I 2.

1883. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In Continuation of E.-2, 1882.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Organizing Inspeotoe to the Inspectob-Geneeal of Schools. Sib,— Wellington, 31st March, 1883. In accordance with your instructions, I have the honour to forward my report on the Native schools of New Zealand for the year 1882-83. Seventy-three schools have been in operation during the year—viz. : Sixty-one village, four subsidized, and eight boarding schools. Only one of the boarding establishments is directly under the control of the department; the others are connected with religious denominations, and are in receipt of capitation grants from the Government. I have visited all the schools, except that at Te Kao, once, and many of them twice, during the year. The work done at them has been found to be very fairly satisfactory; there is marked improvement in nearly all the schools in the North Auckland Peninsula and in those of the South Island; of the Bay of Plenty schools some are doing very good work, and only two are in a languishing condition; a few of the remaining schools were flourishing, but many of them, through the scarcity of food in the district, the prevalence of epidemic disease, or the apathy of the Natives, were considerably below the standard of efficiency that ought to be reached. On the whole it may be said that about three-fourths of the schools are really up to the mark, and that the others are, at present, in a more or less unsatisfactory condition. It may, however, be fairly anticipated that only a very few of these schools will in the end prove to be utter failures; and it may be confidently expected that as. time goes on the measures that are being adopted to improve the schools and to render them more attractive and useful to the Natives, as well as the precautions that are taken against founding schools in districts where they are not likely to be permanent, will almost do away with the chance of failure of any Native school that has been or that may hereafter be established. Schools Opened, Eeopened, oe Closed. New schools have been opened during the year at Kaikohe, Bay of Islands; Mangamuka, Hokianga; Moari, Kaeo, Whangaroa: these schools are all very successful so far. New buildings have been completed at Te Kao, Parengarenga, in the far North ; at the Kaik, Otago Heads; Maungatapu, near Tauranga; Te Awahou, near Lake Eotorua; and at Whakarapa, Hokianga. New buildings are being erected, or are about to be erected, at Waimamaku, south of Hokianga Heads; Waioeka, near Opotiki; Kirikiri, near the Thames; Waitetuna, near Eaglan; and at Pouto, Kaipara Heads. The required sites for schools at Euataniwha and Earnoto, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, have not yet been given by the Natives; correspondence with regard to a school at the latter place is still being carried on. Arrangements for a building at Tangitiroria, on the North Wairoa, are not yet complete. The school at Pakia, Hokianga, has been reopened as a subsidized school; it seems probable that a fair attendance will be maintained there. The number of children at Paihia, Bay of Islands, was too small to warrant the continuance of a village school there; a capitation grant is now paid for the pupils still in attendance. A subsidy is given to a school established by the Maoris at Papawai, Wairarapa. The school at Omaramutu, which was closed some years ago, is about to be reopened; as there is a large population in the neighbourhood there is ground for hoping that it may now succeed. A side school has been established at Oruawharo, near Port Albert, Kaipara; this is to be worked in connection with the Otamatea school. The experiment is a rather interesting one ; should it prove to be successful it will'show that it is possible, when both the master and the mistress of a small Native school are competent to take charge of the main school, to provide for the wants of an outlying district by making arrangements under which a half-time side school may be conducted there by the master or the mistress of the main school. E. 2—l.