H.—1

7

INTERIM REPORT.

To His Excellency Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same. May it please your Excellency,— We, the Commissioners appointed, on the 23rd clay of Decemher, 1878, by your Excellency's predecessor, the Marquis of Normanby, to inquire into and report upon the University of New Zealand and other educational institutions, humbly submit to your Excellency the following interim report. The scope of the inquiry was defined by our Commission as follows:— "1. The constitution, organization, operations, resources, expenditure, and " efficiency of tbe University of New Zealand, and of the various institutions " within the said colony, for the imparting of the higher or University education, " of the secondary or intermediate or grammar-school or high-school education, " and of technical education by means of training schools, schools of art and " design, and schools or colleges of practical science. " 2. The mutual relations and mutual influences of the University of New " Zealand on the one hand and of the secondary and technical schools on the " other. "3. The relations which the primary schools sustain, or ought to sustain, to " the secondary, technical, and superior institutions. " 4. The best means of bringing secondary and superior education within the " reach of the youth of both sexes, by increasing the number of institutions for " such education, by the establishment of morning and evening as well as clay " classes, by means of scholarships to be held by scholars from primary and " secondary and technical schools; or by any other means for the purposes herein- " before mentioned. "5. The best means of making sufficient and suitable provision for the " maintenance, administration, and inspection of institutions for education other " than primary; and, " 6. The condition, value, and application of endowments made out of " public estate, or grants of public money, held under any trusts for the pro- " motion of education, or which may have been obtained or procured, either " directly or indirectly, under any grant from the Crown, or under any Act, " Ordinance, Regulation, or other authority whatsoever for the purposes aforesaid : " But nothing herein shall require you to make any inquiry respecting any lands " or endowments set apart or applied for the purposes of primary education " under ' The Education Act, 1877.' " "We met for the first time in Wellington, on the 15th day of January, 1879, j being the day appointed in the Royal Commission for our first meeting, and sub-' sequently held meetings in the Cities of Auckland, Nelson, Christchurch, Wellington, and Dunedin. We determined to conduct our inquiry by the oral examination of witnesses, < by circulars of questions seeking for written information on various subjects con- l nected with our Commission, and by personal inspection by committees of ourselves of the various institutions for secondary and higher education. By these methods we have obtained a large amount of valuable information, which is contained in the minutes and in the Appendix attached to this our report. We believe

T Appointment of I Commissioners. )

Scope of ■ Commission. i

Meetings of Coinmisson.

Conduct of inquiry.