7

E.—_

Fort Galatea. —This school has very considerable value as a civilising agency in a district where such a thing is greatly needed. The teacher's example, too, in making the best of a rather sterile soil and a rigorous climate, is of great use. Eor instance, the teacher has begun to grow wheat, and to use wheat-meal of his own grinding, and the Natives are following suit. The school work, which, of course, has its own importance, is very much better this year than it was last. Huria. —lu most of the districts around Tauranga the Natives are turning their attention to wheat-growing, but as the Huria people have very little land, their property having been confiscated after the war, they have still to depend on gum-digging, or they earn a precarious living by working about the town, and the elder children have very often to stay away from school to help their parents; hence numerous high passes cannot be expected at Huria. On the whole, however, a satisfactory appearance was made at examination. Paeroa. —A method, which is probably a new one and the teacher's own invention, is employed here with great success. At the close of a reading lesson given to a junior class, the teacher reads the lesson through herself, putting in all the characteristic Maori mispronunciations. The children criticize and correct the mistakes as she goes along, and are hardly ever at a loss in doing so. Generally the children work vigorously and with great interest, and the relations between parents and children are excellent. In school there are no traces of listlessness, whispering, or copying. Maungatapu. —Circumstances appearing favourable, a return to Maungatapu from Ngapeke was effected on the 31st March last. School work has been carried on there ever since, Many children have returned to the settlement, but outsiders from Karikari, Ngapeke, and Hairini are attending. The examination results were but scanty. It may be hoped, perhaps, now that the circumstances are so much more favourable than they were at Ngapeke, that satisfactory work will be done. No doubt the teacher will try to do it. Te Matai. —-As usual, excellent work was done at examination. The organisation is very effective and the time-table is original and indeed unique. Here as elsewdiere one is sorry to learn that the master incurs unmerited reproach because he keejDS things in good order. What is due in such cases to the master's systematic management and industry is attributed by unthinking people to the too profuse liberality of the Government. Maketu. —Through some misapprehension with regard to the rule relating to European pupils, the master presented several of these for a lower standard than that which they were really required to pass. Of course these children failed, and there was much disappointment. There should, however, be a fine crop of passes next year. The development of the phormium industry has had temporarily an injurious effect on the school, but has been very beneficial to the Maoris. Matata. —There was considerable commotion among the Maoris with regard to a proposed change in the management of the school. The new teachers appear to have made themselves so popular that by far the greater number of the parents are unwilling to part with them. The results of the instruction given were pleasing, especially when it is taken into consideration that the teachers' experience of Native school work has not yet been very extensive. Poroporo. —The state of matters at this school was very far from being satisfactory, but the conditions have been so very unfavourable and depressing that it would hardly be fair to hold the teacher responsible for it. There is every reason to believe that with a new teacher, new buildings, and a practically unlimited number of children, the Maoris will be able to keep up a very satisfactory attendance. Waioiveka. —The master of this school works hard and skilfully, and his educational structure is satisfactorily solid from the base upwards. In some incomprehensible way the weather here appears to have a peculiar effect on the attendance, and to produce at times rather startling fluctuations in it. Omarumutu. —I have seldom seen better Native school work than that done here by the Standard IV. pupils ; but the rest of the school was by no means equally good throughout, although every class did much good work. Had it not been for certain great gaps in the children's knowledge, the work would have been very good in all the standards. Torere. —The instruction given has produced tolerable results in the upper part and good results in the lower part of the school. Some disorganisation inevitably followed the deaths of Wiremu Kingi and his very promising son, Karauria, who were in their way real reformers, and very intelligent ones too. The pa is not quite what it used to be. Still the Native school work done has not been thrown away, and there is reason to hope that the Ngaitai will be able to hold fast the prominent position they have attained to through the ability and wisdom of their late chiefs. It is perhaps to be regretted that it has not been found possible, by making some little provision for her declining years, to prevent the widow of Wiremu —the mother of Karauria—from sinking to the position of an ordinary Maori huia. Perhaps, with our thorough-going commercial spirit and under our democratic institutions, it could hardly be otherwise. Haicai. —This small side school had to be closed, partly because of disagreement between the teacher and Maoris, and partly because the Natives discovered, somewhat tardily, that it was infra dig. to send their children to a school taught by a teacher connected with the school attended by the children of a hostile clan. Omaio. —The examination results were more satisfactory than any previously obtained by me at any examination whatever. The number of passes (19) is great for the size of the school, but it was the quality of them that was especially admirable. In subject after subject the children in Standards 11., 111. and IV., did so well as to make it difficult to believe that one was examining a school whose pupils rarely see.. Europeans or hear English spoken except by the master and his family. A large number of Natives attended and were greatly delighted with the children's success, which was palpable even to them. Te Kaha. —This is one of the schools at which an Inspector would feel particularly inclined to call in question the statement of those who say that " Native schools are a farce." Teachers and children—and iu their place, parents also—mean business, and do it effectively, and really there is