E.—2

10

re-translation and much criticism of the more usual errors, and this must bo continued until easy Maori or English sentences can be translated off-hand without mistake. In the very best schools, the degree of excellence indicated has been attained to; there seems to be every reason why it should be made the standard for all. Proposed Modifications of the Native-school System. Now that every department of the public service is undergoing modifications of a more or loss extensive character, it may be worth while to make a suggestion with regard to the manner in which it seems to me that the Native-school system ought to be dealt with. Owing to the remoteness from civilisation of the great majority of the Native schools the work done by them is exposed to much misrepresentation by people who, through lack of sobriety of judgment and absence of regard for exactness of statement, talk at random. It is often said by persons of this class that Maori education is a farce, and that the money spent on it is quite thrown away, and so forth. lam inclined to think that it is very undesirable that the statements of such people should go for more than they are worth, and recommend the appointment of one or two trustworthy Commissioners to visit two or three of the more populous Maori centres and report the results to the Government. If this wore done, I believe that it would become apparent that it would be inexpedient, at all events for some time to come, to seriously interfere with the schools themselves, even though it might be necessary to modify the external arrangements by which they are controlled. I make no attempt here to answer the statements referred to above. There are now nine of my reports in your hands, and they are my answer to these and similar statements. I have, &c, The Inspector-General of Schools, Wellington. James H. Pope.