E.—2

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that a well-managed school is not a bad thing), make this hold a very prominent position among Native schools. The attendance, however, has of late been allowed to become rather irregular. Tuparoa. —The instruction given has produced really good results. The teacher is making very satisfactory progress both theoretically and practically. Ahuaku. —lt would not be easy to speak too highly of the work that has been done here during the last two years, or to over-estimate the credit due to the teachers for effecting a thorough transformation in the character and habits of the great majority of the Native children. Tohomaru. —The reopening of this school has been thoroughly warranted by results. After experiencing some little difficulty, arising from change of teachers, the school is now well on its way towards complete success. Wairarapa. — District Superintendent, Mr. S. von Stunner, B.M. Te Oreore. —As soon as a site can be obtained some kind of suitable school building should be provided ; the present arrangements are simply intolerable : they have been sufficiently described in previous reports. The teacher lacks neither industry nor perseverance, but ho has never had a chance, much less a fair chance, at Te Oreore. Papaioai. —Very useful work is being done here both for the Maori and for the European population. Lately there has been a large increase in the attendance. South Island and Stewart Island. D' Urville Island. —Most of the children are very young; it is hoped, however, that, under the more favourable circumstances now existing, it will bo found possible to produce very tangible results at the next examination. Waihaiva. —The attendance has improved somewhat. The examination-results were of a satisfactory character. Wairau. —Some additional strength in arithmetic would have given this school a very good place indeed. Mangamawm. —Bad weather and some negligence on the part of the parents tended to bring about irregular attendance; this, in turn, appears to have been the main cause of the extreme poorness of the results. Kaiapoi. —The attendance was very irregular, and much unwonted apathy has been shown by the parents in consequence of unfavourable circumstances of an unusual character. No doubt the school has by this time returned to its normal condition. BapaM. —Most of the children at this school are young, but the school's character for great efficiency was nevertheless very fairly maintained. The Department is about to lose the valuable services of the Rev. W. S. Lucas, the master of this school, who for thirteen years has been doing Native school work which, on the whole, has been unsurpassed by that of any other teacher belonging to the staff. Onuku. —The proposal to hand the school over to the Board elicited strong opposition on the part of the Natives, who at once set themselves to secure a satisfactory attendance of Native children, in order that Onuku might still have a Native school. So far the effort has been successful. I think, however, that this should be a Board school. Wairewa. —There is every reason to be satisfied with the appearance made by the school at the inspection. Waikouaiti. —The honest work done resulted as usual in the school's making a creditable appearance at examination. The old scholars here show their attachment to the-school by voluntarily taking their turn with the present pupils in scrubbing out the school-room. Port Molyneux. —Satisfactory results were obtained here. No doubt they will be even better next year, seeing that the examination was the first that the teacher had seen. (Jolac. —This school is still doing very useful work. The apparent falling-off in the results is owing to the fact that many of the European pupils now attend a Board school some distance away. The Neck. —As a civilising agency this school has great utility; the literary work done by it is on the whole very satisfactory. Boarding-schools. These schools form a very important part of the Native school system. As the annual cost of them is considerable, it is perhaps necessary that clear proof of their utility should bo adduced. Seeing that the Native schools are English schools only to a very limited extent, —because the children attending them, though they receive very careful instruction in English, pass the greater part of their time amidst Maori surroundings, live the Maori family life, and have but little contact outside of the school with European custom s,—the influence brought to bear on Maori children by these schools is almost entirely external. The children learn something about European ways, but they do-not learn the ways themselves. In order that they may receive real training in the European mode of life, and have the European customs and modes of thought engrafted into their nature, Maori children must for a time live as Europeans. All that can be expected from the village schools is that the Native children w:ho attend them shall grow up to be fairly-educated Maoris, having such a knowledge of the English language as will fit them for holding intelligent communication and for transacting business with Europeans. If any real transformation of character is to be effected, such as will make Maoris capable of really coalescing with Europeans, and of gradually becoming fitted for the European mode of life, this transformation must bo effected by the agency of boarding-schools or some similar means. To this it might perhaps be objected that, as the cost of educating a boy at a boarding-school is, on the whole, about four times as great as the cost of educating him at a village school, the country ought not to incur the extra expense. The reply to this is that the number of children that can be sent to boarding-schools is not very large, and that it is not necessary that a large pro-