G.—7

11

and without a playground. The master occupies one end of the schoolroom, and is miserably uncomfortable. Mr. Eutlaud, the Chairman of the School Committee, impressed strongly upon me the need of a grant of at least £150 for the enlargement of the schoolroom, and for the purpose of providing additional accommodation for the master. There is urgent need for more accommodation, as the schoolroom is now overcrowded. Being unlined, it is likely to be bitterly cold in winter. Mr. Severn gave a very good character of the Maori children, who are very well behaved, and very regular in their attendance, though several have to come a considerable distance every morning. Wairewa School: Master, Captain Curling. —Inspected Bth May, 1878. Eegisters carefully kept. Highest number on the books: Boys, 14 ; girls, 15 : total, 29. Present at inspection, 29. Eeading ■, Ist Class : Number in class, 7. Book, Eoyal Eeader No. 2. The reading of this class, with one exception, was good, the pronunciation being correct. The spelling was good, and the meaning of the lesson understood. Dictation : This class wrote down a few sentences taken from the reading-lesson. Though the writing was good, the spelling was bad, the words spelt correctly orally being misspelt when written. 2nd Class : Number in class, 9. Book, Ist Eoyal Eeader. Three good, five fair, one imperfect. Pronunciation fair ; spelling fair ; meaning understood. 3rd Class: Number in class, 10. Book, Ist Eoyal Eeader. Six fair, four imperfect. Pronunciation and spelling defective. 4th Class: Number in class, 3. Easy words and tablets. Arithmetic: Compound multiplication and division, three good, one fair. Simple division, three fair. Easy sums, multiplication, three good, four fair. Subtraction, two fair. Addition, four fair. The figures were well made, and the work neatly set down on the slates. Writing : Fifteen writing in copybooks, three just commencing. The writing on the whole was good. Tables : Twelve had a correct knowledge of the multiplication table. Six fair, six imperfect. Weights and Measures : Not taught except to the one working at reduction. Geography: Seven had a slight acquaintance with the map of the world and New Zealand, but they all failed to point out Auckland. Drill: Whole school proficient. This being so, I was surprised to find the discipline so lax, and rather noisy at their work. The progress in arithmetic was very satisfactory, the work being thoroughly done, The common fault with Maori children is the inaccuracy of their work—sums are quickly but incorrectly done. But that was not the case here. Though satisfied on the whole with the state of this school, I was sorry to find that the children had been allowed to forget some things the former master had been at particular pains to impart. Their ignorance, for instance, of geography can hardly be excused, and there seemed to be very little desire on the part of the master to make the work of the school interesting to the children. The schoolroom was clean and tolerably well furnished, and the children were clean and well dressed. Captain Curling told me that one advantage of giving notice of my visit was that the parents provided the children with new clothes, of which most of them had stood in need. Captain Curling has been greatly inconvenienced for want of water, having been obliged to carry every drop used in the house from the creek nearly a quarter of a mile away. His application for tanks having been approved, it is to be hoped that he will shortly be relieved from this inconvenience. The precincts of the school were clean and tidy. The Maoris request that two gates may be put up at the entrance into the school-yard. As they were at the cost of the fence, I think their application might be granted. Some alterations require to be made in the schoolroom, which is rather overcrowded. After having finished my examination, I distributed £2 10s. worth of prizes, kindly given by Messrs. Coop, Joblin, and Walters, residents in the neighbourhood, who are much interested in the school. In the evening a meeting of the School Committee took place, and here, as elsewhere, I found the Committee was inclined to dictate to the master. I therefore took occasion to point out to them that their duty was not to control, but to assist the master, who was responsible not to them, but to Government. The sympathy that exists between the Wairau Natives and the Ngaitahu will, I fear, prevent Captain Curling being generously treated by the Natives amongst whom he is located. Ruapuke School: Master, the Eev. J. Wholers.—l did not visit Euapuke, as I learned from Topi that only three or four little children were attending the school, and I did not think it right to incur the expense of chartering a cutter to visit a place where the numbers attending the school were so reduced. Most of the children who were at Euapuke are now either at the Neck or at Eiverton. The Eev. Mr. Wholers informs me that the school buildings are very much in need of a coat of paint, and some slight repairs. It is advisable that this application should be attended to, as it is now two years since attention was drawn to the injury the weather was doing to these buildings for want of a small outlay in repairs. Though there are so few children now at Euapuke, in a few years the Natives may return there, when the need of a schoolroom will be felt if this is allowed to fall into decay. Arahura School: Master, Mr. Fitall.—lnspected, 20th November, 1877, by J. Greenwood, Esq. Eegisters carefully kept. Highest number on roll: Boys, 12 ; girls, 7 : total, 19. Present at inspection : Boys, 9 ; girls, 3 : total, 12. Ist Class : Number in class, 2. Eeading: Book, sth Eoyal Eeader. Bead fairly. Arithmetic: Well up in the compound rules ; writing very good. Geography : A fair acquaintance with the leading outlives. 2nd Class: Number in class, 3. Book, 2nd Eoyal Eeader. Eead fairly. Arithmetic : The four simple rules fairly. Writing : Wrote words on the slates well; copybooks fair. Geography : Slight acquaintance.