5

G.—7

obtained from her the following particulars :—There are sixteen pupils : Boys, 10 ; girls, 6. These are divided into four classes. The Ist reads Ihe 3rd Boyal Reader, and prepares daily a spelling lesson, comprising words of three syllables. They write in clear round hand on paper passages from their reading-books, and can work sums in simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The girls of this class sew neatly. Class No. 2 reads with ease Eoyal Header No. 1 ; prepares a simple spelling lesson ; can write in their slates legibly passages from their reading-books ; can repeat the multiplication tables, and cau work sums in addiiion, multiplication, and subtraction. The girls of this class are learning to sew. Class No. 3 reads Eoyal Primer, couuts correctly, and is learning tables; can do easy sums iv addition. Class No. 4 learning alphabet and to form strokes. The Ist, 2nd, and 3rd Classes are taught geography, to which will shortly be added drawing and singing. Port Mohjneux School, No. 2 : The children have been about three months under instruction (May Bth, 1S78), are well-behaved and regular in their attendance. Owing to the men being absent from the Kaikai, Miss Jones has been unable to commence her adult class, but intends to do so on their return, and to hold it twice a week at her own house. The school is held in a roughly furnished building, hastily put up by the Natives, and is only provided with such furniture as they could make. Miss Jones is greatly in want of a blackboard and other school requisites, which I recommend should be at once supplied, as the Natives, having proved that they really desire their children to be instructed, deserve every encouragement. Eiverton School: Master, Mr. 11. Ireland. —Inspected, March. sth, 1878. Eegisters carefully kept. Highest number on the books, 34. Present at inspection, 27. Heading : Ist Class : Number in class, 5. Book. 4th Eoyal Reader. One very good, two good, two imperfect. Pronunciation good. Spelling, three fair, two imperfect; understood meaning of lesson. Dictation, one good, two fair, two imperfect. Have slight acquaintance with elements of grammar. —2nd Class: Number in class, 4. Book, 3rd Eoyal Reader. Two fair, two imperfect. Pronunciation fair. Spelling, one fair, three imperfect. Dictation, two fair, two imperfect; meaning understood. —3rd Class : Number in class, . Eeading, 2nd Eoyal Eeader. Heading and spelling imperfect.—4th Class: Number in class, 7. Book, Ist Eoyal Eeader. Three reading and spelling fair, four imperfect. Meaning not understood. —sth Class : Number in class, 4. Book, Primer. One fair, four imperfect. Pronunciation fair. —6th Class: Number in class, G. Only learning the alphabet. Arithmetic: Four doing sums iv simple proportion, one good, one fair, two imperfect. The sums were neatly set down, but the working was not exact—a failing I observed this year in several of the schools. Two doing simple division fairly, two simple multiplication imperfectly, eight simple addition fairly. None of the children had an accurate knowledge of the multiplication table or of weights and measures. Writing: Copybooks. Two good, seven fair, seven imperfect. Sufficient pains had not been taken ; the writing in the majority of cases was carelessly done. Geography : A very small number had any acquaintance with the subject; only two out of a class often knew anything about the most elementary terms. One who could read 4th Eoyal Eeader spoke of the North Pole as the hottest quarter of the globe. Sewiug : Miss Ireland teaches sewing. She informed me that the girls prefer crochet work to stitching. The work shown to me was very creditable. The schoolroom is far too small for the number of children in attendance. I was glad to find that the building formerly used as a church, and to which the schoolroom is attached, is now used as a classroom. The room was clean and fairly furnished. I was glad to observe an improvement in English reading : still, much remains to be done before it is quite satisfactory. The common fault is the omission of the final consonant. The discipline of the school though improved is still far from perfect. All the boys while standing in class had their hands in their pockets, and the whole school amused themselves chewing some substance that produced a clicking noise, very disagreeable and distracting. Inattention to drill and to some other simple rules for securing order prevents Mr. Ireland from attaining that success which he aims at and which his zeal merits. After my examination a meeting was held in the schoolroom, at which all the Natives in the district were present, having come to Eiverton to meet Sir George Grey', who was hourly expected. The business of the meeting was opened by Topi, who asked whether any one present knew in whom the site occupied by the schoolroom and master's house was vested, and out of what funds the cost of erecting those buildings had been paid. No one present could answer his questions. Mr. Daniels (who kindly acts as Honorary Secretary to the School Committee), who was present, said that when the Hon. Mr. Eeeves visited Eiverton, in the capacity of Minister for Public Works, he pointed out to him the wretched condition in which the church then was, and obtained from him a grant of £120, with which the addition to the building now uscd'as a schoolroom was built. Eawiri, Horomona, Topi, and others spoke of the necessity for their being made acquainted with the disposal of the funds arising from the school endowment in Southland. On the sale of Stewart's Island to the Government in 18GA, a sum of £2,000 was set apart for the support of educational institutions for the benefit of the settlers [sellers?]. The money was invested in the purchase of 2,000 acres, now let to Mr. Kingsmill. The Natives want to know what, has become of the interest on the £2,000 since 18U4, a period of fourteen years. The various speakers said that they were very foolish in relieving the Government of the duty devolving upon it of providing for the education of their children. They asked why educational reserves were not required to be set apart by Maoris iv all other districts —why it was they had been singled out and deprived of £2,0U0 to relieve, the Government of a duty rightly belonging to it. The Government was now providing free education for all children throughout the country, and this endowment ought therefore to be given back. The result of these inquiries is to create much discontent. Every one, from Topi downwards, is