been very much increased. The effect of this breach of contract has been very injurious on the minds of the Natives. They have seen other School Grants occupied and improved, while the Otawhao estate, perhaps the most valuable in Waikato, has been left, as far as the Government and the Board are concerned, a desolate waste. Within the last week, a Native said to me, "You think that the school estate belongs to you, we think that it belongs to us ; it was given for a school, but where is the school ?" We have not, however, allowed the laud to be quite idle, in the absence of assistance from the Board ; we have for the last three years sown grass seed on the estate, and this work has been performed without any opposition from the Natives. As soon, therefore, as peace is restored, I trust that the Government and the Board (both being equally bound by the stipulation of the Maori idea) will take immediate steps to carry out the deed in its integrity, and by so doing prove to the Aborigines that they recognize as binding the conditions of the Grant, and that, although there has been delay, there has been no intention or desire to avoid the terms of the agreement. The buildings required are a building to accommodate boys. The buildings to contain a hall, dormitory, school room, store, and accommodation for a married schoolmaster, and one spare room. I have left a blank as to the number of boys, but it ought to afford accommodation for 40 to 50. We should also require two small cottages for Maori teachers. A certain sum ought also to be expended on fencing in the estate. I would also recommend that the school flock of sheep be increased. I am anxious to see the school estate as rapidly as possible brought under and cultivation, in order that the institution may become in the course of years self supporting Sheep farming is very desirable in this extensive district, and I feel anxious to train the children in industrial pursuits, especially in sheep farming and the management of cattle, Simply to fill the head with .knowledge, without imparting industrious habits, would, in my opinion, prove rather injurious than beneficial to the Maori race. Every boy educated in the school ought to leave it possessed also of a knowledge of the management of sheep and cattle, and of ploughing, reaping, mowing, sowing, &c. Unite education with industrial training; prepare the boy or girl for the position you expect them to

26

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

fill in life, and under such management there is reason to believe that our exertions will not be thrown away; the schools will become centres for the promotion of Christianity and civilization amono-st the surrounding tribes. I am also of opinion that when the Natives observe the ease with which grass is laid down by surface sowing, and when they can procure sheep, a few at a time, as they have funds to purchase near home, they will soon adopt sheep farming. To foster and encourage this spirit, and to secure them a suitable breed, is one reason why I feel anxious to increase our present small flock. Many would purchase if they could procure a few near at hand, when they would not take the trouble of a journey to town. Such could be supplied from the school stock if now sufficiently increased. I have, &c., J. E. Gorst, Esq., John Morgan. Inspector of Maori Schools. P.S. Since writing the above, I have been informed that the Board have set apart the sum of £200 for the erectioii of buildings, &c, on the school estate. I feel thankful for this Grant, but I would remark that the sum (perhaps the only amount the Board could then spare,) is totally unequal to the requirements of the estate. With carpenters' wages at 10s, a day, and sawyers' wa^es in proportion, it is evident that the sum of £iOO is insufficient to erect school buildings, and fence in all or part of the estate. I trust, therefore, that the Government or the Board will make an additional Grant. J. M.

IX.—REPORT BY MESSRS. HARPER, CHURTON, TAYLOR, AND ALLISON, ON THE KAI-IWI WESLEYAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. This Institution is situated about eight miles from the town of Wanganui, and three miles from the sea. The land upon which it is placed consists of three hundred acres, purchased by the Wesleyan Missionary Society from the Government; it is in a beautiful and healthy neighbourhood, and is of excellent quality. There is a good weather-boarded house, in the occupation of the Rev. J. Watkin and family (the resident Missionary), store house, servants' house, a house for the European school-master (at present occupied by the person managing the farm), a house for the Natives, consisting of school-room, dining-room, and dormitory, together with a small detached house tor the Native teacher. There is also an excellent wheat mill, but at present out of repair (the dam having given way), with a house for the miller, a barn and cattle shed, the two latter formed of brushwood and toi-toi. These erections comprise the houses and out-buildings on the premises. Upwards of one hundred acres of the land have been enclosed and laid down in grass, with the exception of a small portion in oats and potatoes. The stock consists of fifty head cattle, including heifers and calves, six horses, two hundred and twenty sheep, and twenty-five pigs, a cart, ploughs, and other implements usually in use on i farm. The last time the Kai-Iwi School was inspected (10th May, I860,) there was a daily average attendance of between forty and fifty Native Scholars. This number, however, dwindled down to about eleven, during the first six months of 1861; and since the end of last June they have been entirely withdrawn; at which period the Rev. Mr. Allsworth, the English school-master—who received a salary of one hundred and fifty pounds per annum, granted out of the Civil List, —left the Institution, and has since accepted other employment. The Rev. Mr. Watkin, at present in charge of the Mission Station, states that he cannot precisely give the cost per head of each scholar, as the books of account have been sent to Wellington, but thinks that it amounted to about ten pounds. The scholars were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, singing, geography, and drawing, and those who had been longest in attendance had made some proggress in each of these branches; particularity in the three first mentioned, being able to read pre-.ty well, write from dictation, and work accounts ir. the Rules of Three and Practice. The industrial training consisted of the usual work done on a farm, many of the elder boys being able to plough, drive bullock drays, &c. The Rev. Mr. Watkin ascribes the desertion of the Native scholars generally to the war and unsettled state of the colony; their parents having an idea that the children would be taken and kept as hostages for the good behaviour of the old people He also thinks, with regard to the future success of the Institution, that it is desirable admission should be refused to all applicants beyond a certain age; as when young men of sixteen or eighteen are admitted, they go far to destroy the necessarysubordination of the younger pupils, and thereby render the management of the school more difficult aud the attainments of the scholars precarious; and he is also of opinion the scholars should be removed as far as possible from the iufluence of their relations, as when residing in their vicinity the constant visiting which takes place amongst them is calculated to produce in no ordinary degree the evils above alluded to. We cannot conclude our Report without remarking, that the present failure in the usefulness of the Institution cannot be traced, in the slightest degree, to any mismanagement on the part of those intrusted with its care. The food and clothing, plenteously supplied to the scholars, was of the best quality, and the work exacted from them far from laborious. T. Harper, J.P., 11. Churton, Thomas B. Taylor, J P., James Allison, J.P.

27

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

E—No. 4

REPORT BY MESSRS. HARPER, CHURTON, TAYLOR, AND ALLISON, ON THE WANGANUI SCHOOL. With regard to the Wanganui Native Industrial School, we are informed by the local Trustees, that there has been no instruction given to the Native scholars, nor has there been any Government aid received by the Trustees during the last financial year. We, therefore, consider any further remark respecting this Institution unnecessary. But we consider an inspection of the Wanganui Industrial School should be entered upon. We have, &c, T. Harper, J.P., H. Churton, Thomas B. Taylor, J. P., • James Allison, J.P. The Native Secretary.

X.—REPORT FROM W. B. BAKER, ESQ., ON THE WAERENGAAHIKA (TURANGA) SCHOOL. Rangitukia, 6th May, 1862. The Waerengaahika school is situated in the valley of Turanga, near the course of the Turanganiu river, from the mouth of which it is distant about nine miles. The site was obtained by deed of gilt from the Titangamahaki tribe, and contains about five hundred and ninety acres. Of this extent about one hundred and sixty acres are enclosed within a fence, and from eighty to ninety broken up and under cultivation. The land is level, fertile, and easily cultivable, but so wet as to render it necessary that a regular system of drainage should be carried out in order to bring it into proper condition. The produce is for the most part consumed on the premises. Last year there was a small surplus, which was disposed of tor the benefit of the school; for the present year however there is a deficiency, mainly attributable to the wetness of the harvest season. There is a herd of about one hundred and fifty head of cattle belonging to the school. The necessary outbuildings, stockyard, &c, for the purposes of the school farm are erected in a substantial manner; these are in good condition, but a portion of the fencing is unsound and falling rapidly to decay. A one-horse flour mill was being worked by some of the scholars at the time of inspection. A large and airy school-room has been built, but in consequence of one half of it being partitioned off as a dining room for the scholars, the portion at present devoted to the school is insufficient, causing confusion by overcrowding. To obviate this, a spacious dining hall is much required. The scholars live in Maori huts; the married couples each occupying a separate whare; the young men, several together, the boys in portions of the men's huts partitioned off for their use. In all the whares that were visited the occupants slept upon flax mats laid upon the ground in the customary Maori style. Some improvement in this particular appears necessary. Besides these, there is a large house now in course of erection and approaching completion, for the Bishop; also a new house for the manager, and the house at present occupied by the latter, which will shortly be available for an English teacher. During the hours devoted to industrial training, some of the young men assist the European carpenters, and appear to do their work in a satisfactory manner. The school is under the management of the Reverend W. L. Williams, who is at present without any English assistant, the Rev. C. S. Volckner (who resided at Waerengaahika for a time) having removed to another station. The younger scholars are principally taught by the Rev. Tamihana Huatau, who however is unable to give them any instruction in the English language. An English teacher is much required. The Church Missionary Society has promised to send one from England, but whether he is to be a married man or not is unknown. In the latter case, a matron will be indispensible to the establishment of a girls' school. An Pmglish superintendent or foreman resides on the premises, who has the management ol the Natives while engaged in industrial pursuits. His salary however is provided for by private funds, and is not made chargeable against the Government grant. A great deal has been done, particularly iv the removal of the school from the old station at Whakato to the present site, by private resources. The annual sum granted by the Government is far from being adequate to the expenses of the establishment. The manager could not state what was the cost per annum of each scholar. The clothing of the men and boys is pretty good, and apparently sufficient for the climate: it is principally or altogether made up on the premises by the wives of the married men. It would however be more economical to procure the men's clothing ready made, this would afford the women ample time to keep the growing boys well supplied. Bedding is partly supplied by the school, such as blankets and material for making chaff mattrasses; the use of the latter is optional, and did not appear to be freely availed of. The washing of the men is done by themselves, except in cases where they have wives, that of the boys by a washing machine. A greater attention to cleanliness both iv person and apparel is desirable. Food is given out daily, and consists of—Breakfast, broad and tea : Dinner, meat a small quantity (\ lb.) to the senior scholars, potatoes, pumpkins, and other vegetables. The latter they are allowed to cultivate in small patches, the produce of which tends to help the general supply. Tea, bread and tea. The health of the scholars is said to be good, though a deeply-rooted impression to the contrary exists among the Natives. There is no provision for medical attendance.

28

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

The average attendance of scholars for the year 1860, was one hundred and four; for 1861, seventy-seven. In the month of February, 1862 there were one hundred and fifteen names on the books. Of these, fifty-eight were Ngatiporou (Waiapu District) ; twenty-seven Ngatikahungunu (Te Wairoa, &c.); thirteen Titangakouiti (/I'okomaru District) ; twelve Rongowhakaatu (Turanga); one Ngatitapti (Turanga) ; and four half-castes- Of these, two are orphans, and are received as Maoris ; the other two are clothed by their parents, who also pay five pounds per annum towards their support. Their ages were—twenty years and upwards, male and female (the latter being the wives of the senior scholars), 50 ; fifteen to twenty years, 13 ; ten to fifteen years, 16 ; the remainder under ten years. The time is disposed of as follows : — Religious instruction for all 6to 7 a.m. Men—School 8.30 to 11a.m. Work 11 to Ip.m. Boys—School 11 to 1 Women—School 9 to 11.30 a.m. Dinner, for all, 1 p. m. Men —Work 2to 5 » School , sto 6 Boys Work 2to 5 School , sto 6 Women—Needlework 2to 4 School 4to 5 Prayers, for all 6 p.m. On Saturdays, only the forenoon is devoted to these duties. The scholars provide their own books for Maori lessons. Of English books there is a pretty good supply. The lesson hooks at the time of inspection were, " The Circle of Knowledge, or reading without spelling." This appears to be more suitable for Maori schools than anything that has yet been published but a work specially prepared for them is much needed. Maori Reading. —All the men read fairly ; of the boys eighteen read well, four indifferently, in the lowest class nine knew their letters, and four were beginners. Arithmetic. — Men ; sixteen understood Simple Multiplication; seven Long Divisoin; seven Compound Multiplication; three the Rule of Three. Boys : fifteeu understood Addition ; ten Multiplication ; nine Division. Geography. —Men : twenty-eight were examined, the questions being put in simple English. One answered readily, the rest imperfectly. The boys were better than the men. Writing. — (in copy books). — Men : Six are good; fourteen indifferent; seven bad. Boys: — seven good ; five indifferent. It was observed that the amount of writing done was very small. English Reading. —Eight men were examined. They read two or three pages of words of one syllable with tolerable facility, but their pronunciation was so bad as to make it necessary that the eye should follow the book in order to understand what was said. They translated English into Maori pretty well. Of the boys, twelve read words of one syllable in the same manner as the men; nine knew their letters. Great difficulty has been experienced on this head, the whole of the instruction in English having devolved upon the Manager. It is hoped, however, that with the arrival of the Teacher from England, a new impulse will be given to what is certainly the most important branch of Maori Education, and is most anxiously desired by the Natives for their childten. Singing is taught on the system introduced by the Rev. A. Purchas. They seemed to take considerable pleasure in the exercises, which were, however, performed in an indifferent manner. The discipline of the School appears to be imperfect. There was an evident lack of that prompt and cheerful obedience, especially among the boys, which it is so necessary to instil into the minds of the Maori youth. The want of this is one of the greatest evils of the Maori social system, and makes it more imperative that it should be strictly enforced at their public schools. William B. Baker, R.M.

REPORT ON THE TE AUTE NATIVE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, IN THE PROVINCE OF HAWKE'S BAY. Mount Herbert, 25th June, 1862. Sir, — In compliance with the request conveyed to me in your letter of the March last, I have made a careful enquiry into the condition, past and ptesent, of the above Institution, and beg now to forward my Report thereon.

29

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

E—No. 4

I have much pleasure in acknowledging the frank courtesy which I experienced throughout the enquiry from the Rev. Samuel Williams, who has been in charge of the Institution since its commencement, and who afforded me every facility and assistance in obtaining the fullest information. His answers to my questions exhaust, I think, every item of importance, and I shall insert these here, before adding the few remarks or suggestions which appear called for from me. QUESTIONS PUT TO MR. WILLIAMS BY THE INSPECTOR AND HIS ANSWERS THERETO. 1. How long has the School ;,t Te Aute been in existence?— The School was opened in October, 1854, and w;is closed in March, 1859. 2. What was the average number of Scholars in each year?— The average number was as follows, viz:— 1854, 12 for three months 1855, 10 during the year 1856, 15 ditto 1857, 13 ditto 1858, 8 ditto 1859, 4 for six months. 3. How do you account for so small a number of scholars?—l attribute this;~lst, to the roughness and want of accommodation for a Boarding School at starting; 2nd, to the bard work necessarily entailed on the Scholars ; 3rd, to the high wages offered by the settlers in the neighbourhood forsimilar work ; and 4th, to the excited state of the Native mind on the Land question, which led to the Hapuku feud, and has existed more or less ever since. 4. What brought the School to a close in 1859?— The want of funds, in addition to a heavy loss by fire, in the total destruction of the new barn and woolshed containing a large quantity of grain, stores and implements. I was then just on the point of building a schoolhouse the timber for which was mostly cut and on the ground. At the same time, a change in the Government system of grunts in aid took place, and seeing it impossible for me to continue the school under the new system, I used the most of the timber for the erection of the new barn and woolshed which were imperatively wanted. I had commenced the School trusting to the terms of Sir George Grey's original charter for Native Education, by whicli a certain allowance, of at least £300 a year, was placed at my disposal for the improvement of the School estate, and for the current expenses of the School, including the maintenance and clothing of Scholars, and for payment of the salary of a Schoolmaster during part of the time. Under the new system, framed hy the Government about 1858, and whicli came into operation during 1859, only a certain allowance for each scholar, amounting practically to about £8 per head, was at my disposal. This sum was found totally insufficient for the mere maintenance and clothing of the scholars, leaving the deficit, in addition to the cost of a schoolmaster and suitable buitdings for their accommodation, to be provided otherwise. I therefore found it expedient to close the school for the present, and to confine my attention to the improvement of the property, in the hope that I might be enabled to re-open the School in a more efficient manner at a future date, and to meet these expenses which, as I have above stated, were left unprovided for. 5. Please to mention the actual sum received in each year under Sir George Grey's scheme?—l received the following sums from the Educational Board in Wellington, viz:— iSJj}} £G9O 1805 J 1850 300 1857 300 1858 532 1859 250 1860 96 (for 1859) £2,168 6. Have you rendered any accounts to the Educational Board of the expenditure of the above sums? —I have rendered my accounts from 1854 to 1858, inclusive, to the Board by whom they were submitted to the General Government. I have not rendered my accounts since 1858, as ihe old Board ceased to exist. The accounts since then are ready for the examination of the Government Inspector. 7. Will you explain generally on what objects the above sums have been expended?—On the current expenses of the School including the clothing and maintenance of the Scholars, on farming implements, the building used for barn ;ind woolshed which was burnt down, and on farm servants' house, stockyard, cowshed, fencing, grass seeds and general improvement of the property. 8. What do you consider the maintenance and clothing of each Scholar cost you per annum?— At least £20 a year, as the prices were very high for all articles at that time, and the Scholars were mostly able-bodied young men Note by Reporter.—The cost of the Scholars during the five years would exhaust about £1,000 of the above £2,168, leaving £1,168 expended on buildings, implements, fencing, working bullocks, and labour, &c, connected with the improvement of the property. Everything,. labour included, was necessarily performed at a very great cost, the settlement being new. 8. Did you receive any salary for your services to the School?— None at all. My only salary has been from the Church Missionary Society for my general Missionary duties ; but the residence which I have occupied on the School Estate for the last two years was partly built from funds provided by the Bishop of New Zealand.

30

REPORT OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

10. What sum did you receive from the Bishop of New Zealand towards the building of your present residence?—l received £500 in all from the Bishop for general building purposes, including the residence for myself. 11. What buildings have you erected on the Estate in addition to those specified in your answer to question No. 7? —My own residence, building used as overseer's house, new barn and woolshed, 40 feet x 30 feet, in place of one burnt down, and shepherd's dwelling-house at outstation. 12. What may have these buildings cost?— About £899 in all. 13. Have you received any further sum from the Government for the purchase of stock or otherwise?—l received £500 through the Bishop of New Zealand in 1855 for the purchase of sheep with which sum I procured 250 ewes and the necessary rams. Note by Reporter.—The price of ewes was then from 355. to 405,, so that the breeding stock to start with was very small. 14. Were the cattle which are running on the school estate bought originally with Government funds?—No, they have been purchased entirely with my own private funds for school and other public purposes, and have more than amply remunerated the Te Aute Estate for the grazing by the supply of meat and dairy produce to the establishment. The accounts are open to the inspection of the Trustees of the property. 15. Will you please to state what is the number of sheep at present belonging to the School Estate?— About 1448, according to a return which I herewith hand to you. There are other sheep on the College Estate which are taken in to graze on the usual terms for the benefit of the institution. There have been great losses among the sheep at different times from dogs. But for this drawback the number of the School flock would have been much larger. 16. Will you please to state what is the extent of fencing and English grass on the Estate?— Six paddocks of different sizes, substantially fenced and laid down to English grass, comprising about 255 acres, of which 55 acres have been ploughed. Besides the above, arrangements have been made for farther fencing along the boundary of the largest block of land, which will require an outlay of from £500 to £600; but it is indispensible to the profitable working of the sheep that this should be done without delay. 17. What is the amount of balance due by the School Estate to you?— The balance at 31st December, 1861, is as per account current £867 13s. 7id. and the balance unon building account £167 Its. ll|d., in all £1035 lis. 6£d. I beg leave to append the various accounts of his intromissions which have been handed to me by Mr. Williams, and I also add a valuation by myself of the improvements and property belonging to the institution, with a general view of the receipts and the result of their expenditure, which I believe to be substantially correct. So far as I can judge, and I have had considerable experience in forming and improving a sheep station under circumstances nearly similar to those which effected the improvement of the Te Aute school estate, the expenditure has been on the whole very judiciously made. It appears to me, that had Mr. Williams been provided with sufficient capital for improving and stocking the property when it was first placed in his hands, a very different result would have been shewn. It will be observed that the stock of ewes to commence the flock was only 250. Taking into consideration the want of adequate funds to provide suitable buildings for the school and scholars, and for the proper clothing and maintenance of the latter, and also the unsettled state of the Native mind, owing to their intestine feuds at that time, I think that Mr. Williams exercised a sound discretion in closing the school in 1859. No change of circumstances since, has enabled it to be reopened with any better chance of success, nor does there appear to be any immediate prospect of doing so without Government aid, when the heavy debt owing by the institution to Mr. Williams, and which of course must be provided for, is taken into account. To enable the school to be started again, which is most desirable for the sake of the rising generation of Natives in this district, who are growing up in comparative ignorance, I would venture respectfully to suggest that the Government should erect the necessary buildings for the school, schoolmaster's residence aud accommodation of the scholars. That it should farther pay £150 a year for teacher's salary and grant the usual sum per head for scholars, leaving the difference of expense to be provided by the trustees of the institution, without touching any of the surplus income from the stock on the estate. This ought to be devoted exclusively, for, say five years, to the paying off the present debt to Mr. Williams, and to furnish means for the necessary fencing and laying down additional land in English grass as fast as possible, to provide for the increase of the sheep to 5000 at least. By the adoption of such a system of improvement, the free income from the estate ought at the end of the fifth year to be not less than £1000 a year. In return for such a grant and temporary aid as 1 have suggested, the Government might stipulate with the trustees to be relieved of all charges on account of the institution at the expiry of the period above-named. In short, it would simply be a return to the old system, which reserved a certain amount of the annual grant for the express purpose of building schoolhouses and starting the institutions with the view of making them ultimately self supporting. This appears to be the best policy for Government to pursue. H. R. Russell.

31

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

E-No. 4

APPENDIX TO REPORT. Valuation of Stock belonging to the Te Aute School Estate and of the Improvements done on the Property. £ s. d. Mr. William's weatherboarded house, Overseer's house, barn and woolshed 40ft.. by 30ft., Shepherd's cottage 899 0 0 255 acres laid down to English grass, of which 55 have been ploughed, divided into six paddocks and substantially fenced " 1912 10 0 Deduct original valueofland 127 10 0 £1785 0 0 N B This was originally fern land yielding nothing to the institution, but is now covered with rich pasture and capable of feeding 1000 sheep. lam not over estimating its value at £7 10s. per acre including fencing. £ s. d. £ s. d. Stockyard, Milking shed, he 50 0 0 Farm Servant's house 40 0 0 Sheepyards, Washing pen, &c 60 0 0 150 0 0 Implements, viz., Bullock dray and Cart 35 0 0 10 Working Bullocks and gear 200 0 0 Plough and Roller 15 0 0 Thrashing Machine 30 0 0 Miscellaneous Implements and tools 20 0 0 300 0 0 Grass seed on hand to be sown on fresh lands 300 0 0 r 702 Ewes @ 20s 702 0 0 \ 291 Wethers @ 16s 232 16 0 Sheep ■/ 216 Ewe Hogs @ 15s 162 0 0 J 219 Wether Hogs @ 10s 109 10 0 \ 20 Rams @ 50s 50 0 0 1256 6 0 £4,690 6 0 General View of Receipts and Expenditure. The amount received from Wellington Education Board was 2168 0 0 Deduct Estimated cost of scholars from 1854 till the close of the £ s. d. school in 1859, say 1000 0 0 Value of barn and woolshed and contents thereof destroyed by fire 400 0 0 1400 0 0 768 0 0 Sum received from Bishop of New Zealand for building purposes 500 0 0 Sum received from him for the purchase of stock 500 0 0 £ s. d. 1768 0 0 Balances of advances due to Rev. S. Williams on general account ... 867 13 7 Balances for advances on buildiug account 167 17 11 1035 11 6 2,803 11 6 Amount of valuation as above •. 4690 6 0 Balance of funds received on account of the Institution and of outstanding liabilities as above 2803 11 6 Increase of value in the property of .the Institution by expenditure. ~ 1886 14 6 H. R. Russell.

32

REPORT OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

BALANCE SHEET, NATIVE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, TE AUTE.

FURTHER REPORT ON NATIVE SCHOOLS IN THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND. Native Schools Department, Auckland, July, 18G2. Sir,— Having recently inspected the Schools (Kawhia, Aotea, Waipa, Otawhao, Taupo, Karakariki, Taupiri, Kohanga, Rangiawhia, R.C., St. Stephen's, Three Kings, St. Mary's, R.C., St. Ann's, R.C.), and made myself conversant with the exact state of education among the Natives in the Province of Auckland, excepting the East Coast district, which I purpose to visit immediately. lam now prepared to make some general observations upon Native Schools and Native Education, I think there is no occasion for me in this Report to recapitulate the information already detailed in the Reports of the gentlemen who recently inspected the Schools, the information therein given being for the most part clear, copious, and exact. My object shall rather be to describe the general character of Native Schools, wherein they are defective, and the means whereby they may be raised in efficiency

33

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Dr. '■K. 1859. To Balance Account, 1858 Current Expenses, 1859 ... £ s. ... 54 11 ... 500 16 d. 2 3 1859. £ s. d. By Cash from Natives for ploughing done by farm servants ... 9 0 0 " Mr. Tiffen for dividing fence 10 17 10 " J. N. W. carting wool ... 12 2 6 " Messrs. J. A. Smith, & Co., (hides) 3 3 0 " Potatoes sold 59 13 2 April 28, Grant from Education Board, Wellington 250 0 0 Grant from Education Board paid Nov. 26th, 1860 96 0 0 Government carting for roads by farm servants "... 110 0 Transferred from sheep account... 103 10 11 £555 7 5 £555 7 5 Dr. Cr. 1860. . s To Current Expense £ ... 715 s. d. 0 10$ 1860. £ s. d. Grass seed sold by Mr. Coleman £2 2 0 Grass seed sold to Mr. Stokes 20 0 0 Grass seed sold to Waione 0 12 0 22 14 0 Mr. James Williams, Carting ... 2 11 0 Messrs. J. A. Smith & Co., hides and skins 12 14 0 Balauoe to debit of next account 677 1 10$ £715 0 10$ £715 0 10$ Dr. Cr. 1861. £ s. d. Balance from 1860 677 1 10$ Current Expenses, 1861 526 14 3 £1,203 16 1$ 1861. £ s. Messrs. Harwood and Holders, for old dray 8 0 Carriage of Coleman's wool ... 1 15 F. N. Williams less £3 to driver 20 13 J. A. Smith & Co., hides 3 10 Mr. Tollemache'sdonation 25 0 Mr. Stokes " 10 0 Balance sheep account, 1860 ... 267 4 Balance 867 13 d. 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 _!* To balance due S. Williams on general account 867 13 7$ N.B. The surplus from sheep account 1861 not yet ascertained as the wool has not been realized. H. R. Russell. £1,203 16 n

E—No. 4

and usefulness, and to offer some suggestions for their better conduct in future. From want of previous acquaintance with Native character and habits, I may, perhaps, fall into errors of judgment on some points; if any such should be detected in the following Report, I trust they may not be ascribed to any desire on my part to misrepresent facts or truth. The present scheme for educating the Aboriginal Native Race is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the "Native Schools Act, 1858." Under this Act, the sum of £7,000 is made payable annually, for a term of seven years, out of the ordinary revenue of the Colony, for the maintenance of Native Schools. From this fund, the sum of £10 per head is paid annually for each pupil in average attendance. The channel through which these payments reach the managers of the several schools is through a Board representing either the Church of England, the Wesleyan, or Roman Catholic denominations. These Boards have power to distribute amongst their several Schools the various sums received from Government in such proportions as to them may seem desirable. The only provision made in the Native Schools Act for School buildings, and for defraying other expenses incident to the first establishment of Schools, and for improvement upon any School estate, is of a very precarious character, depending upon the doubtful contingency that the whole of the grant of £7000 will not be absorbed in payments for the maintenance of the pupils. But, should a sudden desire for learning take possession of the Native mind, the Schools now in existence could not furnish the necessary accommodation, nor would there be any means available for the erection of new buildings. Such an event may not be regarged as improbable, it being characteristic of the Native Race to pursue with much tenacity of purpose any sudden freak of fancy. In the Native Schools Act, no provision is made for the employment or payment of Teachers. Heretofore, the Missionaries gave their labor gratuitously in the schoolroom—they were not only the Superintendents and Managers of the Schools, but also the Teachers. Gradually, as health declined, and claims of a higher character pressed upon them, some have been obliged to desist from the arduous work of teaching, and their places in the schoolroom are now filled by younger Teachers, paid for the most part out of the annual grant received from Government, thereby cau°ing a diminution in the amount set apart for the clothing, maintenance, and support of the pupils, which, considering the increased price of provisions during the last few years, and the supply of clothing which Maori children require to make them commonly decent, is, all things considered, scarcely sufficient. The existence of separate Boards, with power to distribute at their pleasure the various sums received from the Government, has not on the whole given satisfaction. I believe the Managers of Schools would be better pleased to receive their annual allowance either direct from the Government itself or from some central Board. The present Boards have the character of expending a larger amount than is fair on Schools which come more immediately under their own observation, while Country Schools, in accordance with the old adage, "out of sight out of mind," are either overlooked or disproportionately pinched to make provision for the wants of more favoured Schools. The various Boards are supposed to have their "pet" Schools, which receive the lion's share of Government bounty: therefore Managers of Country Schools are for the most part dissatisfied, beliving that their interests do not receive an equitable share of consideration. A central Board, either representing the several denominations or else representing the Governn ent, and kept from time to time acquainted with the wants and requirements of the several Schools by the Government Inspector, would, I believe, be more generally acceptable. It may be justly charged against these Boards that they decline taking upon themselves blame for the failure or ill success of any of the Schools, yet still, assuming the management, they repudiate the responsibility. If the question were asked, to whom is to be attributed the failure of the present scheme of Native education—for it will scarcely be maintained that the system has achieved success —it would be difficult to give answer. The Government would not be willing to father a child of such meagre dimensions after so much pampering, and the several Boards would maintain that, had the Government placed more means at their disposal, better results would have manifested themselves. The failure is rather to be traced to the system itself, which has divided the responsibility between the Government and the General Managers of the Schools. As we cannot expect an equal amount of zeal in the discharge of duties where we divide the responsibility, I would suggest that one or other party should be placed in such a position as to have all the credit of success or the blame which invariably attends failure. Should the present system of education be adhered to, your recently appointed Inspector of Schools must, I foresee, be the scape-goat in future, both for the Government and the General Managers.

To make Schools necessary in the work of civilizing the Native Race, the Government must direct that the annual grant of £10 for each child should be devoted exclusively to the maintenance and clothing of each pupil; while provision, iv the shape of a new grant, must be made for the building and repairing of School-houses, and for payment of Teachers' salaries. And, with the view of making the Natives themselves bear some share of the expense of erectitiij Schools, I would suggest that, for every 1000 feet of sawn timber placed by them on the site of the School, mechanical labour to the value of say £6 per 1000 feet should be given by Government, aud so in proportion for rough timber and thatch, the site of the School hiving iv the first instance been secured to Government by legal tenure. This proposition communicated to them in their Runanga might stimulate them to exertion, and, if acted upon, would save the Government considerable expenditure. It is impossible, while the King movement prevails, and engenders such an amount of opposition to Government as to check for the present all hope of friendly co-opeiation on the part of the Natives, to specify any definite amount for building purposes. I can only, therefore, assume the sum of £1000 as the

34

REPORT OF INSPECTORS

E—No.

probable expenditure of the year for building purposes and repairs; while for Teachers' salaries, and in the hope of securing competent persons, I would specify the sum of £1500. With this increased expenditure, I believe the Schools might be materially improved in character, and made so attractive that the Natives in a short time would only be too glad to avail themselves of the benefits to be derived from such institutions. The present insufficient progress of the Schools may be traced to external and internal causes. Under the former head may be comprised— (a.) The Taranaki war. (6). The King movement, (c.) The demand for children's labor. (a.) In support of my statement as to the effects of the Taranaki war upon Native Schools, we have only to refer to Mr. Gorst's recent report upon the Waikato Schools. The Report bears date December, 1861. Mr. Gorst inspected 13 Schools, everyone of which number has suffered more or less from the effects of the war. (b.) The King movement has engendered such an amount of opposition to the Government that many of the Natives, as the Missionaries have informed me, positively refuse to send their children to the Schools, because they are supported by Government. A Roman Catholic School was recently established at Raugiawhia, to which some children were sent, on the express understanding that the School was not to receive any aid from Government. Assistance was tendered by Rev. B. Y. Ashwell on behalf of the Government to Roka's School on the Waikato, but declined, with regret "that she was not allowed by the King party to receive it." A similar offer of assistance was made by Mr.Gorst to Wm. Thompson, but scornfully rejected. c. The increased number of cattle aud horses now in the possession of the Maoris, and their unwillingness to put up proper and permanent fences, to protect their cultivations, have produced a demand for juvenile labour. Two of the Schools I recently inspected were considerably reduced in number from this cause. Under the head of internal causes of insufficient progress may be classed— fj. Insufficiency of food or clothing. b. Overworking the pupils, especially in Schools called " Industrial." c. Excessive punishment aud over strict discipline. d. Defective teaching. c. Uncomfortableness of Schools. a. It is most impolitic to restrict a Native in the matter of food: on this point he is very sensitive. It militates against his ideas of liberality and open-handed profuseness. b. I have but little confidence in the success of Industrial Schools, conducted as they are at present. The fagging system adopted in such schools is most distasteful to the Native, to whose natural independence the idea of labour obtained by compulsion is most revolting: besides they involve a great outlay aud produce no equivalent return. c. Corporal punishments and an over-rigid discipline have dove much to drive away many children from the schools. A punishment, which to us would appear by no means harsh, would to a Native seem cruel and excessive. As Native parents never inflict chastisement upon an offending child, our summary mode of dealing with young delinquents must seem strange and tyrannical. It would not be unwise in future to pay some little deference to their feelings in this respect. d. An inefficient Teacher is very soon detected by a Native, and in this respect, I believe, their perception is more acute than that of a European; when once a Teacher's inability is discovered, his prestige is lost, and the school is consequently injured. In proof of this assertion, I could cite, if necessary, one or two instanses. c. Under the head of uncomfortableness of Schools is to be classed want of light, ventillation, warmth, elbow-room and sitting accomodation. School-time at best is irksome, and if it is desirable to mitigate this irksomness by every reasonable contrivance, how much more to remove every aggravation of bodily discomfort; a comparatively slight expense would remove many discomforts, and make the school-room cheerfull and attractive. In carrying on the work of civilization among the aboriginal Native race, through the medium ol schools, some impediments to progress, which may be gradually overcome by a diligent course of training in our schools deserve comment: aud first and most serious of all, is that state of communism, in which all kinds of property are held amongst them. Their present social condition bears testimony to the ill-effects of such a system. Tribal rights destroy personal ownership, few among them can boast of owning an acre of laud as absolutely and wholly his own. In the same way, stock, houses, farm produce, and even the very children, are held as the common property of the tribe, with the exception of horses, perhaps, few attempts have been made by the Natives to individualize property. In the School-room by a careful and persevering system of appropriation we may gradually train them to a proper perception of and regard of the meum and tuum; but the results of such training will uot, I anticipate, develope themselves among the community for some generations to come, still we ought not to abandon the attempt, or give up, because success is doubtful and remote. The Native language itself is also another obstacle iv the way of civilization, so long as it exists there is a barrier to the free aud unrestrained intercourse whicii ought to exist between the two races, it shuts out the less civilized portion of the population from the benefits which intercourse with the more enlightened would confer. The School-room alone has power to break down this wall of partition between the two races Too much attention cannot be devoted to this branch of Maori education. The Natives themselves are most anxious on this point. At present in com-

35

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

B—No. 4

mon with many others who have inspected Native Schools, I have to pronounce the teaching of English as almost a decided failure. Native habits of filth and laziness also impede the progress of civilization. These are fearful evils, and of wide-spread dimensions; so powerful are their influences that few young men or women on their return from School to the Native haingas can persevere in habits of personal cleanliness, they gradually relapse and ere long are hardly to be distinguished from the untaught Maori. lam of opinion that up to the present time, sufficient stress has not been laid upon the inculcation of those habits, which contribute so essentially to secure personal comfort and social improvement. Almost all the schools are sadly deficient in the necessary appliances for cleanliness. Another obstacle to be combated with in the School-room, is the apathy and total disregard to the value of time, so common to the race. This is an evil hard to be dealt with, inasmuch as it is rather of a negative character aud so thoroughly ingrained in the Native. As a remedy, I would suggest that every School-room should be furnished with a clock, and that a proper time-table for work, study, and recreation should be devised, and most strictly adhered to: by such means wo might, perhaps in time, overcome this Native failing. The work of education is considerably retarded by the want of co-operation on the part of the Natives; some stand aloof from insensibility to its real value; others, and they at present are in the majority, from a spirit of opposition to Government. With some, the smallest inducements become strong enough to withdraw a child from School. The first and most important condition for overcoming indifference to education, is the establishment of really good Schools. Where the Schools are ill-disciplined or ill-taught very little motive is wanted to neglect and ultimately forsake them; where they are really good, the desire for education, ought iv New Zealand (as in all other countries) to increase with the very perception of its advantages. Heretofore the Maori has had little or no demonstration of the advantages of education. Its benefits have never been placed prominently before him ; now, owing to the establishment of the Runanga, a grand opportunity is afforded for introducing the subject with all its attendant blessings and benefits. And as the Natives are for the most part a practical people, positive proof might be given of at least some of the advantages of education, if none but men able to read and write were allowed to hold appointments under Government; and I would further suggest with a view to the diffusion of learning that all Native Magistrates, Assessors and Police, should be under some compulsion to send their children to the nearest school. In reference to the establishment of Native Village Schools under Native Teachers, I must say a few words. At first I felt disposed to regard the scheme as feasible, and the Schools themselves as useful agents, but on further acquaintance with Native character and habits, I do not think they would materially forward the progress of education. They might perhaps be the means of relieving Teachers of larger and more advanced institutions from the drudgery of teaching the very first elements, but beyoud this they would be of no use, at least for some time to come, until we have raised up a staff of properly qualified Teachers. There is another fact in reference to the education of children under a Native Teacher which must not be lost sight of, and that is his inability to train the children to the habits and usages of civilized life—for I maintain that, so long as a Native School exists in a Native settlement under a Native Teacher (unless, indeed, he be a rara avis in terris), the children must continue rude, uncivilized, and barbarous. We cannot expect a Native Teacher to combat single-handed against customs almost honored for their antiquity, or make head-way where natural inclinations and parental example are perseveringly opposed to him. The employment of European Teachers in Native Village Schools is impracticable, not only on account of the migratory habits of the people, but also on the ground of expeuse. As the Natives, to use a common expression, " are here to-day and away to-morrow," it would be impossible to find a married man willing to accompany them on their ramblings, while to locate young men among them would be as imprudent as it would be unsafe. The Native Schools Act as at present framed prevents the establishment of village Schools, for it requires that all children should be not only educated, but boarded iv Schools receiving aid under the Act; aud the multiplication of Schools of such a character would involve an endless expense, unless the Natives would be prepared to give more substantial co-operation than they have heretofore accorded. In refereuee to the appointment of Teachers to Native Schools, I cannot refrain from expressing an opinion, that where Government assists in establishing a School, and afterwards supports it by an annual grant, it should have some voice in the appointment of the Teacher, aud where so much depends upon the Teacher, too great an amount of circumspection cannot be employed. I do not wish by this proposition to arrogate an undue share of power or patronage for the Government, my only object is to secure efficient Teachers. I would therefore propose that while the present Education Act remains in force, the appointment of a Teacher should be vested in the hands of the officer representing Government in educational matters, acting in conjunction with the head of each religious denomination. Heretofore the appointment has been left to the several managers of the Schools, and instances are on record to prove that a sufficient amount of discrimination has not at all times been exercised. If we desire to raise the character and improve the tone of the Native Schools, I feel satisfied from observation, and information acquired on my late tour of inspection, that the following suggestion, must become law everywhere, despite the feelings and prejudices of the Natives aud the expense necessarily attendent upon their adoption. I shall name them consecutively and then make some comments upon each. a. Total separation of the sexes. 6. Appointment of qualified Teacher.",

36

REPORT OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

c. Proper domitories and bedding, and separate beds, unless for children under ten years of age; in such cases not more than two to sleep together. d. A regular dietary scale in each School. c. The introduction and observance of a Time-table. f Adults and children not to be admitted into the same School. All over sixteen years of age to be considered Adults. g. In Schools for adults and in Industrial Schools, one or more branches of mechanical labor to be attended to. a. As it is impossible but that offences will come where Schools for boys and girls are held under the same roof and on the same premises, I would recommend the total separation of the sexes. Let Managers and Monitors be ever so viligent, still experience has proved that " nunquam homini satis cantum est in horas." Each School should be expressly a School either for boys or for girls, unless in the case of children not exceeding ten years of age. A difficulty presents itself in the case of married monitors with a family, for them some allowance must be made. With the view of inculcating habits of order, cleanliness and regularity, I would advise that their children should be treated exactly as the other children of the School and be made to sleep in the common dormitory and not in the native whare usually set apart for the Monitor and his family. The Native Monitors are valuable assistants to the School manager, yet in many cases I have had serious misgivings as to the propriety of considering them bona, fide scholars. They do certainly undergo almost daily a careful course of instruction iv Biblical and sacred learning, but receive little secular education, while from the fact of their being allowed to live exclusively in their own whares, they are not subjected to the regular discipline of the establishment, and are therefore in part excluded from its benefits. The case of their wives is still mere perplexing, for they receive a still less amount of secular instruction and regular training, yet without them, under the present regime, the School literally could not go on, for they do all the cooking and other domestic work of the establishment. lam far from ignoring the usefulness of the monitors, or detracting from their value in the School, if we were only to regard them in the light of examples to the younger children, my doubt is how far managers are justified under the above circumstances in entering them on the School Register as pupils. There is another light in which they are to be regarded, viz., that of Recruiting Sergeants to the Schools, they are for the most part men of rank, and as such have weight in their several tribes, and it is to them in many cases and not to the Missionaries or Managers that the parents confide their children. My proposal in reference to them would be, that those who are now in the Schools should continueto be regarded as pupils, but that in every School hereafter established, Monitors and their wives should be admitted as pupils in the ratio of one to every ten children. b. If my suggestion in reference to the appointment of qualified Teachers was carried into effect, the Government would only be discharging an obligation to the Missionaries for their valuable services in the work of Native education; the more valuable, because they were volunteers. The appointment of Teachers in every School would afford the Missionaries au opportunity of devoting themselves more exclusively to the preparation of young men for holy orders, and would leave them unfettered for the uninterrupted discharge of their ministerial duties. I would reserve to every missionary the general superintendence of the establishment, and the right of giving daily spiritual instruction in the School. c. The miserable hovels, oftentimes devoid of the means of ventilation, in which I have seen the children huddle together at night, satisfy me that the work of civilization attempted in these Schools must prove a failure, unless we make some change in their sleeping accommodation; I have seen six or eight boys or girls as the case might be, crowd together on the floor for the sake of warmth, their individual supply of bed-clothes being insufficient for their individual requirements. I have known four grown girls to sleep in one small bed, while in close proximity, only a yard apart, lay a Maori and his wife. Practices such as these, together with the accompanying moral evils which must naturally result from such a state of things, have a most pernicious tendency; they not only prove injurious to the health of the children, but are decidedly prejudicial to tho growth of habits of common decency and propriety. (d.) The publication of a dietary scale for every School is desirable, not only as a satisfaction to the Natives that their children will be well cared for, but also with a view to prevent in future the children from running away from the School. Among a people where education is at its lowest ebb, and whom present efforts reach only very indirectly, some ertra efforts not as yet included in the regular system of educational agencies must be employed, and I know of none more likely to prove attractive or so satisfactory to the Native as the promise of sufficient food and clothing. Painful as such a reflection is, it is nevertheless true. But the Aboriginal Native is not exceptional. A similar attraction has to be held out to many children in the heart of London, where the promise of a crust of bread or of a garment is offered as an inducement to them to enter the Ragged Schools. (<?.) Of the probable benefit to the Native Race generally from the employment of a time table in the Schoolroom, I have already spoken. (/".) The admission of adults into Schools on the same footing with children is objectionable, on the n-rounds " that they go far to destroy the necessary subordination of the ■ younger pupils, and thereby render the management of the School more difficult, and the attainments of tho Scholars precarious." With the view of removing wrong impressions from the Native mind as to the character of our Industrial Schools, and to prevent future misunderstandings, it would be desirable before receiving a young man into a School that the character and amount of work expected of him should be distinctly stated; if he then refused compliance, he should not be admitted. Heretofore they have beeu under a

37

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

E—No. 4

delusion: they come to School with the impression that they come only to learn, and not to work; then, when work is required of them, they consider themselves aggrieved, and give their labour grudgingly. Great care should be taken to devise work suitable to the ages of the pupil, and this could be more readily done if adults and children were not admitted into the same School. In Industrial Schools, which I think should be set apart solely for young men, either husbandry, as a practienl science, should be taught them, or some trade, either carpentering, brick-making, shoemaking, or tailoring. They would find such knowledge applicable to every-day-life. Ido not advocate for the Natives under present circumstances a refined education or high mental culture; it would be inconsistent, if we take into account the position they are likely to hold for many years to come in the social scale, and inappropriate, if we remember that they are better calculated by nature to get their living by manual rather than by mental labor. In the present scheme of Native Education, no distinct powers have been reserved to the Government. It is futile to make laws without power to euforce them. To place the Government in its proper position, the present Act should be remodelled, and the necessary amount of power secured. Yet it becomes questionable how far it is prudent to remodel the scheme, seeing that it must die a natural death in the course of three years. If the present hostility on the part of the Natives to Government should continue, there certainly would be no occasion. The additional expenditure of say £2000 a-year would place the Managers of Schools in such a position as to leave them without grounds for refusing to comply with the suggestions or directions of Government: in fact, they would have everything done for them. But Ido not calculate on any opposition; the several Managers are only too anxious to co-operate with, and carry out any suggestions of Government. If the Government thought it prudent to re-cast the present scheme of Native Education, I should suggest the creatioo of a Board consisting of either the Executive Ministers alone, or else of members representing the various denominations. The former, 1 believe, would be preferable. To this Board should be delegated the power to make rules for regulating their own course of proceeding, and for determining the conditions upon which assistance should be given towards Native Schools. They should also be vested with the power of withholding or discontinuing any grant to a School in whole or in part. The sum of £7000 now payable out of the ordinary revenue, and any additional sum or sums voted by the General Assembly for the education of the Natives, should be placed under the control of the Board. A report of the state and circumstances of each School receiving aid should be forwarded annually to the Governor, to be laid before the Assembly, together with an account of all monies received and disbursed. If the Natives would only co-operate with us in the work of education, I havg not had the slightest misgiving as to the success attending the operations of such a Board. I know from experience it would work well, and recommend itself to the public. The state in which I found the Wesleyan Native School at Aotea, under the conduct of Mr. Skinner, induced me to address the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Board of Education in reference thereto. I append a copy of my letter, to which I have not as yet received a reply. The Church of England School at Otawhao, under the superintendence of the Rev. J. Morgan, was so deficient iv every respect, and so reduced in numbers and character, that I strongly advised Mr. Morgan to close the School for a time, until necessary steps could be taken to place it on a better basis, and restore its value in the estimation of the Natives. Conducted as I found it, so inefficient, and so devoid of life and energy, its only tendency was to bring our educational institutions into general disrepute. Since my return to Auckland, a new regime has been instituted. Mr. Morgan has ceded to Mr. Gorst, the Resident Magistrate of the district, the entire management of the School. The necessary repairs are being effected (for the buildings had fallen into sad dilapidation), a European Teacher of considerable experience has been engaged, the old School disbanded, and none but young men—who are to receive an industrial as well as an educational training—are to be admitted. If we can only enlist the pupils, success, in all human probability, is certain. The Wesleyan School at Kawhia, somewhat defective in internal arrangement on my visit, will, I feel assured, soon cope in efficiency and usefulness with other Schools. The grant of £50 which you allowed me to place at the Rev. Mr. Schnackenberg's disposal will enable that gentleman to give effect to some suggestions I made, calculated to introduce general improvement. Of the School at Taupo, under the management of the Rev. Mr. Grace, I cannot speak in highly favourable terms. But it must be remembered that it has many serious difficulties to contend with. The greatest and most insurmountable of all, its remoteness from any town or market; all the stores and other requisites, not only for the School, but also for the Mission Station, have to be carried on the shoulders of Natives from the East Coast. The grown boys and monitors are employed in this service, which last year occupied at intervals three months. The absence of the Superintendent during the greater part of that time, and the want of a teacher for some months preceding my arrival told unfavourably against the School. A fire, which about twelve months previous destroyed the Schoolhouse, has also tended to create a certain amount of confusion and overcrowding on the establishment, which, I trust, will shortly be remedied by the erection of a new Schoolhouse, which is to be set about immediately, the materials for which, if I mistake not, are already on the ground. A new Teacher has also been recently appointed to the School. Owing to its remoteness from all civilizing influences —for it is in the heart of a purely Native district—and also from the extreme difficulty of procuring the means and appliances for carrying on the work of education, together with the very insufficient allowance—viz., £6 per annum for each pupil—from the Church of England Board of Education, I felt induced to look with a less critical eye upon its defects than I should be disposed to do under ordinary or more favouring circumstances. As it is only just to give credit where credit is due, I must not withhold the meed of praise to to Andrew Barton, the Native Teacher of Karakariki School on the Waipa. He is a young man of

38

REPORT OF INSPECTORS

E—No. 4

much promise and ability, has worked hard and done much for the School, The reading and pronunciation of English was better iv this School than any other I inspected, with the exception of the Rev. Mr. Reid's, to which it closely approximates. The Karakariki School is a mixed School; the Girls arc under the care of Andrew's sister, she also is a valuable Teacher. The Natives are proud, and very justly too, of this School; they are most regular in their weekly contributions of potatoes, vegetables, &c, for the use and support of the School. Such a School, and so conducted, is a gratifying sight, and affords ground for hoping that similar institutions may ere long be established throughout the country. It further proves the discrimination and sagacity of the Natives in judging of the quality of the education imparted; and I maintain that with the Maori, an inferior School has very little chance of success, while the best Schools will always prove the most popular, and will be the most regularly attended. The decrease in attendance, averaged throughout all the Schools receiving Government aid, has been on a rough calculation about 35 per cent. I am, &c, Henry Taylor, Inspector of Native Schools. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

THE INSPECTOR OP SCHOOLS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OP THE WESLEYAN BOARD OF EDUCATION. Native Schools Department, Auckland, July 7th, 1862. Sir — In the month of May last, I inspected the Native School at Aotea, under the charge of Mr. Skinner, and was far from satisfied with the existing slate of things in that institution. Its failure, for I cannot but regard it as a very signal failure of educational enterprise, is to be ascribed in my opinion to the two following causes :— Ist. The want of sufficient funds. 2nd. The want of a proper person to superintend the establishment, and undertake in a systematic way the management of domestic matters. I was informed by Mr. Skinner that the sum voted by the Board for the support of the school was at the rate of £8 13s. 4d. per annum for each pupil in average attendance, and that out of the total amount so received. Mr. Skinner was to draw the sum of £100 annually in payment of his own salary, so that if the annual average attendance was 35, as I believe it has been heretofore, the sum actually available for the maintenance and clothing of each pupil would only be £5 16s. 2£d. per annum: a sum, I need scarcely add, far from adequate. But strictly speaking this would not be the allowance for each pupil ; for to keep up an annual average of 35, the attendance of at least 40 or 45 scholars would be required as a set off against the occasional non-attendance of some of the pupils, so that the above sum should undergo a still further reduction. lam of opinion that the sum of £8 13s. 4d. for each pupil per annum, supplemented even by the produce of the farm, which up to the present has been inconsiderable, would be scarcely sufficient. 1 think that the £10 granted by the Government should be voted by your Board to this School, at least while it is io such a struggling state ; aud that after setting apart the sum of £8 13s. 4d. for each pupil, the balance should be appropiiated towards payment of Mr. Skinner's salary, and any deficit thereon should be made up from some extraneous source. In reference to the 2nd cause of failure, I would beg leave to remark that in consequence of the very great amount of manual work which at present devolves upon Mr. Skinner, he is unable to devote to the children under his charge, that attention and careful supervision which is requisite to ensure success; he is not only the Superintendent and Teacher of the School, but actually Farm Servant on the Station, aud his duties in this latter position monopolize almost the whole of his time. To raise the School to a standard of moderate efficiency, Mr. Skinner should be relieved from all farm drudgery, and should devote his whole attention to the School aud to the children. It is the wish of the Government that the children in these Schools should receive not only a certain amount of religious and secular instruction, but also that they should be trained to the observance of the decencies, habits, and more civilized practices of European life ; and in this respect the education of the children at Aotea has been sadly neglected—they are removed by only a few degrees from the untaught Maori; in fact they eat, sleep, and live almost the same as in their Native kaingas. To remedy this evil, Mr. Skinner, as I before observed, should give undivided attention to the School, the more especially as there is no matron on the establishment, for Mrs. Skinner's hands ate already full, having a large young family of her own to attend to ; he must supervise them night and day—at their meals, at their studies, at their play, and even in their bedrooms. Too great an amount of vigilance cannot be bestowed by one man upon 35 Maori children (the present number in the school) if his desire be, as his duty should be, to improve their social habits. It is my desire to see some active female employed on the establishment in the capacity of Matron, but at present I believe it would be premature to engage one. On this point Mr. Skinner himself thus writes : "As to the Matron, there is so much requires doing before she could enter properly into the duties of such an office, that I hardly need say more on the subject." With the view of leaving Mr. Skinner unfettered for the proper dischaige of his more immediate duties, 1 would most respectfully suggest that the services of a European labourer should be engaged. It requires no particular quick-sightedness to discover that a Teacher's prestige and personal influence must be damaged in the eyes of his pupils if they see him compelled to discharge the most menia duties, in many of whicli they themselves refuse to assist ; and this evil I believe could be remedied

39

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

E—No. 4

by adopting my suggestion. To put Mr. Skinner in a position to enforce habits of cleanliness, regularity, and ordinary propriety, an outlay of at least £150 is necessary. When at Aotea, I pointed out to Mr. Skinner what was absolutely requisite, and he, I feel satisfied, will only be too glad to co■ operate with us, if he has the materials wherewith to work. The buildings require considerable outlay to make them moderately decent and comfortable ; the present state of the buildings, from sheer cold, is enough to deter the children from entering it ; their sleeping accommodation is of the very worst description, and the scanty supply of clothing they receive confirms them in and habituates them to the use of the blanket. To put matters on a proper footing, I will undertake to ask the Government (and I have little doubt but that my request shall be granted) for half the above amount, viz., £75, provided your Board will undertake to advance an equivalent. With this expenditure, I think the character of the School might in a great measure be restored, for I do not hesitate to assert that already it has suffered much in the eyes of the Natives from the causes above specified, and that ere long, a useful School might be established, calculated, under God's blessing, to bestow a very considerable amount of moral and social good upon the district of Aotea, I have, &c, Henry Taylor, Inspector of Native Schools. The Superintendent of the Wesleyan Board of Education.

40

REPORT OF INSPECTORS ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.