5

E.—2

Botoiti. —During the last few years a great change has been coming over the Natives in respect to their feeling with regard to education. Formerly they were apathetic ; now they are keenly alive to the advantages resulting from education. It would be a matter for regret if the present opportunity of giving a considerable section of the Arawa Tribe a suitable education were not made good use of. The new master is popular, and is doing good work. For^ Galatea. — The business of the school appeared to be going on satisfactorily, but the results obtained were decidedly disappointing. Perhaps the master wants more experience in practical teaching. Paeroa. —This is one of the very best schools. The teacher's enthusiam is reflected in the bearing and work of the pupils. Huria. —Both inspection and examination elicited pleasing results. The school is evidently beginning to act as a civilising agency. The improvement is very gratifying. Ngapeke. —On account of technical difficulties in the way of acquiring a legal title to a site the work has to be carried on here under circumstances of a most unfavourable character, as the following extracts from the school log-book will show : —" July 2nd : Opened school to-day (after the holidays). Whare very dirty; odour very offensive—a dead Native having lain there for five days." Also, —" July 12th : Very heavy rain. Seventeen pupils present. The whare flooded with water; mud on the floor about an inch deep. Children procured pieces of wood to place under desks, and keep their feet dry." The Natives deserve great credit for keeping the school going under such discouraging circumstances. It would be a real blessing if Land Court operations were not quite so slow. Te Matai. —lt would not be easy to find a better or more useful school than this anywhere. Maketu. —The prospects of the school are much better than they have ever been before, and it is now doing satisfactory work. Matata. —The following extract from the log-book will give a good idea of the present position of this important school: "As the Roman Catholic Fathers are about to build a school shortly, and three nuns are coming to assist in the teaching, I really think it would be unwise to go to any unnecessary expense for school repairs, &c. Three-fourths of the children at present in attendance are Roman Catholics, and when they join their own. school they will leave me with an average of about ten, and no doubt these few will be induced to leave also. In twelve months from this date, I am afraid, this fine school will be closed." Poroporo. —This school, like that at Ngapeke, is suffering from difficulties in the way of securing a title. The prospects here are excellent; in fact, there is scope for a very large school. In the meantime, the arrangements are about as unsuitable as they could be. During the year, Mrs. Browne, the mistress of the school, being worn out by long constant attendance on sufferers in a fever epidemic, at last caught the disease, and, unhappily, succumbed. Her services, both as a teacher and as a friend and adviser of the Natives, w rere of great value. Waioweka. —lt is still a striking feature in this school that what the children know they know well. A very creditable appearance was made at examination. Omarumutu. —The work at examination was very unequal. Standard IV. English was decidedly weak. The comparative poorness of the results appears to be due to the fact that the children help each other freely. Work done in this way can never stand the test of examination. It is fair to say that the crowded state of the school is to a large extent the cause of the copying complained of. Torere. —The school passed a very creditable examination. The untimely death of Karauria Kingi, a young chief who gave promise of being a worthy successor of Wiremu Kingi, his father, one of the most enlightened and far-seeing of the great Maori chiefs, has been a great blow to this settlement. Hawai.— The school had been at work so short a time that it would hardly have been surprising if no tangible results had been forthcoming at the examination. This, however, was not the case ; several passes were obtained. Omaio. —The examination work was exceedingly satisfactory. A noticeable feature here is the thorough though unostentatious discipline. All school movements are executed quietly and with precision. Te Kaha. —This school also fully maintained its reputation as one of the very best Native schools. The Natives here and at Omaio nearly all take a very intelligent interest in the schools. Baukokore. —The examination results here too were extremely satisfactory, and very creditable tojthe master. There were, however, circumstances which rendered his removal unavoidable. A fresh start has been made under another master, and the prospects are again encouraging. East Coast. — District Superintendent, Mr. J. Booth, B.M. Wharekahika. —Good examination work was done. The public spirit of the committee deserves mention. On the Government undertaking to make good the sandy ground around the residence, they promised to do the same for the schoolhouse at their own cost. The mere promise, perhaps, would not be very much, but the work has actually been done. Kawakawa. —The examination showed that the teaching had been thoroughly intelligent and honest, and well driven home. There was still room for improvement in the pronunciation. Bangitukia. —It was surprising that in such an overcrowded building such good results could be obtained, especially with such young children. The mistress deserves great credit for the results achieved. Tikitiki. —This school is Worked as a side-school to Rangitukia. There is a great deal in the mental attitude of the children that gives encouragement, and it is evident that painstaking and thorough work has been done by the teacher. The weak spot in the work is the English, which is,