E.— 2.

Otamatea and Oruuwharo. —After working these schools together for some years, and after long and useful service under the Department, Mr. Robert Haszard has had to give up Native school work through ill health. Waitetuna. —The master of this school, too, has left the service. After making a very good beginning at Waitetuna, and doing a year's really successful work, he had to resign, owing to the ill health of his wife. Kirikiri.- —The holding of a Land Court at Kirikiri during five months had temporarily withdrawn the attention of the Natives from school matters, and there had been much sickness in the district. St. Stephen's, Parncll. —The number of boys on the roll at the date of the examination was thirty-four; all of these were examined; thirteen had previously passed Standard IV. The higher work done by these boys was very satisfactory. Of the remaining twenty-one boys, four passed Standard 111., three passed Standard 11., and six passed Standard I. The domestic arrangements continue to be good. It is hoped that before very long every boy attending this school will have an opportunity of learning how to use tools of some kind. The difficulties in the way of making such arrangements are great, but they are not insuperable. Probably the best plan would be to teach only one sort of work at one school; for instance, smiths' work at St. Stephen's, and carpentering at Te Auto. St. Stephen's is a good school, and it does a large amount of very useful work. Tauranga. —District Superintendent, Mr. IT. W. Brabant, R.M. Maunt/atapu. —After going through severe reverses caused by a very fatal fever epidemic, the school is now doing work that is very good as regai'ds both quantity and quality. Huria and Paeroa. —These schools, worked by a master and a mistress conjointly, have been very fairly successful. Unfortunately, the health of the mistress has broken down, and some new arrangement will have to bo made. Te Awahou. —lf the school could be kept going on for a year or two as it was at inspection time, capital results would be obtained. Ohinemutu. —Only four pupils passed, and two of these were the master's children. The extreme irregularity of the attendance makes the work most disheartening to all concerned. (I am pleased to be able to say that at a recent visit I found that great improvement had taken place. Through the support given by an efficient Committee, the master had been able to secure a regular attendance, and to do much more satisfactory work than had ever been done at Ohinemutu before.) Rotoiti. —A Land Court at Maketu, lasting some months, had had an injurious effect on the attendance, and consequently on the progress of the pupils. Lake Tarawera. —The teachers deserve great credit for the long-continued success of their school. The Natives were thinking of removing to llotomahana; but a thorough examination of the district has shown them that there is no j)lace near the Terraces at all suitable for a settlement of any size. In all probability, therefore, no removal will take place. (Since this was written, a removal, unhappily, has taken place, in a very dreadful way —one that has deprived the Native race and the Department of the services of one of the most enthusiastic, hard-working and successful teachers on the Native-school staff.) Maketu. —The attendance here has been extremely irregular. The Land Court was the main cause of the irregularity. Whakatane. — District Superintendent, Mr. R. S. Busk, R.M. Fort Galatea. —The new teacher seems to be getting on well; the examination results were small, but that is probably owing to the change. Te Te/co. —The discipline of this school is rather lax, and the results obtained are small. It is said that Te Kooti has a strong following here, and that his influence is exercised against the school. It is hard to see how such influence could produce the particular kind of failure noticed here. It may be fairly expected that next year's work will show great improvement. Matata. —This is a large school with a very regular attendance. As usual, change of masters was followed by an examination at which only fair results were obtained. Whakatane. —On the ground that work deserves payment, the Natives will do but little for their school without it. Of course, the children suffer through their parents' folly. JVaioeka. —The master of this school manages to get his children to prepare home-work for him ; this is rather an unusual thing. The active support of the School Committee enables it to be done. Omaramutu. —This is now a very successful and well-conducted school. Torere. —This also is a capital school. Omaio. —The new master is likely to make an excellent teacher when he has had some more practice and experience. The Natives here were most anxious that the Government should supply them and their children with food. Judging from appearances, there was no corresponding want of drink at the time of the inspection. Te Kaha. —It is very seldom that one sees a school where the documents are so well and neatly kept, and the schoolroom and appliances are so clean and orderly, as they are here.

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