EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-2, 1897.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1898 Session I, E-02

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1898. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-2, 1897.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency. No. 1. EXTBACT FBOM TWENTY-FIBST ANNUAL BEPOBT OF THE MINISTEB OF EDUCATION. Native Schools. The number of Native village schools was the same (74) at the end of the year as at the beginning. The number of children on the roll at the end of 1897 was 2,864, greater by only 2 than the corresponding number for the previous year. The mean of the weekly returns of pupils on the roll was 2,955, greater by 81 than at the end of the preceding year; and the strict average attendance was 2,291, showing an increase of 71 in the year. The average daily attendance for the year was equal to 77| per cent, of the roll-number for the time being. Four schools were finally closed in 1897, and one was transferred to the care of an Education Board; four new schools were opened, and one school was reopened after having been closed for some years. The closing of the school at Maketu is to be attributed to the apathy of the people, and of that at Eangiahua to decline of Native population. In the case of Waitapu both causes were operative, and at Mangakahia, though the population is a scattered one, the school might have been maintained if the people had shown a proper interest in it. The school at Colac Bay, transferred to the Southland Education Board, had for years contained a preponderating number of European pupils and the Maori people had long lived in European fashion. The old school that has been reopened is at Pamapuria, Mangonui. The four new schools are at Utakura, Hokianga; Manaia, in the Coromandel Peninsula; Eaorao, on the shores of the Aotea Harbour ; and Kokako, near Waikaremoana and on the Wairoa Eoad. The aggregate attendance at these five schools for the first quarter of 1898 is 137. Since the beginning of this year new schools have been opened at the following places: Whakarara, near Whangaroa; Opureora, near Tauranga; Te Kuiti, on the main line of railway from Auckland; Karioi, between Taupo and Wanganui; and Koriniti, on the Wanganui Eiver. A subsidy, at the capitation rate of .£3 155., has been granted to a movement instituted in Nelson for the establishment of a small school at Croiselles Harbour. A new school is at present in process of erection at Nuhaka, near the Mahia Peninsula ; an old school at Peria, Mangonui, is to be reopened, and probably the old school at Otamatea, Kaipara, will also be reopened. There are many applications for new schools, and it is most likely that on further inquiry eight or nine of these applications will be found to be well grounded.

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The four boarding-schools for Maoris had at the end of the year 236 pupils, of whom 73 were Government scholars. There were 10 boys holding industrial scholarships apprenticed as follows : —3 to farmers, 3to saddlers, 2to carpenters, Ito a blacksmith, and 1 to a printer. Scholarships for £40 a year each were enjoyed by two young men studying, one at the University College, Auckland, and the other at Canterbury College, Christchurch. The 74 schools were under the charge of 60 masters and 14 mistresses, whose salaries range between £74 and £233; and there were 60 assistants and 14 sewing-mistresses, with salaries between £7 and £50. The expenditure on Native schools for 1897 was as follows : —Teachers' salaries and allowances, £12,565 lis. Id.; books and school requisites, £517 45.; repairs and small works, £474 lis. 7d.; inspection, £885 10s. 4d. ; boardingschools and scholarships, £1,857 6s. lid.; buildings, fencing, furniture, &c, £4,335 6s. 2d.; sundries, £107 os. 3d.: total, £20,742 10s. 4d. Fuller details, together with the Inspector's report, will be found in another paper (Native Schools, E.-2). Mr. Pope's report shows that the numbers of children who passed the several standards in Native schools in 1897 were as follows:—Standard 1., 470; IL, 339; 111., 249; IV., 128; V., 23; VI., 5: total, 1,214.

- No. 2. The Inspector of Native Schools to the Inspectob-Genebal of Schools. Sir,— Wellington, 31st March, 1898. In accordance with the terms of your standing instructions, I have the honour to lay before you my report on the general condition of the Native schools of New Zealand, and on the work done in them during the year 1897. Numbee op Schools. At the end of 1896 there were seventy-eight schools in full working order. In the course of 1897 four schools were opened, one was reopened, four were closed, and one was transferred to the Southland Board. During the year, therefore, or some portion of it, eighty-three schools were in operation, and at the end of the year seventy-eight schools were open—viz., seventy-four village schools (including one half-time school) and four boarding-schools. These numbers do not include the denominational schools that the Department has been asked to inspect and examine—viz., those at Matata Convent, Waerenga-a-hika, Otaki, and Putiki. Changes: New Schools opened and Schools eeopened oe closed. After considerable delay, a school was opened at Utakura, Hokianga, in the March quarter of 1897. The Maoris of the district displayed much enthusiasm in the matter, and have endeavoured, by making large cultivations, to preserve their school from all risk of failure through scarcity of food for the school-children in attendance. — Kokako, near Lake Waikaremoana, also began work in March. It gave, at first, promise of being very successful. There were seventy-six names on the roll, and nearly this number of children were in attendance at the first inspection. But difficulties of a serious character sprang up in one way and another, and now it is quite plain that reorganization is necessary. There is, however, no reason to despair of the school.—ln the June quarter a beginning was made at Manaia, some seven miles from Coromandel. Here there were very great difficulties to be overcome, for the school was opened before reason for its existence had been fully shown, and it was, in fact, an experimental school in a very decidedly experimental building. The master has succeeded, however, in overcoming many of the difficulties referred to, and it is hoped that the school will shortly be suitably housed. There is good reason to hope for complete success. Already the beneficial influences of the school have become perceptible in the district.— Baorao School, Aotea Harbour, was opened in the September quarter. It is some seven miles north of Kawhia Harbour. This is a very interesting field for Native-school operations. It was for a long time near the very heart of Maoridom, and then the man who visited it did so with his life in his hand. Before the war broke out the place was under Wesleyan influence mainly, and it is from the Wesleyan body that the Department has been able to obtain a site for the school, which has been, so far, decidedly successful; the Maoris are giving it unqualified support. The school at Pama,puria, Kaitaia, Mangonui, was reopened in the March quarter. So far, the Maoris have given the master very hearty assistance, and thus he has had the opportunity of showing them that the school actually deserves such support.' The opportunity has been very fully utilised. The Mangakahia School was closed in June. It is rather difficult to determine whether the Maoris of the district let their school slip through their fingers because they did not care about acquiring European knowledge, or because the conditions of life in the Mangakahia Valley are too hard to allow the people to mass their children around a school centre and provide food for them. It is to be feared that the former alternative is the correct one. —The school at Bangiahua, near the Upper Waihou Biver, Hokianga, died out partly through exhaustion —a great many of the people

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had gone away— and partly through loss of interest in the school on the part of those who remained. It was closed at the end of the year.— Waitapu School, the oldest of the Hokianga schools, faded away gradually, and there can be little hope of its ever being resuscitated. Very few Natives are now living in the neighbourhood of the school. — Maketu, on the Bay of Plenty, ought to have been able to support a good school, but it failed to do so. The Arawa Natives are intelligent people, and it seems strange that they could not recognise the fact that a school is nowadays indispensable in a community that wishes to hold its own. The view has been stated that the Arawas are such great rangatiras that mere pakeha knowledge seems to them to be quite beneath notice. It is difficult to believe that such acute people could be so unwise. Uolac School went out of Native-school existence in a much more creditable way. It had become so European that the Department thought it desirable to transfer it to the Southland Board. This school did capital work as a Native school, and, especially during the last few years of its existence, it was a school that the Department had no reason to be ashamed of. Besides the schools spoken of above several others have been opened, either at the beginning of the school year 1898 or a little later on. Such are the schools at Te Kuiti, the present terminus of the Auckland- Waikato line; Opureora, on an island some ten miles from Tauranga; Kormiti, on the Wanganui Biver ; Whakarara, near Te Ngaere, Whangaroa ; Groiselles, in the Nelson District (a subsidised school); and Karioi, at the foot of Mount Buapehu. The school at Nuhalca, Hawke's Bay, will be ready in a few months' time. Proposals fob New Schools. Manukau. —This settlement is between Herekino and Pukepoto. The request for a school was declined. Facts adduced did not show that a Native school was necessary. Manukaewa is a nearly deserted settlement some miles from the Waihi goldfield. No case was made out. Maunu is a Maori settlement on the main road from Whangarei to Poroti. Its distance from the Maungatapere and Maunu Board schools is hardly great enough to warrant the establishment of a new school. If the Maunu public school could be removed to the top of the hill there would be little need for a Maunu Native school. The principal promoters of the Maunu proposal are Mangakahia men who understand that education is a thing to be valued and not lightly thrown aside. Among them is Ihimaera Poutai, for a long time Chairman of the Mangakahia School Committee. Motiti Island. —The request for a school on the island has been renewed. This now seems to be a rather good case. Ngakau-o-Hine Kuku is near the Napier-Taupo Boad. It is probable that its application and that from Te Haroto are either one and the same, or that the tw 7 o are very closely connected. Onewhero. —This is one of a number of Maori settlements on the left bank of the Waikato, beginning about three miles below the Tuakau ferry. A school for this district in a suitable position could hardly fail to be successful. The case is very strongly recommended. Oromahoe. —A Native school,was in operation here many years ago (in 1880). Progress with the application is blocked at present through non-receipt of reply from the Natives. Otamatea, Kaipara. —The reopening of this school has been strongly recommended. Circumstances have changed there, and greatly for the better. Peria, Mangonui. —This is another reopening case. A fair amount of success should be achieved here. The school would be a mixed one. Punawai, Head of Ohiiva Harbour, Bay of Plenty. —This is a very good application. There should be a fine school at Punawai. Putataka, Port Waikato. —This business is in the preliminary stage only. The Natives have not yet asked for the visit of an Inspector. Bamoto, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay. —There is here a large and rather populous Maori district in which Native education appears to receive but little attention. There should certainly be some provision made for Bamoto. If the Hawke's Bay Board could see its way to establish a school there, and if it could arrange matters so that the Maori children could cross the river and attend the Frasertown School, as Maori children attend the Wairoa School, every purpose would be answered. If this cannot be done it seems plain that the Department ought to take the matter in hand. Bangaunu, Waimate North. —A very interesting case. A school is wanted at the place on which missionary efforts were first put forth in the Bay of Islands district. It is intended that the school shall provide for the wants of all the Natives living in the valley of the Waitangi. Bangiawhia, Mangonui. —The Natives of this place appear to have good grounds for asking that a Native school shall be established in their district; but there are, it would seem, equally good grounds for believing that the establishment of a school there would very seriously (perhaps fatally) weaken two other school districts, one of which already has a school, while in the other the old school is about to be reopened. It is hard to see how to deal justly with such an application. Taharoa is close to Whakapara, the present terminus of the Whangarei Eailway-line. This is a capital case, but it seems that a public school would meet all the requirements better than a Native school could. Te Haroto is on the Taupo-Napier Boad. This application appears to deserve very favourable consideration. The place will be visited towards the close of the year. Te Waimana lies in the valley east of that in which Buatoki is situated. There is no good reason why a school should not be established here. The population is large and the land appears to be fertile. It is a very favourable case. Wai-o-tapu. —The proposed site is some distance from the Wai-o-tapu thermal springs, and it is not likely that the visits of tourists would interfere injuriously with the work of the school. It appears certain that Wai-o-tapu is a good field for our operations.

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Native Village Schools at Work dubing 1897 ob some Portion of It, and examined or inspected, or both. The basis on which the schools are grouped in this report is afforded by their geographical positions. Much information respecting the work done by individual schools, and their general efficiency as educational institutions, has been tabulated and. printed in the appendix to this report (see Tables VI. and VII.). Additional information respecting the character and circumstances of particular schools will be found in the following paragraphs:— The Far North — Parengarenga, Mangonui, and Whangaroa. Hapua (examined 2nd March, 1897). —This, the most northerly of all our schools, is a very interesting one; the attendance is large, the parents show much enthusiasm with regard to their children's education, and the children themselves are alert and intelligent in a high degree. The examination results were unusually good. It is probable that this will be a satisfactory field for educational effort for many a year; one important work to be done by a school here is to supply a unifying principle for the somewhat discordant elements peculiar to the place and people. The Hapua School buildings are of the roughest description, and should be replaced as early as possible by a suitable schoolhouse and residence. Te Kao (examined Ist March, 1897). —There was good reason to be satisfied with the substantial results secured by the present staff—worthy successors of Mr. Wykes and his late wife. No doubt, when the next visit takes place the external features (condition of garden, grounds, &c.) will have greatly improved. It is difficult to say whether Te Kao or its northern neighbour is likely to become the more important. • Ahipara (examined 27th February, 1897). —On the whole the results were somewhat disappointing, but still a good foundation had been laid for the next year's work. No doubt the long holiday, that had ended only two years previously, had had a lowering effect, and had done much to render it difficult for a newcomer to secure first-class results. Pukepoto (examined 26th February, 1897). —The methods in use here have a thoughtful and consequently effective character: few of the blows struck miss their object. Diaries are still kept by the senior pupils. Also, the practice of making each pupil compose and deliver an English sentence is still part of the school routine. These two devices, to say nothing of others, have done a great deal to improve the pupils' knowledge of English. This subject, and dictation, are the strong points here. The weakest subject is arithmetic. Parapara (examined 6th March, 1897). —The example of the Chairman of the Committee of this o-chool might well be followed at many a more pretentious institution. He was untiring in his efforts to obtain a school, and now that one has been secured he, with his Committee, works hard and constantly to keep it up to the mark. The examination brought to light a few weak spots, notably in viva voce arithmetic, geography, and spelling; still, there was good reason to be pleased with the results as a whole. Kenana (examined 28th March, 1897). —This is only a small school, but it is Maori through and through, and quite justifies its existence. There are several babies in the district, and this makes an increased attendance not impossible. In spite of some weakness in arithmetic the results were highly creditable. The master has been removed to a more extensive field of labour. Te Pupuke (examined 15th July, 1897). —The approach to this school was unusually bad from both north and south, and a very early start from Kenana was not early enough to allow one to reach the school in good time. The school work, fortunately, had been very well done ; the children were ready in both senses of the word, and the results were entirely satisfactory. Also, the short inspection of the methods, discipline, and organization was very pleasing. One interesting feature observed was the amicable working together of two leading men, hitherto generally hostile, in order to secure a satisfactory education for the children of their people. Hokianga. — Local Visitor, Mr. T. L. Millar, Postmaster, Bawene. Waimamaku (examined 13th March, 1897). —A very good beginning has been made hereby the new master, and there is reason to hope that the continuation and the end will be good also. The attendance is far too low, but all the information obtainable indicates the possibility of considerable improvement in the future. Waitapu (examined 10th March, 1897). —The order and the discipline generally were good. The work of the top of the school was strong ; that of the lower classes not so strong. Later on it was found necessary to close the school on account of the smallness of the attendance. Matihetihe (examined 9th March, 1897).—The difficulty in working this as a half-time school is very great. The road over the sandhills and along the beach is decidedly difficult in bad weather, and thus the limited amount of ordinary school time has frequently been still further reduced, These hindrances being considered, it is possible to say that the results were fairly satisfactory. Whakarapa (examined 11th March, 1897). —Without showing much enthusiasm, the pupils work well. The attendance had fallen off very much towards the end of the previous year through famine, but there had been great improvement, and at the time of the examination the number of children at school was unusually large. The work shown bore many indications of thoughtful and intelligent industry on the part of the teacher. Motukaraka (examined 26th July, 1897). —The " tone " here is not so bad as the irregularity of the attendance would make it appear to be; the parents would keep their children constantly at school if circumstances would allow them to do so. In spite of numerous drawbacks, the examination results were much better than they had been for a long time previously. The teaching of the " extra subjects " is particularly good here, and this is a matter of no small importance. Mangamuka (examined 27th July, 1897). —There is reason to be greatly pleased with the work done here; even better results will be forthcoming next year unless very untoward events occur to

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bar success. The strongest points at Mangamuka are the first-rate management of silent work, the clear and taking explanation of conceptions, and the general neatness of all written work. This will probably be a large and very successful school. Bangiahua (examined 28th July, 1897). —The passes secured were not all strong, but there was reason to be satisfied with the work as a whole. The attendance was almost too small to warrant the continuance of the school. Utakura (examined 28th July, 1897). —Very little in the way of examination was needed, seeing that the school had been but a short time open ; four children passed, but all of these had had previous instruction elsewhere. The inspection results were encouraging. There should be a good school at Utakura when the buildings are ready. Whirinaki (inspected 24th July, 1897). —Only the inspection took place. The school was being reorganized, and was already giving promise of good work in the future ; but it seemed certain that at least a year would have to pass before the school could fairly be subjected to examination. Omanaia (examined 23rd July, 1897). —The tone here is very good, even though the influence of the so-called spiritist craze is not yet worn out. Omanaia made an excellent show at inspection and examination; passes were both numerous and strong.Waima (examined 22nd July, 1897). —This school produces a favourable impression on a visitor. The rule is genial as well as sufficiently effective. The Maoris appear to be showing more interest in the school. The results were decidedly pleasing, although weak places appeared in the arithmetic and the geography, and also in the pronunciation of the juniors. Otaua (examined 21st July, 1897). —The Maoris do not display very great interest in their school, but they give it enough of a " neutral-tinted " support to keep it going. Considering that the teacher was new to Native-school teaching one could say that the examination work was satisfactory. The teaching showed a tendency to be very thorough ; hence good progress may be expected later on. Kaikohe (examined 20th July, 1897). —The children work with earnestness and good feeling; the parents, although apparently much attached to the master, seemed, at the time of the examination, to be passing through an apathetic stage. At the examination there was a mixture of weakness with considerable strength. The weakness was owing to numerous withdrawals of pupils, and substitution of younger for older children. The strength appeared especially in arithmetic and geography. The extra subjects were remarkably well done. Mangakahia (examined 19th February, 1897). —Owing to the generally unsatisfactory attendance the results appeared to be small, but the children who had come to school regularly did well, in spite of weak spots in geography, arithmetical notation, and dictation. Later on the attendance became so small that the school had to be closed. Te Ahuahu (examined 17th July, 1897). —The garden has a pleasing look; oranges and other trees are thriving. The examination results were in some respects unequal, but on the whole decidedly good. This is quite a satisfactory little school. Parents are now taking a very decided interest in it. Ohaeawai (examined 19th July, 1897). —The prospects seem better than they have ever been before, but the school is in a transition stage, and consequently there is some disorganization ; this we may fairly hope will have been got over by next year. On the whole, arithmetic was the best examination subject; the mental work was decidedly good. The English composition and the geography were as decidedly poor. Taumarere (examined 7th July, 1897). —The school had had bad luck ; it had lost some " certain passes " just before the examination. The schoolroom is small, and certainly overcrowded. The school continues to provide its own raison d'etre quite satisfactorily. On the whole, the examination work was well up to the mark. Karetu (examined 13th July, 1897). —The teaching is vigorous and interesting. The premises are in capital order. The discipline is, excellent. With some weakness in English and in reading, the examination work was decidedly pleasing. The school continues to do good work. All that is wanting here is a somewhat larger attendance. Whangaruru (examined 16th February, 1897).—This remote school, which had at first a very rudimentary form, is gradually becoming better housed and better worth housing. The work shown at the examination was, all things considered, quite satisfactory. The children labour earnestly, and seem to have failed to discover, so far, the noxious mutual-help system. Whangarei and Northern Wairoa District. Poroti (examined 18th February, 1897). —The top of the school was found to be strong, the bottom weak ; fair work came in between. This feature is due to the existence of a Fifth Standard in the school. The Maoris here wish their children to pass the higher standards in their own school without going to Auckland. Hence the master has five standard classes, and the " preparatories "to deal with. This can hardly be done quite satisfactorily in a Maori school, or, indeed, in any small school. The rule at Poroti is mild and genial, and the school tone is good. Taiharuru (examined 13th February, 1897). —This seaside school commands one of the prettiest views in New Zealand. The school had been worked under great disadvantages, and the master's task must have been very arduous. The examination gave better results than one had a right to expect from a school held in such a building—a small Maori cottage, by no means the best of its kind. The new school, with a new master, is now in working order, and will probably prove worthy of its lovely surroundings. Opanaki (examined 15th March, 1897). —Weakness appeared in some parts of the examination work; the crowded state of the building might easily have caused more. A Board school has been established close at hand, and this will tend to relieve the congestion. In spite of the difficulties a large number of passes was secured, some of them fairly strong.

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Goromandel, Waikato, and West Coast of North Island. Bakaumanga (examined 28th April, 1897). —This is a new experimental school. The results of the examination were, on the whole, pretty satisfactory. The weakest point was the discipline. The salutary rule that it is better that children should be prevented from doing wrong than that they should be punished when they have done wrong is not observed. (Information lately received shows that under another master the school is flourishing.) Kawhia (examined 30th April, 1897). —The children work honestly and behave well in the main, but begin to talk on slight provocation. No doubt the manifestation of this weakness was due to the absence of the principal teacher, who was ill and confined to bed. On the whole the results were decidedly pleasing. Kawhia, in its new and suitable buildings, will probably be an excellent school. Kopua (examined 28th April, 1897). —The pupils do honest and hearty work, and appear to be happy in their school life. The institution seems to hold a high place in the estimation of the people, and if relations between teacher and parents remain good the school should have a prosperous career. Examination results were satisfactory. There is a good garden here, and the grounds have been greatly improved. Te Waotu (examined 3rd May, 1897). —The teaching is carefully given, and shows marks of thought. Every child under instruction receives sufficient attention, and profits to the full by the lessons. The discipline is better than it was, and the general aspect of the school has much improved. The results generally were good. The Maoris might well give the teacher more active support than they appear to give. Manaia (inspected sth July, 1897). —Pleasing work had been done here, the shortness of the time that had elapsed since the opening being considered. Attention had not been confined to the Code requirements; excursions had been made into " higher work." Where this plan is worked judiciously, and with due regard to the less interesting fundamentals, it is by no means a bad one. It gives children an interest hardly to be secured if attention is confined to the bare rudiments. The Maoris greatly value their school, which has had many difficulties surrounding it, all of them now in process of being overcome. Mawhitiwhiti (examined 29th March, 1897). —The results obtained were of high excellence. Only one failure occurred, and most of the passes were strong, four being very strong. This is a very good school; it is to be regretted that a better attendance cannot be secured for it, and that the Maoris of the surrounding districts attach more importance to aimless meetings, poi dances, and hakas than to the education of their children. These people are, in their own peculiar way, " fiddling while Borne is burning." Banana (examined 2nd August, 1897). —Much honest work had been done at this new school, with very fair, and in some subjects very satisfactory, results. The knowledge of the Department's requirements, gained by seeing the examination work, will, no doubt, be of considerable use to the teachers, who may be considered a useful addition to our staff. The Natives appeared to be delighted with their school. It is to be hoped that this feeling will be permanent. Galatea (examined sth August, 1897). —The experiment of holding school at Awangararanui instead of at Galatea, two miles away, was being made when the examination took place. It was, on the whole, an encouraging experiment, but it would be unwise, until full proof of permanent advantage from the change has been secured, to remove the schoolhouse to the new site. The examination results were very considerably better than those of the previous year. The garden is a pleasing feature here. Te Whaiti (examined 4th August, 1897). —The results obtained at Te Whaiti were, of course, not absolutely large, but in relation to the time the school had been opened, and to the circumstances of the district, they were very good indeed. Parents were evidently yielding to the influences of the school and finding them beneficial. If a fair attendance can be maintained Te Whaiti should prove quite satisfactory. A good beginning has been made with the work of getting the school grounds into order. Te Houhi (examined 6th August, 1897). —In the early part of the year fourteen children belonging to Buatahuna had attended the school, but illness came, and then a death, and all but three of the children were removed. At the examination it was found that the First Standard children were pretty well up to the mark; those in Standards 11. and 111. were decidedly weaker. The children take a fair amount of interest in their work, but some of them have not yet been brought sufficiently under the influence of discipline. Te Teko (examined 7th August, 1897). —There has been a considerable falling-off in the attendance. This is partly due to the fact that many of the old scholars have finished their education, and partly to migrations from the district; it is not probable that these migrations will lead to continued absence. The upper part of the school (especially the girls' side) was in creditable condition, and it did well at the examination; the lower part was not so good. Poroporo (examined 11th August, 1897). —There was a great hui in progress at examination time, and the elder Maoris assembled in force to see the work done. They watched the proceedings with intelligent interest. The Poroporo children work very well, but at times their manner and demeanour strike one as being too subdued. The work was, on the whole, very fair, much of it being strong ; but considerable weakness appeared in the upper classes in geography, arithmetic, and knowledge of the laws of health. Buatoki (examined 10th August, 1897). —The order seemed surprisingly good to one who had seen the children totally undisciplined a short time before. The rule is very firm, but sufficiently mild. The elder Natives take great interest in the school, and the children, one and all, work with a will. The parents attended in force to see the examination, which must have appeared to them rather mysterious and pretty dry. Thirty-eight passes were secured—not bad work for a new

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district in a school that had been open fourteen months to a day. The weaker subjects were, as might have been expected in so young a school, reading, and English. Otamauru (examined 12th August, 1897). —Admirable work has been done here in the way of making a good garden on rather unpromising ground. In school, the rule is kindly and effective; practically there are no punishments. The children are in good heart, and their behaviour is respectful. With some more or less defective patches in it, the examination work was pleasing. Of course, some of the credit for this is due to the former teachers. The Maoris are greatly delighted with the work that is being done for them. Matata (examined 13th August, 1897). —The attendance here is moderately large, although there is another good Native school, with many special attractions, close at hand. There was reason to be well satisfied with the work shown at examination. Hard problems in sufficient number attend the work of every Native school, but probably the teachers of two Native schools within hail of each other, in a district where Maori pupils may pretty nearly follow their own inclinations, have a much clearer idea of disciplinary difficulties than is vouchsafed to the ordinary run of their professional brethren. Maketu (examined 16th August, 1897). —As usual, there were abundant indications of good work and capability so far as the master was concerned, and more than the usual signs of apathy on the part of the Maoris. Shortly after the examination the attendance began to fall off, and it sank so low that the school had to be closed at the end of the school year. It is with regret that I record the death of Mrs. Pinker, who, by her work in the school and her unobtrusive labours outside of it, always gave important help in securing such success as the school achieved. Te Matai (examined 17th August, 1897). —The interest of the older Maoris is still maintained, but perhaps in a somewhat modified form. The people are beginning to understand what the purpose of school education is. This, however, does not prevent the Committee from fruitlessly asking the Government now and again to provide dinners for the children. The number of passes was satisfactory, and, as usual, the general appearance of the school was very good indeed. The attendance seems to be decreasing somewhat, probably through the partial scattering of the Maoris. Karikari (examined 18th August, 1897). —It is rather unfortunate that the success of this school should depend on its being removed to another site, while unexpected changes have made the removal appear to be of somewhat doubtful expediency. At examination time all the Natives had removed to " The Farm," about a mile from the proposed site. A waiting policy is the proper one. The examination results were small; the teacher had not yet gained the special experience required for the work. Huria (examined 19th August, 1897). —A vast improvement had taken place ; the inspection was quite satisfactory. Although there are many small children attending, they are so managed that their attendance is not at all an evil—quite the contrary. The result of the examination, however, was not nearly so'good as one might have expected; but with a continuance of the kind of work shown at inspection good passes must be forthcoming next year. Paeroa (examined 20th August, 1897). —This is an admirable school. The interest of the Maoris in education has greatly revived here, and there is good reason why it should revive. Among the smaller Native schools Paeroa is one of the best. There is hardly any weakness in any part of the work. The passes were strong and good almost throughout. Wai-o-weka (examined 7th May, 1897). —This is not a very satisfactory school. The greater number of the former inhabitants of the place appear to have moved away, and those still remaining are not altogether settled. Another attempt to revive the school is being made by sending to it new teachers well accustomed to Maori ways. The examination results obtained were fairly satisfactory—quite so in view of the fact that the teacher had had no previous experience of Native school work. Omarumutu (examined Bth May, 1897). —The teaching is conscientious, well directed, and clear ; there are also satisfactory indications of thought and progressiveness. The school has made a satisfactory new beginning under a new teacher, and has quite recovered from the shock that nearly always accompanies the introduction of entirely new methods. The examination results were satisfactory. Torere (examined 10th May, 1897), —The results were not good. The change of teachers had here brought about temporarily an untoward effect on the children. But the new master has produced elsewhere, and can produce again, capital results; no doubt he will do so at Torere. The behaviour of the children is good, but they are too fond of mutual help. Omaio (examined 11th May, 1897). —The drawing here is very good. Copying is not altogether unknown, and there is some needless talking. The people maintain their hearty interest in the school, which still deserves that interest. The results must, on the whole, be considered satisfactory when it is remembered that a change of teachers has taken place. Te Kaha (examined 12th May, 1897). —The Committee and a number of other representative people remained after the examination (which was satisfactory) for the usual korero. Great affection was expressed for the teachers, and great regret at the prospect—now, unhappily, not a very distant one—of Mr. Levert's leaving Te Kaha through failing health. This regret at Mr. Levert's retirement (which has now taken place) is fully participated in by those officers of the Department who were personally acquainted with the sterling character of his work for the long period during which he was master of Te Kaha Native School. It is within the truth to say that, taking the work all round, and giving due prominence to what has been done out of school, few Native schools have equalled Te Kaha, and hardly any have surpassed it. Baukokore (examined 13th May, 1897). —This examination (which gave substantial results) was held under sad conditions. The master was lying ill at Auckland of a mortal disease, the result of an apparently trifling accident; he died about a fortnight afterwards. Mr. P. G. Steel was a man of retiring disposition, and this tended to mask, to a large extent, considerable attainment, and much

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ability as a teacher. Mr. Steel was just beginning to make his mark, and to secure suitable recognition of his worth, when he was " snatched away untimely," to the great regret of all who knew him well. East Coast. Wharekahika (examined 14th May, 1897). —Although the attendance is small, the people are doing their best; they show real interest in the school. There is every reason to be satisfied with the reopening of it. The Committee urged that the teacher should not be removed, and explained that every available child is being sent to school. The examination results were good in the two lower standards; not so good in the higher. Te Araroa (examined 17th May, 1897). —The school continues to be a credit to the Department, and to exert an elevating influence on the district in which it is placed. The teacher's health has for some time been failing, and has, of late, given some cause for anxiety. The examination results were decidedly good, in spite of the fact that there was a great deal of serious illness among the children last year. [Since this was written the master has died, after many years of most useful work in a remote district. There is no better or more faithful teacher in the service than Mr. Thomas Beattie was.] Bangitukia (examined 18th May, 1897). —This large school continues to do very satisfactory work, in spite of much sickness in the district, and of very considerable irregularity in the attendance. The efforts of the staff are not seconded by the people quite as actively as they should be. Copying is not unknown here. The results are generally satisfactory. Tikitiki (examined 20th May, 1897). —Some decline has taken place in the ready and confident answering of the children. The general appearance and work of the school have not declined. As one enters the schoolroom his attention is called to a 'roughly-made but very useful tellurium, and to a clay model intended to illustrate geographical definitions—pleasing indications of an appreciation of what geographical teaching ought to be. The attendance continues large, and the results are good. Wai-o-matatini (examined 26th May, 1897). —The children here work honestly and obey promptly; no indications of bad tone were observed. The people, represented by ten or a dozen men, showed themselves entirely opposed to any scheme involving a change of teachers. They had learnt that the master was finding the place unhealthy, and that he wished to leave it, and they thought it well to put in a protest early. It would probably be well if the school could be removed to Te Horo, somewhat more than a mile away. Besults were very good. Tuparoa (examined 27th May, 1897). —The tone of the school was not good, neither were the results; but most of the children that failed had attended badly. The teacher, moreover, had been greatly overworked, through the loss of one assistant and the illness of another, and through having to attend to telegraph- and post-office work in addition to that of the school. A new disposition of teachers has been made, which it is hoped will prove satisfactory. Hiruharama (examined 22nd May, 1897). —The teaching is very interesting; it is far-reaching and complete. All explanations are thoroughly clear, and care is taken to ascertain that they have been grasped by the children. This school presented an excellent general aspect, and had done admirable work. Of the children above the preparatory class not one failed, and most of them made the uniformly strong passes that give as much pleasure to the examiner as they do to the teacher and the pupil. The results were thoroughly satisfactory. Tokomaru (examined 29th May, 1897). —The teaching is very clearly and thoughtfully given; numerous marks of careful preparation are in evidence. The school is fortunate, too, in having a Chairman of energy and influence, who does his duty in assisting the teachers to secure a creditable appearance at examination time. The results generally are sound and good. On the whole, the East Coast is still in the van so far as Native schools are concerned, although formidable rivals are springing up here and there throughout the colony. Hawke's Bay, Taupo, and the Wanganui District. Kokako, Waikaremoana (inspected 7th June, 1897). —In view of the fact that the school had been in operation for only about three months, and that it was to be examined soon after the beginning of the next school year, the work was confined to inspection and what is called organizing work. It was found, however, that a good beginning had been made, and that there was reason to hope that the material out of which a successful school could be constructed was available. Pukawa (examined 22nd March, 1897). —The teachers deserve great credit for the admirable work done by them here; it has been accomplished in the face of many great difficulties and much discouragement. The examination gave very much better results than one could have ventured to expect. Both teachers have great natural aptitude for teaching, and their industry is untiring ; besides, they have rapidly acquired the special knowledge connected with Native-school teaching. Hence the passes secured were numerous and of high quality. Pipiriki (examined 26th March, 1897). —The children seem to be held well in hand, and thoroughly amenable to the influences that are being brought to bear on them. The school had certainly made a hopeful start. The results already secured were very good for a school that had been less than six months in operation. The master had been constantly endeavouring to acquire our unfamiliar methods, and to promote the success of his school. Papawai (examined 13th December, 1897). —This has now become much more of a Maori school than it was, and it appears to be in a sounder position than it has occupied for many years past. The work shown at examination was rather uneven, being good in the upper part of the school (except in English), and not nearly so good in the lower. The standard of attainment in the lower standards had apparently been pitched too low. However, good work may be confidently expected next year.

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South Island Schools. Waikawa (examined 2nd December, 1897). —In the lower part of the school the work was unusually weak; there was no fluency in reading or in the English work. Further up the school the attainments were much better, and in some places deserved to be called good. At the best the attendance here is somewhat irregular, and this tends to lower the character of the examination work. Wairau (examined 3rd December, 1897). —Besults were satisfactory. Some weakness appeared in geography and viva voce arithmetic ; the rest of the work was decidedly strong. The extra subjects are well taught, especially singing and drill. The teachers deserve a more productive school. Mangamaunu (visited 7th November, 1897). —There had been two changes in the management during the year : no examination took place. Little Biver (examined 11th October, 1897). —With the exception of the arithmetic of Standards V. and VI., the work was generally satisfactory. A lesson on the evil effects of living in illventilated rooms and breathing carbonic-acid gas was given in a crowded schoolroom, with ventilators and windows all carefully closed. Happily there were two broken window-panes ! Kaiapoi (examined 9th October, 1897). —The results of the examination were fairly good. The attendance, however, had fallen off considerably. It was thought that the holding of the Land Court at Kaiapoi had been the cause of this. At any rate, it is not unusual for such functions to distract the children's attention from their school work. Bapaki (examined 2nd September, 1897). —Here, too, the results were fairly good. The school had had to suffer from the removal of its old teacher to another school, and to spend six months under a relieving teacher to whom Native-school work had not yet become quite familiar. The teaching seen was, however, thoughtful and painstaking, and given in a clear and forceful style. Arowhenua (examined 12th October, 1897). —Here the children answer promptly and in formal sentences, and the standards are remarkably even. There was, however, very considerable weakness in the Standard V. arithmetic. The order and the tone are quite admirable. Waikouaiti (examined 14th October, 1897). — Here, too, the order and tone are particularly good. The lower part of the school is more promising than the upper. Arithmetic and geography are very weak among the seniors. Insufficient attention is given to pilotage of pupils; remnants are observable of the old-fashioned plan of letting the children find their own way first—on the principle, one might suppose, that if they strike a rock they will ever afterwards know exactly where it is. The Neck, Stewart Island (examined 7th February, 1898). —The teaching here is conscientious and thoughtful. It is marked by the absence of what is mechanical and what is perfunctory. The results are decidedly good ; there is no general weakness. The garden and grounds form important features of the school; they are, in fact, a valuable object-lesson for all who are willing to learn from them. (Since these lines were written, Mr. J. yon Tunzelmann, master of the school at The Neck, has died. He was a very scholarly man, and a conscientious and skilful teacher. Mr. yon Tunzelmann did excellent work at Stewart Island, and it would not be easy to find a successor having such high qualifications.) The following schools have this year obtained a gross percentage of 80 or over 80: Omanaia, Hokianga, under Mrs. Cockroft, obtained 92-1; Mawhitiwhiti, Taranaki, 88-0; Hiruharama, East Coast, 87-6; Te Araroa, East Coast, 85-5; Waiomatatini, East Coast, 82-5; Kaikohe, Bay of Islands, 81-9; Tokomaru, East Coast, 81-4; Bangitukia, East Coast, 81T ; Tikitiki, East Coast, 81-0. The schools at the following places also gained 70 per cent, or more : Otamauru, Te Matai, Wharekahika, Te Kaha, Kopua, Arowhenua, Poroporo, Paeroa, Whangaruru, The Neck, Omarumutu, Pukepoto, Mangamuka, Motukaraka, Pukawa (Tokaanu), Omaio, Kawhia, Kaiapoi, Karetu, Kenana, and Te Ahuahu. Thus thirty schools made more than 70 per cent., as against twenty-six schools for 1896. Of the schools actually examined, five made less than 50 per cent., as against seven for 1896. Boarding-schools, etc. Under this heading a brief account is given of the work done at each of the four Native boardingschools during the year 1897, and also abstracts of the reports on the Convent Native School at Matata, and the Church of England Mission Schools at Waerenga-a-Hika, Otaki, and Putiki. Information is also given with regard to the annual examination for the Te Makarini Scholarships, which are provided for from a fund established by Mr. B. D. Douglas McLean, M.H.8., in accordance with the views and wishes of the late Sir Donald McLean, and in remembrance of him. These scholarships, it may be added, have exercised an important and highly beneficial, although for the most part indirect, influence on the Native schools of New Zealand; they have also been instrumental in bringing to the Maori front many able young men who, without the aid of the scholarships, would very possibly have been quite undistinguished. St. Joseph's Boman Catholic Native Girls' School, Napier. —Two visits were paid to this school in the course of the year 1897 : it was inspected on the sth of February, and the examination took place on the 7th of December ; thirty Government and twenty-two private pupils were examined. Extracts from the reports sent in will give a fairly correct idea of the condition of the school, and the proficiency of the pupils : " The dormitories, dining-rooms, lavatory, and drainage arrangements were carefully inspected." " The meals are served up in good style, and there is abundance of food." " The senior class appeared to need some systematic training in the answering of questions. Accordingly a ' paper' was dealt with in the presence of this class, with the object of impressing on the pupils' minds the importance of a correct appreciation of the exact scope of questions, and of a systematic arrangement of the matter of tne answers. Quite incidentally the girls showed that they had a firm grip of the subjects dealt with in the paper—geography and elementary

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physiology." " Standards 1., 11., and 111. were strong. Of the 158 'subject-marks' gained 107 were marked E (excellent)." "The two Sisters in charge of the literary work of the school have attained to what is from our point of view a high degree of efficiency, and their teaching as a whole leaves little or nothing to be desired." "The work of girls who had been some considerable time at the school was quite free from traces of copying, but two or three of the more recently admitted pupils had not yet got beyond the 'mutual help' stage." " Drawing, singing, callisthenics, and needlework are all admirably taught. On the whole the results of the examination were quite satisfactory." The Protestant Native Girls' School, Hukarere. —This school was inspected on the Bth of February, 1897, and examined on the Bth of December. The inspections at this school and at St. Joseph's took place rather early; but this is not always disadvantageous; it sometimes tends to give a useful bias to the course of instruction during the ensuing year. The following notes appear on the examination schedules: " Specimens of more advanced composition—viz., original essays done in school —were given in. They were far above the ordinary run of our English work, but of rather unequal merit." "A 'matriculation class' had been at work for a short time; the progress that had been made was very satisfactory." "In the case of the senior girls the knowledge of their subjects was generally adequate." " The drill was quite unexceptionable and undoubtedly health-giving." " Drawing and singing are well and carefully taught. The elder girls have a satisfactory knowledge of plain cooking and domestic household work." "Perhaps the questions set for Standard IV. were rather difficult; but at anyrate this was the weakest class in the school." The lower classes did very well; in Standard 111. there was only one weak pass. The sanitary arrangements at Hukarere and St. Joseph's now seem to be very satisfactory. Native Boys' Boarding-school, St. Stephen's, Parnell, Auckland. —This school was inspected on the 11th and 12th of February. Thirty-three Maori boys were present. These were all good steady workers, and had a clean and healthy appearance. A very pleasing feature of this school is its excellence in the extra subjects. Singing, drawing, and drill are all exceptionally well done. Technical work is done by the senior boys. The buildings were about to be repainted by them, under the direction of a competent painter. Work of this sort commends itself as likely to give the boys a kind and even an amount of technical knowledge that will be very useful to them. With regard to the technical work generally, it has been proposed to let each scholar attend all the lessons for a whole month, three boys to form a Class or squad, the lessons being given twice a week from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. In this way each boy could receive consecutively eight, nine, or perhaps ten lessons, and the course would be repeated at least three times in each boy's two-years scholarship. It is thought that this plan would secure much more solid progress than can be made when the lessons given are spread " few and far between " over the whole two years of a scholarship. The result of the inspection as a whole was very pleasing. At the examination five boys were presented for the " second year," and all passed; of six boys for the first year four passed. In the Fourth Standard five out of six passed ;in the Third, seven out of eight; in the Second nine were presented, and all passed; in the First, three out of six passed. What weakness there was appeared in the English, and this subject was nowhere very weak. The Native College, Te Aute, Hawke's Bay. —Te Aute was inspected on the 9th February. Extracts from the report may be given as follows : " Year by year the Te Aute grounds are becoming more picturesque, and hence better fitted to arouse and maintain in the minds of pupils feelings of respect for and devotion to the institution." " The rule is mild; principle, carefully built up, does the work sometimes assigned to fear of punishment by those who do not understand. The school tone is very good ; boys that have been here long may be trusted." It is rather difficult to characterize in a few words the work done at the examination. Perhaps the report on one of the classes, say the fifth, will give a sufficiently good idea of the work of the whole school; this report runs thus: "Latin, pleasing; English, satisfactory; Euclid, uneven and rather disappointing; algebra and arithmetic, good ; geography, satisfactory ; physiology, as book-work, generally good." The work in English would have been even stronger than it was if the paper had been somewhat shorter and the pupils had been able to devote more time to the elaboration of the essays, paraphrasing, &c, prescribed in it. Two of the boys appeared to be rather overweighted with the work of the class; the others did very well indeed. Perhaps the following extract from a more recent report will be of some interest : " Methods : Under this head one could desire to characterize rather than criticize the work of some of the Te Aute masters." " Mr. T., I take it, endeavours to secure thoroughness at all costs. The same position is worked up to from this direction and from that, until at last it seems pretty plain to him that it has been actually reached; security with regard to this point is gained by means of adequate testing. This method has, in Mr. T.s hands, no tendency to become tedious ; every attack on the position has some new element in it, some new interest, some new incentive to attention is constantly being introduced. Thus it comes about that the pupils hardly notice that they are doing the same work over and over again and acquiring more complete mastery of it every time. I do not think that boys of fair intelligence could fail to become sound under this kind of teaching." " Mr. B.s work seems to amount to this : His class are set to do work that previous recent experience has shown him to be well within the boys' reach, and assistance is afforded where it is needed. Soon it becomes plain to their teacher that the boys know this, and do not know that, and only partly know the other thing. That is to say that Mr. 8., in the course of his supervision of the boys' work, learns where they are strong and where weak. Then the individualistic mode of treatment is dropped; the master now lectures the class, as a class, on dark and doubtful points, and gradually glides, so to say, into hints, statements of principle, &c, which are to serve as a guide to the work of the next lesson in the same subject." " Mr. W. was working at a disadvantage —he had charge of another teacher's class; but previous experience had shown that he has rare skill in preparing young Maoris for entering on the thorny path that may

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by-and-by lead them to the correct use of idiomatic English, and will give them such knowledge of other pakeha matters as will be very good indeed for them." To show the scope of the work done at Te Aute, it may be mentioned that there is a matriculation class at Te Aute attempting the same kind of work as is done at such institutions as Wellington College and Wanganui College, except the junior scholarships work. Portions of the syllabus of Class V. for the year 1897 will partly indicate what is done in the form next below the highest. It is not necessary to give the whole of it: — English literature : Byron's " Prisoner of Chillon " and Macaulay's " Armada " to be learnt by heart; paraphrase, analysis, and grammar ; such figures of speech and constructions as the following to be known—inserted sentence, provisional subject, complex object, adverbial objective, nominative absolute, personification, metaphor, simile, alliteration. Extracts from Scott for reading only. Macaulay's " Hampden," eleven pages ; the text to be learnt by heart only. English grammar : Smith's " Manual of English Grammar "; all the syntax, and (in etymology) noun, adjective, pronoun, verb (except pp. 62-72), and adverb. Composition : To be able to write in idiomatic English, and to map out essays in a correct manner. Latin : English into Latin, Wilkin's Prose Exercises, Nos. Ito9, on the concords; 16, place whither; 17, duration of time ; 18, measure of space; 39, ablative of time ; 40, ablative of place; 41 and 42, constructions with names of towns; 50 and 51, the genitive of quality; 53 and 54, interest and refert; 46 and 47, ablative absolute ; 69, indirect questions; 65 and 66, on gerund and gerundive, showing duty and obligation only ; 63, on the supines. Also, miscellaneous sentences illustrating " ut" and "ne "; constructions with verbs of fearing ; on the passive of verbs governing the dative ; on " quin," following verbs of doubting; on direct questions ; and on all constructions in the exercises mentioned above. The " Eclogas "to the end of Hannibal. About the same standard of difficulty is set up in Euclid, algebra, arithmetic, physiology, and geography. The Te Makarini Scholarships Examination, 1898. —Ten candidates sent in applications, and there were other inquiries besides, but only six came up eventually. Two of these were Te Aute boys; two came from St. Stephen's, Parnell; and two were from Bangitukia, in the Waiapu district. The junior scholarship was won by Niha Wiremu, of Bangitukia. His power of expression was plainly not equal to the extent of his knowledge. Two other candidates—viz., Watene Puketoki, of St. Stephen's (formerly of Te Kaha), and John McGruther, also of St. Stephen's, were very deserving. The open junior scholarship was awarded to the former of these two candidates; the senior scholarship to the latter. The work of the Te Aute candidates was very good also, but their papers gave the impression that there had been no special preparation for the examination. To rely on general knowledge, great though it be, is not a safe course for other candidates to adopt when there are competitors from St. Stephen's for the Te Makarini scholarships. The Convent School, Matata (examined 14th August, 1897). —This school is no doubt acting as a useful civilising agency, and it may be easily seen that its power in this direction is likely to increase. Perhaps in spite of themselves, the Matata Maoris are following European custom very much more closely than they did, say, eighteen years ago- Very considerable irregularity in the attendance of some of the children caused the number of passes to be smaller than one could have wished. But the examination brought forward abundant evidence that very useful work had been done by the teachers in the course of the year. The Mission School, Waerenga-a-Hika (examined Ist June, 1897). —The results of the examination were very good indeed. They showed that the master had been able to do excellent work single-handed; but for all that it is to be wished that some efficient help with the lower classes could be given him. This would, of course, allow him to devote more time to strengthening the few weak places that are still to be found in the upper part of the school. The Mission School, Putiki, Wanganui (examined Ist May, 1897). —Although the work shown at examination was not without blemishes, it deserved to be called fair at the very worst. It seemed to the examiner that the teacher needed some advice with regard to the methods best adapted for Native-school work, and that with the aid of such hints as were given she would be able to produce much stronger work next year. As it was, a fair number of passes was secured. The school tone was good, in the senior class at all events; the children worked with spirit. Throughout, the relations between pupils and teacher were satisfactory. The Mission School, Otaki, West Coast (examined 29th November, 1897). —The planting season and a great hui (meeting) had caused the attendance to be irregular for the preceding three months. It appears that there is now only one Maori really disaffected. He finds that his grandchild has not got on. It would have been very wonderful if she had got on, seeing that her half-day attendances for the preceding five years amounted to only 114. Besults were not quite as good so they were at the previous examination, but, in view of the difficulties that had had to be faced during the final part of the previous quarter, they were quite sufficiently pleasing. All passed who were presented. Statistics. A statement of the expenditure incurred in connection with Native Schools may be found in Tables Nos. I. and 11. of the Appendix, Table No. 11. being a classified summary of Table No. 1., which gives full details. Table No. 111. states the ages of the children whose names were on the Native-school registers at the end of the December quarter. Table No. IV. contains statistics of the attendance during the year 1897. In Table No. V. there is as full information as can be obtained respecting the race of children attending Native schools. Table No. VI. specifies the results obtained at the standard examinations held during the year. In Table No. VII. the examination results are combined with those of an evaluation depending on estimates made at inspection. The kinds of results taken together form a basis for the computation of what is called

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"the gross percentage," and on this percentage the relative positions of the individual schools for the year 1897 are made to depend. Table No. VIII. gives the classification of pupils on the school rolls in December, 1897. Table No. IX. shows the average age of pupils when passing the standard examinations in 1897. Table No. X. gives the numbers of pupils attending Native boarding-schools, and of ex-Native-school boys serving their apprenticeship at the close of the year. Miscellaneous. This report is already long, and what follows must be as brief as possible ; there are only four subjects that seem to require particular attention. These are as follows: (1) The question of giving girls from Hukarere and St. Joseph's Boarding-schools a certain amount of training as hospital nurses ; (2) needlework for boys ; (3) the writing of telegrams as an examination test; (4) the value of a Native school Fourth Standard pass. Proposal to train Maori Girls as Nurses. At a conference of old Te Aute boys, held at Te Aute College in February, 1897, it was suggested that much good would result from having trained nurses in Maori settlements. This proposal plainly had real value, but it seemed difficult to find a way of turning the thought into action. However, during a long and interesting conference with Mr. flamiora Hei, early in July of the same year, ideas in regard to the matter took what seems to me practicable shape. It is unnecessary to state at length the various stages of the discussion; it will suffice to give, in a condensed form, the results that were arrived at; they are embodied in the following paragraph : — The Department has constantly recognised the importance of directing the attention of the Maori race to the laws of health and to sanitary reform. It cannot well be doubted that much good has resulted ; but, necessarily, the work has had an external character only. We have, to use a metaphor, applied blisters, stimulating lotions, and healing ointments, but no attempt has been made to secure action from within. The time has now come, it would seem, when internal remedies would do good. I propose to begin thus : Every year a number of our Maori girls pass a " secondyear examination" at Napier. We Europeans, or some of us, may find it easy to pour contempt on this achievement, and to treat it as of little worth ; yet when looked at in its true setting—its context-—it is found to mean a very great advance. Not to enlarge on this point, it may be said at once that in these "second-year girls" we have material out of which to make most effective sanitary reformers; and this, it seems to me, is the way to begin the work. Let two of the most proficient and healthy of these scholars (one from Hukarere and one from St. Joseph's)— receive, after their final examination, a further scholarship at their respective schools, and let them be attached to the Napier Hospital as assistant nurses and dressers for a full year. At the end of the time they could be sent back to their settlements in the usual way, but now fitted to be efficient preachers of the gospel of health. This is the proposal in brief. I have limited the scheme as much as possible, but should hope that proved utility would soon cause it to assume much larger proportions. In any case, however, this plan would immediately cause to flow into Maori districts a life-giving stream of real sanitary knowledge, "small at the first; increasing every hour." I am thankful to the Department for taking this scheme up and endeavouring to get it put into practice. Instruction of Boys in Needlework. A proposal has been made to the Department by Mr. H. B. Kirk, M.A., and myself, to the effect that boys shall be allowed to pass the examination in needlework, and that teachers shall receive increment to their salaries for passes so gained. The Department has adopted the proposal. The following statement contains the grounds on which the recommendation referred to was based : It is well known that nearly all classes of theoretical educationists are proposing, or are assenting to the proposal, that technical work shall form an important part of primary education. It would seem that the more purely " practical" thinkers hope that by this means young people will be advanced so far on the way towards learning a trade and getting a living. Those who take less superficial views of the subject probably hold that it is well for children to be made handy and self-helpful, so that they may be ready to meet and deal with the practical needs of life, and not to be handless and helpless when something involving physical activity as well as mental process has to be done. Those who soar still higher will hold that a man should be able to " function " well not only with brain and nervous system, but also with eye, hand, and ear, in every way that may become a man. Those who to their speculative view have added practical physiological knowledge appear to have become convinced that the proper starting-point for all disciplines leading to this general " hability " lies well within the period devoted to primary education. Also, it seems highly probable that women have, as a rule, far more general deftness than men have. It is true that this qualification sometimes strays over the line and exists very markedly in a man. But exceptions of this kind are of no force as against the general statement that women as a rule use hand and eye well, and men use them not so well. Of course it is possible to account for this puzzling fact by saying that women were made just so, and that there the matter ends. Most people, however, would prefer to seek out a phenomenal antecedent of the phenomenon, and would not be quite satisfied with a regression to the First Cause in a merely scientific discussion. When once one sets out to find the agency that has brought about the difference referred to, he is impelled to believe that it is in some way connected with difference in the modes of life of the two sexes. In the end it is found difficult to avoid coming to the conclusion that the cause of woman's superiority to man in deftness, neatness, power of observation, skill in making elegant arrangements, and in general savoir faire with regard to what is proper, is the exercise of an hereditary gift—one that has been successively added to and handed on to succeeding generations. The main cause of this, it is found, has been a custom—the custom of civilised and semi-civilised races that

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hands over to women most kinds of household work, and that decrees more especially that women should do nearly all, if not quite all, the needlework that is required in connection with the house, with themselves, and with their children. We may look upon this view as being no mere hypothesis, but as a theory already fully verified by experience. It is, perhaps, not to be wondered at that those who hold this view should be anxious to let boys, whose parents do not object, have the full benefit of such a potent kind of training —a training that shall develop the powers that are, no doubt, latent in boys by heredity as well as in girls. Of course there is not the least desire to underrate work in wood, brick, stone, or iron ; but industries of that kind would probably be far too expensive to introduce into our Native schools, even if there were not reason to fear that it would be unmanageable. But we have ready to hand, in our sewing-classes, what is, in accordance with the views just set forth at all events, an excellent source and means of technical training in full working order. I may add that to give a boy the complete four-years' course of needlework would cost the state just £1 6s. Bd. It would undoubtedly be well worth the money. The Writing of Telegrams as an Examination Test. For some time past it has seemed, to me that our Fourth Standard tests of proficiency in English are not quite satisfactory. The four tests now in use are, —(1.) The translation of easy Maori sentences into good English. (2.) The correction of faulty, or "pidgin," English. (3.) The writing of letters on given subjects. (4.) The reproduction of short stories. These tests are all useful in their way, but they leave something to be desired. Not one of them assists in developing a good style; not one of them necessarily points the way to terseness, lucidity, and exactness, which qualities I assume to be the marks of a serviceable style. For instance, the correction of a faulty sentence may leave on our hands a statement that is not ungrammatical, and yet is neither terse, lucid, nor exact. A search for a test which, if regularly used, would tend to give the English composition of our Maori pupils the valuable characteristics referred to, has led to the surmise that the writing of telegrams may be the test required. The advantages that I am disposed to claim for this kind of test are, —(1.) It is very definite ; two or three facts could be roughly stated on the blackboard; verbal explanations could be given, and then the pupils could be set to work to construct forthwith a telegram that should correctly convey the required meaning in the smallest number of words. (2.) The application of the test would occupy but little time, and the value of the results could be readily appraised. (3.) The writing of telegrams would give pupils most valuable training in the art of finding out the exact purport of a group of statements, and of expressing this meaning in the briefest, clearest, and most correct way. I have taken the liberty of introducing this subject here in order to get the proposal discussed by our teachers, seeing that they all receive copies of these reports. It may be hoped besides that the subject will be found to have a more general interest. It is, however, not very likely that the proposal is altogether new, although it has never been met with by the writer. It is not proposed to do away altogether with the tests now in use ; but these should be made subsidiary and subordinate. The giving out, now and again, of a story for reproduction, for instance, would serve to show what kind of effect the new kind of training was producing on the pupils' power of composing; similarly with the writing of letters on given subjects. It is, one may suppose, hardly necessary to insist on the practical value of the ability to write a good telegram. And it might perhaps be worth while to remember also that this would carry with it the ability to write a most useful kind of letter—a letter that should be at the same time brief, clear, and adequate. What is the Value of a Native School Fourth Standard Pass ? In view of the misconceptions which appear to prevail in some quarters with regard to this question, it is probably worth while to attempt to find an answer to it—an answer that shall be in the main true, and not a mere expression of ignorance, thoughtlessness, or malevolence. What follows is an attempt to make an estimate, as carefully as may be, of the amount of culture implied in the expression, " Native school Fourth Standard pass." I am persuaded that this cannot be done by the method on which much reliance has been placed, of comparing a Native-school pass with a public-school pass of similar or lower name. Of course, this method has the advantage of being extremely simple, and it is, perhaps, not entirely unsuited to the capacity of those who attempt to make use of it; but it is altogether misleading. The fact is that the two standards are not commensurable. Let us see what arguments may be advanced in support of this view. It ought to be cheerfully admitted that the average public-school Fourth-Standard boy can read English much better than the average Fourth-Standard Maori boy; the latter's reading is often distinctly disappointing, especially when heard for the first time. It is quite true also that the dictation w 7 ork of the Maori boy is apt to Contain curious mistakes, such as "goward" for " coward " and " treaming " for " dreaming," and to be, on the whole, very distinctly below that of a public-school boy of the same nominal rank. Further, it is quite true that the English composition of the pakeha child is better, generally very considerably better, than that of the Maori. Just here the Maori disadvantage seems to end. The arithmetic of a Fourth-Standard Maori is, I believe, quite as good as that of a Fourth-Standard European; the geography and the elementary knowledge of sanitary laws are certainly not worse. Neither is the singing. The drawing is sometimes, but not always, meritorious. The needlework is nearly always good. The fact is that when dealing with reading, dictation, and English composition in a Maori district we are face to face with the great difficulty of Native-school work— Hie labor; hoc opus. In some of our best schools such difficulties are got over, to a very large extent, by sheer toil on the part of the teachers ; even in schools that are not so successful a very large amount of good and useful work is bestowed on these difficulties, to the immense advantage of the pupils. But, in any case, it is unreasonable and unfair to expect that children trained under such conditions as obtain

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in remote Maori settlements will be quite a match for European pupils on the special ground of the latter. But a very important element in the computation has been entirely omitted; against the very distinct superiority of European children over Maoris in reading, English composition, and writing from dictation, must be set the very cogent fact that the Maori children have, while acquiring what they know of these subjects, learnt also to understand and speak a foreign language with a facility that is often surprising. Those whose linguistic attainments extend to a knowledge of a second language at least will recognise the importance of this feature of Native-school work. Again, any one seeing even a Third-Standard class put through in " comprehension of what is read " would acknowledge that the children's grasp of the meaning and force of words and phrases is most satisfactory, and implies a degree and amount of intellectual culture —for that is the proper name of it —that goes far to compensate the sufficiently obvious deficiencies to which I have already referred. But there is yet another side to the story, a side that is so paradoxical that it may seem to some untrue. It must be said that it is also unreasonable to expect that the culture, the intellectual culture gained by a Maori through his having been trained to express his thoughts in a foreign language will be found in a European child that knows no language but its own. Either this must be so or the whole theory of education that has prevailed in England for the last three hundred years must be false, root and branch. Any one who has followed the reasoning of these paragraphs with some care will have seen that the ready-made method by which people, who ought to know better but do not, seek to belittle our Native-school work is of no value whatever except for showing the onesidedness of those who use it. It seems, indeed, that it would be exceedingly difficult to make any trustworthy comparison where the elements are so complex and the conditions so diverse. Of course the Native school characteristics dealt with above are very greatly modified in districts where English is commonly spoken. There the Maoris learn English in much the same way as they learn Maori ; they " pick it up." And, no doubt, the public-school teachers of such Maori children would wonder what all the pother is about. " Difficulty in teaching Maori children," they would say ; " surely there is none ! Maoris learn just as readily as English children." And this is quite true. Yet if these teachers had to deal with children that never, or hardly ever, heard a word of English out of school, they would then feel the difficulty in full force. It is only necessary to add that in all probability Maori children who " pick up " enough English to give them a good start in an English school lose much of the culture that comes to children that learn our language more analytically, as in the more remote Native schools. Many would perhaps be inclined to smile at my use of the word " culture," but educationists will hardly do so. The only true and just way of learning the value of our Fourth-Standard pass, and of Nativeschool work in general, is to perform some such experiment as the following : Inspect a dozen Fourth - Standard Maori boys and girls who have seen but little of Europeans and their ways except in connection with Native schools, and compare them with a dozen untaught Maori children of similar age and condition, thus letting the sole difference between the two groups be that the second dozen have not been to a Native school. No man or woman of candid mind who had once fairly seen or estimated this difference would ever again feel a doubt as to the utility of a good Native school, or could help feeling contempt either for the good faith or the judgment of those who, having had the opportunity of making such a comparison, maintain that the effect produced is in the main other than admirable. One need hardly hesitate to say that the difference would be recognised as that between educated, self-restraining, orderly, and capable children and a set of young savages pure and simple. I have, &c,

James H. Pope.

APPENDIX.

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Table No. 1. List of the Native Village Schools, and Schools at which Native Children are maintained by the Government of New Zealand, with the Expenditure on each and on General Management, during the Year 1897; and the Names, Status, and Emoluments of the Teachers as in December, 1897. In the column "Position in the School," H M means Head Master; H F, Head Mistress; M, that there is a Master only; F, Mistress only; A F, Assistant Female Teacher; S, Sewing-mistress.

County. Schools. Buildings, Other Ordinary Sites, Fencing, Expenditure. and Furniture. Expenditure during 1897. Total. Teachers of Village Schools at the End ot the Year. tcBH 30 II -gee ft Remarks. Salaries. Mangonui Hapua £ s. d. 185 9 1 £ s. d. 15 1 5 £ s. d. 6 10 0 £ s. d. 207 0 6 Irvine, Mrs. L. M. Irvine, Miss P. Irvine, Miss M. Burgoyne, Rev. H. W. Burgoyne, Miss A. Burgoyne, Miss G. .. Newell, Miss S. A. .. MacKerizie, Rev. A. .. May, Miss R. Grene, P. .. Orene, Mrs... Crene, Miss.. Dunn, R. H. Dunn, Miss M. Harris, A. R. Matthews, E. W. D. Matthews, Miss E. .. Tennent, Mrs. M. Tennent, Miss G. V. HF AF S HM AF AF S HM AF H M AF AF HM AF M HM AF HF AF £ s. d. 183 5 0 29 7 0 12 10 0 155 7 9 26 1 0 12 10 0 12 10 0 100 10 0 18 18 9 148 3 7 20 0 0 16 18 3 139 15 11 19 14 3 100 0 0 133 13 7 23 9 9 127 5 11 31 15 6 Te Kao .. 194 10 11 44 9 7 77 10 0 316 10 6 V. Pamapuria 110 15 2 72 3 6 6 7 6 189 6 2 V. Ahipara 188 16 6 18 6 8 207 3 2 V. School reopened in March quarter. Pukepoto 181 19 8 20 1 0 202 0 8 iii. With house allowance, £26 per annum. With allowance for horse, £10 per annum. Whangaroa Kenana Parapara 100 0 0 162 14 8 1 15 6 10 17 7 123 10 0 101 15 6 297 2 3 v. V. Te Pupuke 138 5 4 23 14 0 10 12 6 172 11 10 V. Hokianga Whakarara Rangiahua Utakura 77 17 4 105 10 4 0 10 6 13 6 0 76 17 5 6 8 0 76 17 5 78 7 10 125 4 4 Anderson, A. ii'.< M 115 4 0 School not yet opened. School closed at end of year. With allowance for horse, £10 per annum. School opened in March quarter. Whakarapa 158 3 3 14 6 8 9 6 167 17 3 Flood, R. P. Flood, Mrs. Hawkins, T. B. Hawkins, Mrs. Winkelmann, 0. P. Winkelmann, Mrs. .. Geissler, H. W. Geissler, Mrs. Gockroft, Mrs. Danaher, T. J. Danaher, Mrs. Minohin, T. M. Minchin, Mrs. Tobin, W. H. J. Tobin, Mrs Welsh, A. E. Welsh, Mrs. v. HM AF H M AF HM AF HM S F HM S HM AF H M AF H M S 130 11 2 20 2 0 134 9 5 9 9 0 178 1 2 50 0 0 109 7 10 11 18 3 113 12 9 100 13 3 10 1 0 141 14 0 40 2 9 108 13 5 15' 18 3 102 0 5 8 0 9 Waitapu, and side-school at Matihetihe Whirinaki 158 14 1 14 2 0 172 16 1 iii. With allowance for horse, £10 per annum. Schools closed at end of year. 262 11 9 31 19 0 294 10 9 n.« Waima 122 6 10 3 6 3 1 11 6 127 4 7 v. Omanaia Motukaraka 121 8 9 114 9 11 8 17 1 12 0 0 130 5 10 126 9 11 V. IV. With allowance for conveyance of goods, £5 per annum. Mangamuka 176 14 10 12 12 1 7 19 2 197 6 1 iii. Waimamaku 120 7 1 10 7 6 130 14 7 in. 1 Otaua 103 9 0 43 15 7 0 7 0 147 11 7 V. 6 School closed at end of June quarter. Mangakahia 58 6 8 11 2 0 69 8 8

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■&y oi .slam is Onaeawai 131 17 5 5 18 0 i 17 0 139 2 5 Woods, G. E. Hardiman, Miss Hamilton, A. G. Hamilton, Mrs. Johnson, Miss S. H... Patrick, J. K. Patrick, Miss Tautari, Mrs. Batson, F. T. W. Batson, Mrs. Broughton, J. H. Ablett, G. W. Ablett, Mrs. Cotton, A. H. Cotton, Mrs. Walter C. A. Walter, Mrs. Victor, J. .. Victor, Mrs. Gibson, A. .. Gibson, Mrs. Hamilton, T. D. Prentice, Miss Young, Rev. H. Young, Miss Young, Mrs. IV. H M HM AF F H M AP F HM AF M H M AF H M AF HM AF H M AF HM A F H M AF HM AF S 119 5 2 24 3 9 161 17 9 25 0 6 114 16 0 117 17 4 13 0 6 106 13 2 124 14 5 14 4 0 154 7 1 112 18 0 16 12 9 154 10 8 31 5 0 110 7 5 30 15 9 98 6 2 50 0 0 93 0 0 21 18 6 158 3 7 34 16 6 145 3 5 7 2 3 12 10 0 Kaikohe .. 192 7 8 i 13 3 13 15 0 210 15 11 i.'i Karetu Whaugaruru 115 18 9 137 14 2 8 16 6 19 3 6 34*19 0 124 15 3 191 16 8 V. V. Taumarere Tβ Ahuahu 103 19 3 143 16 10 1 2 10 17 0 105 2 1 145 3 10 V, III. 4 Whangarei Poroti Taiharuru 169 6 11 116 15 6 6 12 4 21 19 0 514*16 0 175 19 3 653 10 6 V. V. With house allowance, £32 10s. per annum. School opened in June quarter. With house allowance, £18 per annum. Hobson Opanaki .. • • 207 13 11 9 6 10 17 15 6 234 16 3 iii.4 Coromandel Manaia .. 110 7 11 26 19 7 14 14 6 152 2 0 vA Raglan.. Eakaumanga 130 0 1 22 10 1 4 15 0 157 5 2 V.' Kawhia.. Raorao 31 4 9 14 3 9 22 18 7 68 7 1 V. With house allowance, £20 per annum. School opened in September quarter. With house allowance, £18 per annum. Kawhia .. 221 7 0 I 1 12 3 5 10 0 228 9 3 lib Piako Te Kopua , 183 18 11 15 9 11 21 2 5 220 11 3 iii.o Te Kuiti .. Te Waotu 145 10 5 5 7 4 478 5 6 15 0 0 478 5 6 165 17 9 School not yet opened. West Taupo Pukawa .. 174 8 1 22 14 9 197 2 10 Barnett, Mrs. Ashley, Mrs. Grace, G. W. Grace, Mrs. i.' 4 iii. HF AF H M AF 122 14 0 20 0 3 153 9 2 50 0 0 With allowance for conveyance of goods, £20 per annum. School removed to Tokaanu at end of year. Tauranga Tokaanu .. Karikari .. Opureora .. Huria 75 4 7 2 0 0 4 14 2 2 2 0 3 10 6 409 1 8 2 15 0 440 8 6 0 5 0 411 1 8 82 13 9 442 10 6 162 9 2 Brown, Miss I. v. P 100 0 0 School not yet opened. With house allowance, £26 per annum. 15813 8 Stewart, Mrs. Hamilton, Miss Louch, Miss Capper, J. F. Capper, Miss Capper, Mrs. Pinker, A. .. Brown, Rev. C. C. Brown, Mrs. Walmsley, Mrs. Morton, B. D. Morton, Mrs. Wylie, J. .. Wylie, Miss Wykes, F. R. V. HF AF F H M AP S M HM AP P HM AP H M AF M 114 15 4 23 18 9 128 12 0 187 14 1 20 19 6 12 10 0 107 8 2 142 7 8 37 13 0 110 6 8 136 18 4 17 0 0 103 11 6 16 5 0 132 10 6 Rotorua Paeroa Te Matai.. 149 5 6 236 9 7 2 6 4 23 10 6 7 10 0 151 11 10 267 10 1 V. III. With house allowance, £26 per annum. Maketu .. Banana 128 12 6 175 3 6 0 16 6 i 15 9 7 813 0 129 9 0 199 6 1 iii. v. School closed at end of year. Whakatane Matata .. Te Teko .. 107 7 3 166 18 3 6 14 9 4 4 1 114 2 0 171 2 4 IV. With allowance for conveyance of goods, £20 per annum. With allowance for conveyance of goods, £20 per annum. With house allowance, £26 per annum; and allowance for conveyance of goods, £20 per annum. Galatea .. 109 15 11 21 13 6 131 9 5 . V. Te Whaiti 136 12 8 12 13 0 32 18 9 182 4 5 V. Te Houhi 211 8 1 21 19 2 233 7 3 Wylie, T. .. Wylie, Miss Bone, D. Bone, Miss Bone, Mrs. V. HM A P H M A F S 124 16 5 30 7 6 136 6 7 16 2 9 12 10 0 Ofcamauru ■ • 152 4 10 18 2 0 170 '6 10 iii.«

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Table No. 1— continued. Expenditure, &c., on Native Schools for Year 1897— continued.

County. Schools. Salaries. Other Ordinary Expenditure. Expenditure during 1897. Buildings, Sites, Fencing, and Furniture. Teachers of Village Schools at the End ol the Year. Is ca,q ¥ CD .-etc o Eemarks. Total. Whakatane Poroporo .. £ s. d. 232 6 3 £ s. d. 44 7 3 £ s. d. 17 2 0 £ s. d. 293 15 6 Herlihy, P. .. Herlihy, Mrs. Hill, G. P. Hill, Mrs. Hailey, Rev. D. T. .. Broderick, H. W. Broderick, Mrs. Moore, J. Moore, Mrs. Bow, A. Bow, Levert, E.' Levert, Miss L. Levert, Miss M. Levert, Mrs. Mulhern, J. .. Mulhern, Mrs. Downey, M. Downey, Mrs. Beattie, T. .. Beattie, Mrs. Hamilton, H. A. Porter, Miss Hamilton, Mrs. Brown, G. H. Brown, Mrs. Robertson, Miss G. .. Kirkman, H. R. Robertson, Miss M. .. Leech, W. A. Leech, Mrs. Lee, J. B. .. Lee, Mrs. McGavin, Mr. and Mrs. I.I HM AF HM M H M AF HM S H M A F HM AF S HM S HM AF HM AF H M AF S HM AF AF HM AF HM S HM AF £ s. d. 190 10 7 50 0 0 180 17 8 50 0 0 100 0 0 177 19 1 46 17 6 129 19 11 12 10 0 156 16 8 46 4 6 147 16 7 12 10 0 8 8 9 12 10 0 117 7 11 18 11 0 102 5 6 11 11 6 153 17 4 29 1 0 233 2 6 50 0 0 18 15 0 180 18 4 50 0 0 12 15 0 162 5 3 38 16 0 147 12 6 12 10 0 140 12 4 31 11 3 263 7 8 Ruatoki .. 234 2 9 3 7 0 12 15 0 250 4 9 III. Waioweka Omarumutu 101 15 1 230 17 0 10 0 18 3 4 102 15 1 249 0 4 III. Torere 147 16 4 22 17 9 170 14 1 iii. 4 Omaio 211 4 4 2 9 6 213 13 10 i.' 4 Te Kaha .. 181 17 4 13 8 0 5 10 0 200 15 4 iii. Raukokore 114 10 10 51 19 9 9 0 0 175 10 7 iii. 4 Waiapu.. Wharekahika 115 0 0 8 14 0 123 14 0 v. Te Araroa 191 17 3 1 15 0 193 12 3 i. 3 Rangitukia 306 0 9 15 4 3 31 0 0 352 5 0 it.* Tikitiki.. 238 0 2 8 10 4 122 2 10 368 13 4 v. Waiomatatini 197 16 4 4 15 0 0 7 6 202 18 10 v. Tuparoa .. 179 0 10 5 3 5 9 16 0 194 0 3 n> Hiruharama 183 11 4 6 17 0 5 0 0 195 8 4 v. Tokomaru 275 7 4 9 6 3 15 0 285 18 7 if. 4 (Mrs.) With allowauce for conveyance of goods, £5 per annnm. School opened in Marcb quarter. Wairoa Kokako .. 226 17 0 24 4 7 420 16 3 671 17 10 McGavin, Miss Lundon, Miss G. H. .. Lundcn, Miss M. Coughlan, Miss E. A. Phillips, G. W. S. Phillips, Mrs. V. AF HF AF A F H M AF 1 15 6 178 18 9 38 8 3 10 0 0 106 10 11 12 5 0 Hawera 120 15 4 29 2 3 30 15 6 180 13 1 i.< Mawhitiwhiti I ..

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Wanganui Korimci Pipiriki 175' 1 4 5" 2 5 I 371 4 4 729 12 6 371 4 4 909 16 3 Wilson, A. .. Wilson, Mrs. V. i HM .. i AF 151 5 7 39 6 3 School not yet opened. Wairarapa South.. Marlborough Karioi Papawai .. Waikawa Wairau Mangamaunu Kaiapoi .. H2' 16 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 67 10 9 145 2 10 18 14 4 16 0 1 1 11 3 7 2 4 2 9 5 6 0 06 0 5 6 0 161 10 4 101 6 0 101 7 11 70 17 11 144 5 7 Glemance, P. H. Clemance, Mrs. Macdonald, G. Gibbs, Miss Oomerford, W. H. Reeves, Mrs. Reeves, Miss Hastings, E. A. Hastings, Miss Moloney, M. Moloney, Miss Moloney, Mrs. Blathwayt, G. C. J. Blathwayt, Miss E. .. Blathwayt, H. A. W. Blathwayt, Miss II.« ! HM V. I M III 4 . : F V.« j M V. i H F .. I AP V. HM AP III. H M AP S V. HM AP V. HM AF 122 12 6 18 3 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 121 11 6 9 16 9 117 9 2 19 7 0 223 11 4 38 19 6 18 15 0 147 6 2 22 9 0 107 9 1 11 5 6 School not yet opened. Kaikoura Ashley Akaroa Levels Rapaki Little Eiver 129 11 0 270 1 11 16 4 9 j 7 10 1 11 7 3 145 15 9 288 19 3 With house allowance, £26 per annum. Arowhenua 196 0 5 17 7 11 13 8 0 226 16 4 Waikouaiti Waikouaiti 120 15 10 14 0 121 19 10 Wallace Stewart Island .. Golac Bay The Neck 173 11 11 131 5 6 5 12 4 13 5 0 164 4 0 343 8 3 144 10 6 VonTunzelmann, J. .. Von Tunzelmann, Mrs. iii. 2 h m AP 118*'o 3 13 12 3 School transferred to Education Board, June quarter. Boarding-schools — St. Stephen's, A Te Aute, Hawki Hukarere, Haw St. Joseph's, Hi Inspection Other miscellaneov to particular sci Auckland .. e's Bay ke's Bay awke's Bay 560 4 0 200 0 0 235 0 0 603 13 0 435 10 4 560 4 0 200 0 0 235 0 0 603 13 0 885 10 4 is expenditure not chargeable hools 456' 0 0 7 10 10 675 9 7 1 15 0 684 15 5 Totals 12,659 19 8 3,773 5 0 11,871 3 1 4,335 6 2 20,768 10 10*: * Including £44 12s. ia. paid from Native reserve funds, and £1,000 paid from Civil List, Native purposes. Deducting recoveries, £26 0s. 6d., the resi 1 Also Dl; » D2; 3 El; < E2 5 E3; 6 E5. tit is a net eipt inditure of £20,7*2 10s. 4d.

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Table No. 2. Classified Summaey of Net Expenditure on Native Schools during 1897. £ s. a. Teachers'salaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12,020 5 8 Teachers' allowances for special objects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 305 2 4 Teachers' removal allowances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 240 3 1 Books and school requisites .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 517 4 0 Planting sites .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 418 2 Repairs and small works .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 469 13 5 Musical instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 12 9 Inspector's salary .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 450 0 0 Inspectors'travelling-expenses.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 285 10 4 Visits of Public School Inspectors—Subsidy to Auckland Education Board .. .. .. 150 0 0 Sundries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 81 7 6 Boarding-school fees and apprenticeship charges .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,735 7 0 Travelling-expenses of scholars sent to boarding-schools .. .. .. .. .. .. 55 6 7 University scholarships .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 13 4 Buildings, fencing, furniture, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,335 6 2 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..£20,742 10 4 Note. —Of the above total, £44 12s. Id. was paid from Native reserves funds, and £1,000 from Civil List, Native Purposes.

Table No. 3. Ages of the Children on the Books of the Native Village Schools at 31st December, 1897.

Age. Boys. Girls. Total. Percentage. Inder five years .. 45 30 75 2-62 'ive and under ten years .. 786 655 1,441 50-31 'en and under fifteen years 649 547 1,196 41-76 'ifteen years and upwards 89 63 152 5-31 Totals 1,569 1,295 2,864 100-00

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Table No. 4. List of the Native Village Schools, with the Attendance of the Pupils for the Year 1897. [In this list the schools are arranged according to regularity of attendance. See last column.]

21

Schools. act* a ° 'fill I T3 <D a"" U Cβ pH te M 11 S 3 313 ichool-! *$ O H ■gl ■§*§ roll. SB CI "O .a ° S a IS •A n - s Average Attendance. u o£| ||l III P3 Fourth Quarter. Boys. Girls. Total. Year. Poroporo Ruatoki Te Kaha Te Pupuke Pamapuria 1 Omaio Rapaki Parapara Torere Te Houhi Eaukokore Whangaruru Te Araroa Taumarere Omarumutu Wharekahika Waima Otamauru Eaorao 2 Mawhitiwhiti Mangamuka Pipiriki Pukopoto Arowkenua Manaia 3 Whirinaki Waikouaiti Tokomaru Waiomatatini Pukawa Rangitukia Karetu Tikitiki Opanaki TeKao Hiruharama Kenana 41 79 35 26 53 28 32 31 51 26 28 41 17 49 21 20 32 20 13 5 16 35 5 9 5 5 13 9 8 10 12 12 5 9 7 34 12 13 30 5 12 49 14 9 6 13 28 7 10 7 28 17 10 1 37 9 25 17 27 11 13 20 19 23 15 89 6 5 11 1 12 3 41 12 49 2 78 14 21 15 9 3 30 6 14 21 15 19 10 7 21 15 21 9 10 36 4 7 3 5 4 8 6 5 8 22 5 13 13 8 10 4 7 4 57 85 37 37 31 50 31 32 28 42 30 23 38 21 51 22 22 35 34 25 49 53 30 34 42 60 25 60 48 74 76 21 67 47 62 36 12 51 13 70 22 17 45 58 37 55-25 85-00 37-25 35-75 29-75 53-00 30-75 34-00 30-25 47-25 31-25 26-00 42-50 20-75 53-25 22-50 25-75 37-75 29-00 22-50 46-50 51-75 2975 35-50 41-00 61-00 25-50 62-00 46-25 J 60-25 77-50 22-50 69-50 52-75 58-75 46-25 12-25 52-25 13-00 74-50 23-75 15-00 50-00 59-50 31-50 80-00 50-50 39-75 71-75 38-50 29-75 26-75 20-75 27-50 20-50 30-25 16-75 36-75 24-50 41-00 24-50 38-00 60-50 28-00 26-25 22-33 21-25 39-75 28-00 32-25 41-00 ■ 44-25 10-50 35-75 39-75 49-50 16-25 13-75 39-50 35 44 21 19 11 26 18 13 12 19 11 10 16 11 19 10 11 17 12 16 24 20 13 12 23 26 13 29 29 30 39 6 26 19 30 19 4 21 5 28 8 7 16 25 18 19 34 14 16 14 21 7 16 12 15 13 7 17 7 27 9 8 15 15 4 18 21 13 16 11 23 6 22 12 33 27 11 34 18 21 16 5 17 4 28 7 6 22 18 10 54 78 35 35 25 47 25 29 24 34 24 17 33 18 46 19 19 32 27 20 42 41 26 28 34 49 19 51 41 63 66 17 60 37 51 35 9 38 9 56 15 13 38 43 28 52-50 79-50 34-75 33-25 27-50 48-25 27-75 30-50 27-00 41-75 27-50 22-75 37-00 18-00 46-00 19-25 22-00 32-00 24-50 19-00 39-25 43-50 24-75 29-50 34-00 50-50 21-00 51-00 38-00 49-00 63-00 18-25 56-00 42-50 47-00 37-00 9-75 41-50 10-25 58-75 18-50 11-66 38-75 46-00 24-25 61-50 38-75 30-25 53-75 28-75 22-00 19-75 15-25 20-00 14'75 21-75 11-75 26-25 17-50 29-25 17-25 26-75 42-50 18-75 17-25 14-66 13-75 25-00 17-25 19-75 24-75 26-50 6-25 20-50 22-25 26-50 8-00 6-75 12-50 95-02 93-52 93-28 93-00 92-43 91-03 9024 89-70 89-25 88-35 88-00 87-50 87-05 86-74 86-38 85-55 85-43 84-76 84-48 84-44 84-40 84-05 83-19 83-09 82-92 82-78 82-35 82-25 82-16 81-32 81-29 81-11 80-57 80-56 80-00 80-00 79-59 79-42 78-84 78-05 77-89 77-73 77-50 77-31 76-98 76-87 76-73 76-10 74-91 74-67 73-94 73-83 73-49 72-72 71-95 71-90 71-49 71-42 71-42 71-34 70-40 70-39 70-24 66-96 65-71 65-65 64-70 62 89 61-60 61-24 60-36 59-88 59-52 57-34 55-97 53-53 49-23 4909 31-64 22 40 32 25 32 9 4 9 Banana Rangiahua i Little River Kaiapoi Mangamaunu 6 Ahipara Hapua Ohaeawai Oolao 6 Kawhia Poroti Kokako 7 Te Kopua Te Ahuahu The Neck Omanaia Waimamaku Waioweka Utakura' Te Whaiti Papawai Waikawa Rakaumanga Otaua Huria Te Matai Taiharuru Motukaraka Karikari 6 Matihetihe Te Teko Matata Galatea Whakarapa Kaikohe Mangakahia 8 Paeroa Te Waotu Tuparoa Wairau Waitapu 4 Maketu 4 56 28 59 42 50 76 21 67 58 53 44 12 43 12 70 15 50 51 19 75 47 33 39 31 23 21 20 21 10 7 10 12 5 7 4 7 10 7 39 8 18 1 29 8 25 10 10 16 6 2 94 18 5 19 12 7 8 2 4 7 17 17 44 1 22 4 8 20 22 3 2 7 10 15 10 14 9 20 17 11 18 9 16 50 52 43 70 33 29 26 20 28 17 24 11 31 26 86 24 39 50 25 26 28 18 35 26 32 36 41 25 . 15 28 11 7 12 5 12 8 8 5 17 8 22 10 12 20 16 7 9 5 12 10 11 16 16 9 18 21 10 14 9 8 10 4 12 2 7 11 35 6 14 16 7 10 7 7 10 8 11 7 11 34 33 49 21 21 21 13 22 12 20 7 24 19 57 16 26 36 23 17 16 12 22 18 22 23 27 16 26 25 30 14 26 55 38 26 19 31 20 27 31 40 13 34 33 40 14 9 27 6 10 10 4 2 1 38 37 43 14 3 13 13 13 11 4 1 1 19 23 21 8 3 2 Totals for 1897 2,491 1,324 951 2,864 2,95475 1,211 1,207 1,026 2,237 2,291-50 77-55 Totals for 1896 2,368 1,339 2,862 2,874-25 1,022 845 2,229 2,220-25 77-25 1 Reopened in March quartor. 5 Not open during March quarter. 6 Transft quarter. s Closed at end of June quarte 3d in September quarto irred to Southland Edui sr. cation ] Opened in ►oard at ei June quarter. 4 Clo! id of June quarter. < led at end of year. Opened iu March

Summary of Table No. 5.

Bace. Boys. Girls. Total. Percentage. Maori and between Maori and half-caste Half-caste European, and between half-caste and European 1,277 981 147 163 145 151 1,569 1,295 2,258 310 296 78-84 10-82 10-34 Totals 2,864 100-00

E.—2.

Table No. 5. Race of the Children attending the Native Village Schools on 31st December, 1897. M, Maori; M Q, between Maori and half-caste; H, half-caste; E Q, between half-caste and European; E, European.

22

and M Q. H. E Q and E. Totals. Schools. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. I Girls. I Total. Boys. Girls, j Total. Boys. Girls. Total. Hapua Te Kao Ahipara Pamapuria Pukepoto .. Kenana Parapara Te Pupuke Rangiahua Utakura Whakarapa Waitapu Matihetihe Whirinaki Waima Omanaia Motukaraka Mangamuka Waimamaku Otaua Ohaeawai Kaikohe Karetu Whangaruru Taumarere Te Ahuahu Poroti Taiharuru Opanaki Kawhia Raorao Rakaumanga Te Kopua.. Te Waotu Pukawa Manaia Ranana Karikari Huria Paeroa Te Matai Maketu Matata Te Teko .. Galatea Te Whaiti TeHouhi.. Otamauru Poroporo Ruatoki Waioweka Omarumutu Torere Omaio Te Raha Raukokore Wharekahika Te Araroa Rangitukia Tikitiki Waiomatatini Tuparoa Hiruharama Tokomaru Kokako Mawhitiwhiti Pipiriki Papawai Waikawa Wairau Mangamaunu Kaiapoi Rapaki Little River Arowhenua Waikouaiti The Neck.. 32 35 19 15 15 6 15 15 2 9 24 6 28 13 6 ! 9 28 12 11 15 23 3 13 12 7 14 14 16 29 14 15 13 15 35 25 27 16 16 21 26 6 9 14 13 7 25 19 32 45 8 17 11 24 21 9 10 18 37 23 22 16 19 35 36 18 24 10 2 6 7 9 19 12 15 7 3 22 26 22 15 13 6 16 12 14 12 8 26 6 7 3 20 9 7 9 13 5 7 7 10 13 6 14 9 18 16 13 9 38 13 15 10 17 11 23 1 6 17 8 4 14 16 19 36 7 24 9 20 13 9 4 18 24 33 7 11 16 21 24 6 25 10 3 8 4 3 5 12 17 2 5 54 61 41 30 28 12 31 27 2 23 36 14 54 19 13 12 48 21 18 24 36 8 20 19 17 27 20 30 38 32 31 26 24 73 38 42 26 33 32 49 7 15 31 21 11 39 35 51 81 15 41 20 44 34 18 14 36 61 56 29 27 35 56 60 24 49 20 5 14 11 12 24 24 32 9 8 1 "2 "l 2 "3 2 1 2 2 2 "l 2 6 1 19 2 1 2 2 1 1 3 1 "2 1 "l 1 "l "2 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 5 "l "l 3 5 1 32 2 4 1 1 7 1 1 2 2 "2 1 "l 3 1 "3 4 8 1 4 2 3 3 7 "l "2 5 11 2 51 4 5 1 3 9 2 2 5 1 "3 5 5 1 3 2 1 3 6 3 2 1 4 5 "8 1 2 2 4 "l 2. 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 "2 4 6 1 2 4 4 2 1 » 4 2 3 1 '*8 9 "9 2 2 1 4 "2 2 1 2 "a "7 11 6 3 7 6 3 4 10 2 6 3 1 12 14 17 3 4 3 8 "l 4 1 1 1 8 34 35 19 15 15 . 6 15 20 7 9 24 1 8 33 14 9 14 28 15 15 23 25 8 15 13 11 20 16 24 36 15 36 17 20 35 28 29 17 19 25 27 8 15 17 17 7 25 19 36 48 10 22 15 28 22 14 14 18 44 29 34 25 20 35 43 19 27 20 11 6 9 13 23 35 16 • 16 14 24 27 26 16 15 6 17 17 6 15 12 2 10 27 8 11 12 21 13 9 14 16 13 8 8 18 23 9 23 16 19 50 16 17 39 14 22 11 20 13 23 5 11 18 15 4 17 16 21 37 7 29 13 22 15 16 8 20 32 38 14 18 16 25 27 6 26 11 15 8 8 9 8 35 18 9 12 58 62 45 31 30 12 32 37 13 24 36 3 18 60 22 20 26 49 28 24 37 41 21 23 21 29 43 25 47 52 34 86 33 37 74 42 51 28 39 38 50 13 26 35 32 11 42 35 57 85 17 51 28 50 37 30 22 38 76 67 48 43 36 60 70 25 53 31 26 14 17 22 31 70 34 25 26 1 2 3 2 4 1 1 2 5 3 4 4 "4 "2 "5 "7 "l "l "2 "2 3 3 1 4 2 2 "l 1 4 4 1 7 3 3 2 9 3 2 6 6 19 12 1 3 8 1 2 2 21 "l "l "2 3 1 1 2 4 2 2 3 3 7 5 1 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 1 3 5 3 1 3 5 5 1 "3 "3 2 3 3 12 7 1 "4 3 "5 2 "9 5 "2 "2 "4 6 1 2 2 9 3 2 "l "l 1 "l 2 1 8 "l 1 "2 9 12 "4 1 3 1 2 1 7 2 2 1 2 3 23 1 9 3 4 3 2 21 6 3 5 44 1 16 4 "8 "6 14 "7 1 Totals for 1897 1,277 '981 2,258 147 163 310 145 151 296 1,569 1,295 2,864 Totals for 1896 1,215 979 2,194 140 125 265 186 217 403 1,541 1,321 2,862

E.—2.

Table No. 6. Results of Examination, 1897.

23

Schools. a 1$ ga vi. jSaes of Pupi ils examined. Marks obtained by Children that passed a Standard. V.. IV. III. II, I. Hapua Tβ Kao Ahipara Pamapuria* Pukepoto Kenana Parapara Tβ Pupuke Rangiahua Utakura Whakarapa Waitapu Matihetihe Whirinakif Waima Omanaia Motukaraka Mangamuka Waimamaku Otaua Ohaeawai Kaikohe Karetu Whangaruru Taumarere Tβ Ahuahu Mangakahia Poroti Taiharuru Opanaki Kawhia Raorao* Rakaumanga Te Kopua Te Waotu Pukawa Manaia* Ranana Karikari Huria Paeroa Te Matai Maketu Matata Tβ Teko Galatea Te Whaiti Te Houhi Otamauru Poroporo Ruatoki Waioweka Omarumutu Torere Omaio Te Kaha Raukokore Wharekahika Te Araroa Rangitukia Tikitiki Waiomatatini .. Tuparoa Hiruharama Tokomam Kokakof Mawhitiwhiti Pipiriki Papawai Waikawa Wairau Mangamaunu* .. Kaiapoi Rapaki Little River Arowhenua Waikouaiti Colao Bay* The Neck 65 58 52 i 3 4 5 3 24 10 7 147-0 82-0 67-0 30 13 33 36 13 34 41 14 20 58 28 21 26 45 29 24 34 42 23 33 22 28 20 37 38 74 50 i 2 1 1 1 6 1 3 5 3 1 4 8 1 4 7 2 1 5 1 6 4 101-5 34-0 68-5 91-0 44-5 19-0 39-0 17-0 29-5 2 i "2 2 3 1 4 1 i i •• *i i '2 3 1 1 2 i 3 1 1 3 2 1 3 4 2 2 4 2 3 4 1 8 2 4 1 7 1 5 2 4 6 3 7 6 4 2 5 5 6 5 3 7 19 3 4 4 5 2 4 6 6 1 4 9 7 15 75-0 99-5 71-5 147-5 86-0 51-0 52-5 96-5 55-5 104-0 48-0 101-5 29-5 76-5 76-0 86-5 135-0 2 5 2 1 6 4 8 '3 1 27 40 36 55 .. 5 5 1 1 13 7 10 1 8 2 25 8-0 139-0 735 178-5 56 24 36 32 57 39 30 34 35 19 40 36 54 84 22 55 32 55 38 33 21 46 80 66 44 50 46 61 76 23 44 31 24 17 1 2 2 1 10 3 2 3 1 15 73-0 8-0 28-5 102-5 171-0 34-5 46-5 66-5 62-5 23-0 103-0 113-0 146-0 171-5 36-0 170-5 51-0 133-5 125-0 63-5 76-5 159-0 231-0 224-0 168-5 68-5 210-5 202-5 i 4 6 1 1 4 3 1 1 6 3 3 6 11 1 4 1 7 5 13 2 4 34 2 6 4 5 8 4 4 8 15 10 11 6 18 10 '2 2 1 i '2 1 1 'i 1 6 1 3 3 4 3 4 8 8 2 2 2 7 9 1 3 7 4 8 9 2 3 2 12 11 8 5 4 9 4 9 10 3 3 13 3 8 4 3 4 10 9 12 9 1 13 10 '3 1 '3 *8 2 3 6 2 2 10 2 4 2 1 7 9 3 102-5 55-0 74-0 32-5 30-5 2 29 31 70 35 23 1 4 3 8 2 2 5 5 6 3 2 9 7 3 2 1 8 6 5 56-0 52-0 160-0 119-5 37-0 27 4 '3 3 *3 76-5 Totals for 1897 2,854 5 23 128 249 339 470 Totals for 1896 2,812 40 141 216 369 477 ot inspected or examined. \ Not examined.

E.—2.

Table No. 7. Results of Inspection, 1897. [In this table the schools are arranged according to the gross percentage obtained. See last column.]

24

BBS I: 8* ss o"2 p<2 §h i: Si ll 03 CO 0 fta h a M Ills mi q g a I Schools. .2 J '3 J a -ll -r Ohj Half of Percentage obtained at Examination. Gross Percentage. Omanaia Mawhitiwhiti Hiruharama Te Araroa Waiomatatini Kaikohe Tokomaru Rangitukia Tikitiki Otamauru Te Matai Wbarekahika Te Kaha Te Kopua Arowhonua 7-7 8-6 8-8 9-7 9-7 100 9-3 9-7 90 8-1 9-5 7-3 10-0 8-0 7-3 9-3 7-4 7-4 9'3 8-0 9-1 8-4 9-1 7-9 9-0 8-0 8-3 6-8 8-6 8-7 7-7 8-7 8-4 6-3 9-8 8-8 7-8 9-3 7-6 8'3 6-1 7-1 9-1 8-7 9-5 8-1 7-3 7-8 7-7 7-6 6-7 7'0 9-1 7-3 7-9 7-7 9-8 7'3 8-3 7-7 6-8 5-8 6-0 7-2 10-0 8-3 8-6 7-8 1-4, 8-6 8-8 4-6 9-0 1-5 8-0 9-5 7-2 9-5 8-5 9-0 9-2 8-9 10-0 8-0 10'0 8'5 8-7 8-5 8-8 8-0 8-2 7-5 7-1 6-6 7-4 6-8 8-0 8-6 9-8 8-1 8-2 7-9 8-1 7-3 7-9 8-6 8-6 8-2 7-8 7-5 8-0 8-1 6-5 7-3 7-5 8-5 8-7 7-8 7-0 6-7 6-0 9-3 8-0 6-6 7-3 7-7 8-1 7-5 7-6 7-4 7-2 6-4 8-0 8-2 6-3 7-3 8-5 6-5 9-2 6-1 9-3 6-0 6-0 5-7 9-4 8-5 9-0 9'2 9-5 8-8 10-0 8-0 8-5 7-9 8-8 9-3 9-0 8-5 9-2 7-5 8-1 7-9 8-2 8'2 7-9 8-0 7-1 7-5 7'5 7-2 8-0 8-3 8-4 7-8 8-5 7-5 7-3 7-8 7'3 8-5 7-0 6-3 5'1 7-5 7-9 9-3 6-4 8-8 8"9 8-5 7-4 8-2 9-3 8-5 7-1 8-0 7-1 7-2 1-6 6-7 7-4 5-5 5-8 6'8 6-0 9-0 8-5 5-8 7-3 6'6 7-1 4-0 4-6 8-3 53 3-5 8-0 8-6 8-6 8-0 7-0 8-0 7-3 8'0 7-8 8-5 8-4 7-0 6-0 8-0 9-0 8-5 6-3 7-0 6-8 9-0 8-0 80 8-5 7-8 6'0 7-5 6-0 7-3 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-5 7-9 6-0 8-5 5-7 5-8 6-0 5-5 6-7 6-5 7'0 8-1 5-7 7-0 7-8 7-3 7-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 7-0 3-0 5-5 7-5 6-0 7-0 6'5 6-3 6-0 5'0 5'6 7-0 4-5 7-5 6-1 6-5 4-0 6-8 7-0 6-5 2-0 8'5 4-8 77 8-7 7-3 9-2 9-0 7-3 90 63 5'0 7-0 73 8-0 7-0 7-3 8-3 5'0 7'6 6-3 6'0 4-7 9-0 6-0 8-0 9-0 6-7 8-7 5-3 4-7 5-5 7-0 6-5 7-2 6-7 5-3 4-6 4-7 5'8 5'5 5-0 6-2 8-3 7-8 7-5 5-5 5-3 6'6 4-0 6-0 4-2 6-6 5-2 5-7 5-0 6-0 6'2 6-2 5-0 4-3 3-7 7'0 4-0 3-0 6-0 4-5 4-2 5-5 4-0 4-7 2'3 3-7 49-5 50-0 45-5 40'4 41-8 36-4 37'3 39-1 37-5 38-8 36-3 39-0 34-9 35-9 35-5 34-5 36-6 39-9 34-4 35-0 35-3 37-6 32-1 36-8 34-1 32-0 33-1 32-6 34-4 35-6 340 326 31-5 33-0 26-7 30-8 34-1 32-5 33-8 29-6 33-3 27-3 24-7 24-2 21-9 24-7 27-7 25-4 27'6 22-9 28-3 24-8 27-5 25-4 22'6 24-6 20-5 25'S 25-6 25-7 26'4 19-4 23-0 26-3 14-6 20-4 15-2 20-6 5-8 92-1 88-0 87-6 85-5 82-5 81'9 81-4 81-1 81-0 78'S 78-0 77-6 77-2 76-9 76-7 75'6 75-5 75-2 74-5 74'0 73'4 73-3 73-2 72-8 726 723 71-9 71'8 71-4 70'7 69-8 69'6 69'5 68-9 67-6 67-3 67-1 66-3 65-8 65-7 65-3 64-2 64'1 63'7 63-5 62-4 62-0 61-7 60'7 60-3 60-3 60'0 59-2 58-8 58'7 58-5 58-5 58-4 58-2 56-9 55-9 55-0 54-8 54-1 53-9 52'4 50'8 48'0 37-8 34-6 34-5 28-9 25.1 Poroporo Paeroa Wliangaruru The Neck Omarumutu Pukepoto Mangamuka Motukaraka Pukawa Omaio Kawhia Kaiapoi Karotu Kenana Te Aliuahu Te Pupuke Rangiahua Waimamaku Waima Te Teko Rapaki Little Eiver Ahipara Te Houhi Papawai Poroti Taumarere Wairau Waitapu Matihetihe Ruatoki Te Kao Te Waotu Parapara Waikouaiti Otaua Opanaki Hapua Torere Matata Tuparoa Whakarapa Galatea Te Whaiti Pipiriki Mangakahia Waioweka Taiharuru Ohaeawai Maketu Waikawa Huria Ranana Rakaumanga Whirinaki* Utakura Karikari Raukokoref PamapuriaJ Kokako* ManaiaJ RaoraoJ Mangamaunu} Golaoj 5'6 9-4 25-1 7-1 V-7 7-2 4-3 6-0 32-3 * No examination. t Not inspected. ; Not inspected or examined.

25

E.—2

Table No. 8. Classification of Pupils on the School Rolls, December, 1897.

Table No. 9. Average Age of Pupils at Standard Examination of Schools in 1897.

Table No. 10. Number of Maori Pupils receiving Higher Education, &c., at the End of 1897.

Number of Maori ex-Native-School Pupils holding Industrial Scholarships at the End of 1897.

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,700 copies), £21 ss.

By Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9B.

Price 9<2.]

4—E. 2.

Standards. Boys. Girls. Totals. Preparatory classes ■Class for Standard I. II. ... III.... IV. ... V. ... VI. ... Passed Standard VI. 337 392 348 251 154 69 15 3 301 330 251 215 141 44 11 2 638 722 599 466 295 113 26 5 Totals ... 1,569 1,295 2,864

Standards. Number passed at Annual Examination. Average Age. I. ... II. ... III. ... IV. ... V. ... VI. . . 470 339 249 128 23 5 Yrs. 9 10 12 13 13 13 Mos. 11 11 1 5 3 5

Governmi snt Pupils. School. Private Pupils. Scholarshipholders. Temporary. Boarding-schools— St. Stephen's (boys), Parnell, Auckland Te Aute (boys), Hawke's Bay Hukarere (girls), Napier... St. Joseph's (girls), Napier University College, Auckland (male student) ... Canterbury College, Ghristchurch (male student) 22 4 12 4 1 1 2 29 33* 621 45| 23§ Totals ... 54 31 163 * Including 5 boys who are more European than Maori. f fho are more European than Maori. § Including 1 girl who ncluding 15 Euri is more Europeai >peans. J Ii i than Maori, am icluding 10 girls I 1 European.

Number. District. Trade to which Scholars are apprenticed. 1 1 3 2 1 Opotiki >f Blacksmith. Carpenter. Printer. Saddler. Farmer. ■/ tt Mangonui tt Total.., 10