Page image

E—No. 4

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

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

27

ON NATIVE SCHOOLS, 1862.

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert