E—No. 4

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

17

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.