17

G—B.

Government. It arises out of the £2,000 education fund invested for Native Schools in the South, and the Ruapuke Natives consider that their share of the interest or rent from same is a fair proportion of payment on their part. The school is well supplied with books, slates, and other necessaries for the present. The buildings are still in a good state of preservation, except a leak in the roof of the teacher's house. In order to keep them in good repair, it would be well to give them soon a coat of fresh paint, put fresh putty round the window panes, and fresh lime in the brick joints outside on the chimneys where the weather is eating it away. The daily average attendance for each month since the opening of the school cannot be strictly given, for during the first master's (Mr. Henri's) time, from July, 1868, to September, 1869, both inclusive, no statistics were kept. While Rev. J. T. H. Wohlers has been master, from October, 1869, to March, 1874, inclusive, 54 months, the average has been: Males, 11 females, 12 : total, 23. The children are taught reading in English (and the language is explained to them as they read), writing, arithmetic, geography, singing, and plain needlework. Since the opening of the school, about 25 males and 20 females, total 45, have learnt to read plain English, though they have to stop now and then before a new word, which they must spell and learn its meaning. Several others have learnt to read a little, but have often to stop before new and hard words. In writing, the same number as above write good and middling copies, either set them or out of printed books. In spelling, the pupils find it very hard work to fix the correct spelling of long and hard English words in their memories, the syllables of their own native language being so very simple and those of the English so very hard. In spelling, it is impossible for them to come up to English-speaking children. In geography, about 30 males and 20 females, since the opening of the school, have learnt the continents, the position of New Zealand on the globe, the largest rivers and capes, the provinces, chief towns, and harbours in New Zealand; the colonies, rivers, and chief towns in Australia ; the groups of the South Sea Islands; other large islands ; the countries and capitals in Europe, &c. In singing, the pupils sing the English hymns and tunes with clear good voices. In the progress made in speaking and pronouncing English, the grown-up half-caste pupils, who have learnt a little English when children from their fathers, and have afterwards worked with Europeans, speak and pronounce English tolerably well; but the Maori children, who have not had that advantage, of course cannot pronounce the English words like English-speaking children, and, in speaking, are at a loss to find the words and to put them in their proper places, though they may know them and understand their meaning when reading them in a book. In arithmetic, about 30 males and 20 females, total 50, have learned the first four rules. Some few are also able to do simple, and even compound, proportion; but most of these had received instruction before, either in the Mission School or otherwise. As a sample of progress, it is right to mention here that the best behaved and most attentive pupil, and one who has decidedly made the greatest progress in all the branches taught in the school, is a Maori girl, now about twelve or thirteen years old, named Rachel Rori, the daughter of Haora Piharo, at Kaikoura. This girl came to Ruapuke four years ago, when she knew not one letter or word of English : now she reads English fluently. She is also clever at reading handwriting. When now and then she comes to a new word, she quietly asks what it means, and when told quickly comprehends, and remembers its signification. She attends regularly when in the island, but she is sometimes obliged, being a nursery girl, to be absent with her employers. If prizes were given, she deserves one. The deaths among the pupils since the school was opened are : Males, 2; females, 5 : total, 7. Besides, one male and one female left school through ill health, and died at last, though a good while afterwards. Some others, who left the school and the island in good health, have died afterwards, but should not be reckoned as deaths among the pupils. The number of withdrawals since the opening of the school is difficult to state, because there are several young men who serve as sailors, boatmen, oyster-fishers, &c, who are often absent for a whole quarter and more, and then come again, when opportunity favours, to improve themselves . The following will be near the number of withdrawals : —Males, 40 ; females, 25 : total, 65. The causes are, —getting married, when domestic affairs cause them to withdraw; leaving the island, which is the case with almost all the half-castes. The male half-castes are very clever in sailing their small vessels and boats in a boisterous sea, and about rocky coasts. They are ambitious to own small vessels, and as Ruapuke has no safe harbour, and Stewart's Island has a number, their occupation compels them to remove their families (and they have the most children) to Stewart's Island. This is the chief cause that is depopulating Ruapuke and emptying the school. None have withdrawn from the school through whim or idleness. There is no sickness prevailing amongst the children, but they are not strong, and are predisposed to consumption, which generally developes itself when they arrive at the age of maturity. The apparent cause is want of care in rearing them. The children do what they like at home; their parents have no control over them. Sometimes they are too hotly clothed, at other times 3—G. 8.