E.—2

1890. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In Continuation of E.-2, 1889.]

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

No. 1. EXTEACT FEOM THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPOET OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. At the beginning of the year 75 Native schools were in operation, besides the four boarding-schools that receive pupils by arrangement with the department. The old school at Upper Waihou, after being closed for a year, was reopened in April, 1889, with a good prospect of usefulness ; it is now known by the name of Eangiahua. The school at Paihia was scarcely large enough at any time to justify its continuance, and it has been abandoned. The school attendance at Maungatapu has been absorbed into the younger school at Ngapeke. At Little Eiver the Native people live on such terms with European neighbours that on the death of the late master it was considered unnecessary to maintain a Native school any longer; and at Awanui the European children so far outnumber the Native that the department has thought it best to ask the Auckland Education Board to carry on the work of instruction there. As a result of these changes the number of schools in operation during the last quarter of the year was reduced to 72. The number has since been further reduced by the closing of the school at Te Oreore, in consequence of the apathy of the people of the place, and of the school at Mangamaunu, which the decline of population has rendered unnecessary. The department would have transferred the school at Kirikiri to the Auckland Education Board, but it was found unadvisable to persist in making the change, the Native people of the place being strongly opposed to it, and the site having been acquired under " The Native Schools Sites Act, 1880." The Auckland Board does not see its way to undertake the management of all the Native schools within the bounds of its district, except on condition of a special capitation rate higher than the statutory capitation allowed in the case of public schools. There seems, therefore, to be no urgent reason for disturbing the present arrangement. For the 72 schools there were 62 masters and 9 mistresses, with 23 assistant mistresses and 45 teachers of needlework. The salaries vary from .£6O to £235 for masters, from £80 to £165 for mistresses, and from £10 to £55 for assistants; the salary of a sewing-mistress is £20. The whole expenditure on salaries, and allowances for removal and other purposes, was £11,857 Bs. Id. for the year. The remaining expenditure of the year (£4,097 ss. 6d.) is made up of the following items : Books and school requisites, £444 19s. ; prizes, £224 12s. Bd. ; repairs and minor works, -£448 18s. 7d.; inspection and superintendence, including travelling, £681 os. 4d.; board of Maori girls in teachers' families, £33 ; grants to boarding-schools and travelling-expenses of scholars, £1,547 9s. 4d.; buildings, fencing, and furniture, £557 14s. lid.; sundries, £159 10s. Bd. A contribution I—E. 2.