E.—2

10

It almost seems as if the parents of such children think that it would not be consistent with the principles of equity if the Native school teacher did not get a taste of their children's quality too. At least this is the only assignable reason for their being sent to the Native school. Mangamaunu. —The children of this district and their teacher were suffering from influenza and many of the young people were quite laid up. However, as many as possible were got together and inspected. Fourteen children went through the examination, and very creditable results were obtained. In spite of the children's illness they did much better than ever they did before. The teachers have been able to do much good to the Maoris, parents and children, belonging to this district. Wairewa. —Twelve children were present at inspection. Complaints had been made to the Department by some of the Natives with regard to tho instruction given here. These complaints must have been based on some kind of misapprehension ten out of the twelve children examined passed well, and the school gained a very high percentage. It is to be regretted that some of the Natives in the district, for superstitious reasons, withhold their children from the school, which might easily have a much larger attendance. Onuku. —Twenty-seven children were present at inspection. As has been pointed out before, the circumstances of this school are peculiar; it is nominally a Native school, but a large majority of the children in attendance are Europeans. Ido not see how the anomaly is to be got rid of. There is not room for two schools here, and the Government is to a large extent committed to the keepingup of a Native school for the few Maoris in the settlement. Under the circumstances it is gratifying to be able to report that the school is a very good one, that the Europeans in the district have no wish to exchange it for a Board school, and that the labours of the master and his wife are highly appreciated by both Maoris and Europeans. The examination results were very good indeed. The percentage was 83-56, and the passes were high and numerous, six Fourth and five Third Standard. Bapaki. —Twenty-one children were present. The attendance has fallen off somewhat, but here again, there is reason to hope, only temporarily The master has been removed to an important school in the North Island, his place being taken by another of our most successful teachers. A first-class master is to a certain extent wasted at a school where the majority of the children are young and the attendance is small. But the Eapaki people have always shown an encouraging interest in their children's education, and it is hoped that they will do their best to keep up a good attendance and to retain their new master Kaiapoi. —Thirty-six children were inspected. As usual, this school did remarkably well, it is one of the best in the colony. An unusually large number of high passes —twelve—was obtained, the percentage was good, too, in spite of the presence of a good many young children, who have been less than two years at school. Waikouaiti. —Thirty-eight children were present at inspection. It has been mentioned in previous reports that much more is done at this school than merely instructing the children in the standard work. The children receive excellent mental training here. The pupils, when undergoing examination, give the examiner the impression that they could do much better work than they are actually asked to do, and their knowledge is always found to be very sound and thorough. The teachers of this school are very enthusiastic about it, and their success is fully equal to their enthusiasm. Otago Heads. —Twenty-two children were present. Very satisfactory work was done. The prospects here are less encouraging than they were a year or two ago. The removal of Mr Taiaroa, M.H.E., to Taumutu, has caused some of the Natives to go away to other districts. lam informed, however, that there will be a fresh supply of pupils for the school by-and-by, as there are many young children at the Kaik besides, it is not improbable that some of the Maoris that have gone to Kaiapoi and other places will return after a while. In the meantime the European attendance is slowly but steadily increasing. On the whole there seems little reason to fear that the school will decline further. The late master has, in accordance with his own request, been removed to Eapaki. After eight years' hard work at the Kaik, a change will probably be beneficial to him. Mr. Lucas has done first-class work at Otago Heads, and he takes away with him the good wishes of all the pupils and the parents of the district where he has laboured so long and so successfully His successor is an efficient teacher, and will, no doubt, do his best to keep the school up to its present form. Port Molyneux.— Nineteen children were inspected. This school lost its teacher about the middle of the year. The principal drawback to the employment of unmarried ladies in Native schools is that, after they have become thoroughly acquainted with the work, they very readily leave the service. The late teacher succeeded so well here that her successor will have to work very hard in order to keep the school up to the standard of efficiency that it had reached. The present teacher is a good worker, though, and I feel sure that with a little more experience with the Natives, and additional practice in teaching, she will do very well indeed. Biverton. —Nineteen children were inspected. The master of this school would do himself more justice if he paid more attention to the requirements of the standards. Slavish adherence to forms and to mere standard work cannot be too strongly condemned, but every teacher should remember that, however much else children may know, if they have not mastered the standard work their knowledge must be defective, seeing that these standards require only the real rudiments of each subject to be mastered. Much good work, however, had been done during the year. The existence of a Native school wdthin a quarter of a mile of an excellent Board school is rather to be regretted, it is probable, however, that if the Native school were closed many of the Maoris and half-castes that attend it would not go to school at all. Besides, the Maoris are entitled to a school by the terms of an agreement made with them in former times. Buapuke.- —This subsidized school was not visited this year. The Eev J. F H. Wohlers, who has charge of this school, writes as follows "There are only seven children in the island old