9

G.—4.

practised. Better copy-books should be provided, and the teacher should give his undivided attention to the daily writing lesson. The reading-books in use are Wilson's old series. The Royal Series ought to be used instead. The master seems very attentive indeed to his duties, and anxious to perform them well. Discipline good. Schoolhouse and pupils neat. Rakaupara (Hokianga) School: 24th November, 1876. —On roll: Boys, 23 ; girls, 23=46. Present, 26. Maps, &c.: Hemispheres, Europe, Asia, Africa (all small), New Zealand ; Diagram Geographical Terms, two black-boards, one easel, ball-frame, a few wall cards. No pictures. Desks along sidewalls, and double desk in the middle (unsuitable). Schoolhouse 46 x2O feet. Writing, fair; arithmetic, fair; copying from books, fair; geography, middling; composition, pretty good —should be more practised ; reading, fair; apprehension of meaning of words, middling. Recitation and reading should be taught as recommended in report on Waima. Needlework and cutting-out are taught once a week. The master seems to be attentive to his duties. Waitapu School: 27th November, 1876.—0n roll: Boys, 8; girls, 12=20. Present: Boys, 6; girls, B=l4. Maps, &c.: Black-board, easel, ball-frame, and pictures required. Schoolhouse 30 x2O feet, with desks facing side-walls. There is a detached teacher's house. Writing, fair; copying from books, fair; reading of some fair, of others middling; knowledge of meaning of words, indifferent. Composition should be practised, and reading and recitation taught as already recommended. Needlework is taught. The master seems most anxious to perform his duties well. When he has had more experience I feel sure he will prove an efficient teacher. Pakia (or Omapere) School: 27th November, 1876.—0n roll: Boys, 20 ; girls, 20=40. Present, 24. Maps, &c.: Hemispheres, Europe, Asia, Africa, America (all small), New Zealand; wall cards (Royal Series), some diagrams, black-board, and easel. A ball-frame is required. It is desirable that a map of the British Isles, and large maps of the world and of Europe, should be supplied. The schoolhouse is 30 x2O feet; and has eight desks, each 8 feet long, sufficient for 32 pupils. There are dwelling-rooms attached to the school. Writing, fair; arithmetic, indifferent; copying from books, fair; writing from dictation, fair; geography, middling ; reading, fair ; apprehension of the meaning of what is read, bad. Composition should be more practised ; and reading and recitation should be taught as pointed out in previous reports. Needlework is taught every Priday. The dwelling-rooms are very uncomfortable. A tank is urgently required ; and the addition of a porch would in some measure shelter the rooms, which are exposed to the prevailing winds. The teacher seems very anxious to make his school efficient. If he follows out the instructions I gave, a great improvement will, I have no doubt, take place. Wirinaki School: 28th November, 1876.—0n roll: Boys, 24; girls, 33=57. Present: Boys, 28 ; girls, 22=50. Maps, &c, fairly supplied. There is however but one desk, 8 feet long, and four forms. More desks and forms are urgently required. Writing, fair; arithmetic, pretty good ; copying from books, good; writing from dictation, fair ; geography (knowledge of), tolerable. Composition should be practised more; and recitation and reading should be taught in the manner I have already pointed out. Needlework is taught. The present teacher has taken charge of the school lately. He is convinced, I think, of the necessity of carrying out my instructions as to methods of teaching. I have omitted to state that the reading is fair; apprehension of the meaning of what is read, indifferent. The schoolroom is 27 x2O feet, with dwelling-rooms attached. These rooms are very uncomfortable. Opotiki School (European) : 18th September, 1876. —This school is attended by 8 Native children— 4 boys and 4 girls. For some time no Native pupils attended the school. Those now in attendance began to come during the current quarter. When I visited the school there were four Natives present —three boys and one girl. Having been such a short time at school, they of course knew very little. It is to be regretted that here,-as at Parawai, the Native children avail themselves so little of the advantages they would derive from attending a European school. Omaramutu School: 19th September, 1876. —-When I visited this school neither the master nor pupils were in attendance. I have reason to believe that the school is not conducted in a satisfactory manner. Ohiwa School: 20th September, 1876.—0n roll: Boys, 18 j girls, 4. Present: Boys, 7. Many of the pupils were away at Rotorua, to which place this school is soon to be shifted, I found Writing, fair ; reading, fair; arithmetic, good ; copying from books on slate, fair; English composition, fair. The master seemed as zealous as I had found him before; his method of teaching had improved, in consequence of his having adopted the suggestions I made to him on my previous visit. The new school near Rotorua should be supplied with better maps, desks, &c, than those which are here. Whakatane School: 21st September, 1877.—0n roll: Boys, 33 ; girls, 28=61. Present: Boys, 21 ; girls, 19=40. Maps, &c.: Hemispheres, New Zealand (two, one small) ; small maps of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, England, Ireland, Scotland ; Chart of Geographical Terms, Royal Wall Cards, blackboard ; four desks, each 12 feet long. Schoolroom, 30 x 20, with four dwelling-rooms attached. Eour more desks with forms are very much wanted. A large map of Europe, one of the British Isles, another black-board, and some pictures of animals are also required. Writing, fair; arithmetic, fair (except notation, in which the pupils were deficient) ; writing from dictation, fair; copying from books on slate, indifferent. Reading, in a limited sense, might be called fair, but anything like an adequate knowledge of the meaning of what was read was absent. It seemed to me that no sufficient effort to convey such knowledge was made, aud that the teacher had simply ignored tho suggestions I had made to him, and those contained in the Regulations, with a copy of which I had supplied him. His own children, pupils in the school, appeared to know less English than they knew some eighteen months previous. Discipline and organization, bad. It appears, from a 2— G. 4.