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No. 6. Mr. H. W. Brabant, R.M., Opotiki, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. Sir, — Resident Magistrate's Office, Opotiki, Ist January, 1876. I have the honor to submit the following as my half-yearly report on the Native schools in the Bay of Plenty and Lake districts. The schools will be each mentioned in the order in which they were visited by me, commencing at the eastern end of the district:— 1. Te Kaha School. —This is a new school opened on the 26th April, 1875, and when I visited Te Kaha in October last I examined the children, and found that they had already made considerable progress in elementary education. I was unable to make a formal half-yearly inspection this month on account of the teacher suddenly resigning on account of illness. A new master will, I hope, commence residence in a few weeks. 2. Omarumutu School. —l visited .this school on the 3rd December, when I found only 9 children present out of 28 on the books. Five of these boys read fairly from an easy book, did easy dictation, knew a little geography, tables, and weights and measures. They had made considerable progress in arithmetic, and wrote well. They were also able to say the Ten Commandments by rote. There has not been as much progress made at this school as I should like to see. I attribute this to the irregular attendance and to the apathy of the parents, which I have been unable to overcome. 3. Whakatane School. —This is the largest school under my inspection, and consists of 69 children, of whom 61 attended when I inspected it on 13th December. The first class> consisting of 15 boys and girls, most of them as old as fifteen years or over, were examined in reading, repeating poetry, writing, English dictation and translating it into Maori, geography of England and New Zealand, tables, and weights and measures. This class had made perceptible improvement since my last inspection, but the younger children in the school did not show as much progress as they ought. The arithmetic of the whole school was creditable to a varying degree. I found that singing had been taught, but not needlework, the sewing mistress stating that the Natives themselves would not help by providing materials. 4. Matata School. —There arc at present 29 children on the books of this school. I I found 26 there when I visited it on 14th December. I examined the senior pupils, 6, in reading English and Maori, spelling, English dictation and translating into Maori, repeating poetry, general tables, elementary grammar, geography, and arithmetic, in which they showed very marked improvement, especially in colloquial English, and in appreciation of the meaning of their English studies. Nine other children had made some progress in reading English and Maori from easy books, and the 11 others were little children who were commencing. The elder children had been taught to say the Church Catechism, and the girls sewing and ladies' fancy work. The teachers at this school have always appeared to me to take great pains with the instruction of the children committed to their charge; but notwithstanding my knowledge of this, I was surprised at the progress made lately at this school, which should be seen by any one who doubts the ability of Native children to learn if carefully taught. I believe the attendance has been much more regular lately, which has to be attributed in a measure to the return to the district of Te Whikiriwhi, the chairman of the School Committee. This chief accompanied me at my inspection, and evidently takes great interest in the subject of education. He informed me that he had heard great satisfaction expressed by the Natives at the reports on Maori schools being printed in the Waka Maori, and that he hoped the practice would be continued. 5. Maketu School. —l visited this school on loth December. There were 24 children present out of 37 on the roll. The four senior children were examined in reading, spelling, and dictation, and translation of English into Maori, in which they appeared to have made a little progress since my last visit. Their geography and arithmetic I cannot say so much for, but, with the exception of these four children, no progress whatever has been made. The teacher attributes this to irregular attendance, which no doubt he has to contend with in common with others : still I was not satisfied that more could not have been done with energy and perseverance by a man whose heart was in his work. The girls had been taught sewing. 6. Whareroa School {Tauranga). —There are 29 children receiving education at the Wharcroa School, —the number that attended on the occasion of my visit on 17th December being 21, of whom 4 were Europeans. The Ist class (5 grown-up boys and girls) I examined in reading English from an advanced book, dictation, translating into Maori, and arithmetic ,• the 2nd class (9) in reading and spelling; and the 3rd class (7), reading and writing on slates. This was my first visit to this school since it was taken charge of by the new teacher, who seemed to be energetic and to know his business. The pupils had made progress since last inspection. The writing of the children at this school I noticed as being remarkably good. 7. Te Wairoa School, Tarawera Lake. —l was at this school on 20th December, when 20 children attended. This I found, however, they did only on this particular occasion, as, although there are about 40 children on the books, the attendance, in consequence of a misunderstanding between the resident Natives and the teacher, had dwindled down to nil. I nevertheless examined the children, and found that 10 of them, forming the Ist class, had made some progress in easy reading, writing from dictation, translating, &c. I endeavoured to arrange a better understand-