E—No. 4

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

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

34

REPORT OF INSPECTORS