%.— _

8

not a trace" of farce visible anywhere. The results for the year, however, were not quite up to the usual mark ; the reason for this is to be found in the fact that a considerable number of the pupils who passed at the previous examination were rather too young to have a chance of passing a higher standard at the succeeding examination. Bdukokore. —The children present a remarkably neat and clean appearance. The contrast between their present and their original condition is extremely striking. The circumstances here are of such a character as to warrant the expectation of a long career of quiet success for this very isolated school. East Coast. — District Superintendent, Mr. J. Booth, B.M. Wharehahika. —This is a very interesting school. I gather from what the master and others say that the Maoris here arc not to be surpassed for general propriety of conduct. The school examination appears to be the event of the year; within an hour after the Inspector's arrival every soul in the settlement is at the schoolhouse watching with keen interest each step of the proceedings. When the time comes for the announcement of the final result the excitement really deserves to be called intense. The parents take rather too much interest in their children's progress. Failure on the part of a child is looked upon with a kind of grave displeasure, which is perhaps out of proportion to its occasion, but which tends to render the children morbidly anxious to do well at examination. Araroa (Kawakawa). —Here also there was a very large attendance of adult Maoris ; perhaps there were a hundred of them, and they all seemed to take great interest in the work from first to last. The children, too, work with great industry and earnestness. The general results are particularly good. The "extras" —singing, drawing, and drill—are all very well done. Bangitukia. —This is our largest Native school. It is hoped, now that the teachers have been entirely relieved of Tikitiki, that their joint efforts will make it also one of the best schools. Last year's results were rather poor, but they were obtained in the face of great and exceptional difficulties. In this connection it is only just to refer to the work of the previous year when Bangitukia, mainly through the efforts of the mistress, was eighth in the list of Native schools. Tikitiki.— -The state of matters here led the Inspector to make the following remarks : "It seems to me that considerable stress ought to be laid on the importance of allowing the children to hear as much English as possible. About a dozen of the pupils are quite young, and if they do not have the advantage of hearing a great deal of English spoken, it is hard to see what advantage they derive from attending school. On the whole the instruction has produced very poor results. It is quite clear that, through difficulties arising from wet w 7eather, bad roads, and the large attendance at Bangitukia, this school has had but scant justice done to it." Tikitiki is now a fully equipped school under a new master, and is bidding fair to soon take a satisfactory place in this our best Native school district. Waiomatatini. —The school had some weak points and some decidedly strong ones : defects in pronunciation of English, dictation work, drill, and general order were among the former ; good work in geography, slate-writing, drawing, and needlework were among the latter. Mr. and Sirs. Creeke have now been superannuated, and I gladly bear testimony to the untiring zeal and neverfailing industry of both teachers, who, at every school of which they have had charge, have gained the universal respect of their neighbours. Tuparoa. —On the whole the instruction has produced very good results, and the school is a satisfactorily useful one. The attendance was found to be so large and regular as to warrant the enlargement" of the building. The master, after achieving very considerable success here, has been removed to another school where the work will not be quite so hard on the mistress, whose health is none of the best. Akuaku. —This important school had unfortunately but a poor chance of doing well at examination time. This was owing to the fact that an industry, virtually new to the Maoris of this district, had been started here. When the Inspector arrived to examine the school it was found that hardly one-half of the children had returned. The children examined did very well, but it was plain that some expedient would have to be had recourse to if anything like fair treatment was to be accorded to the school and its teachers. It was finally decided, to give the school a place in Table No. 7in accordance with last year's examination results instead of this year's. In Table No. 6 the school is dealt with in the usual way. Tokomaru. —This school suffered even more severely than the previous one, because on the day of examination there was a very heavy downpour of rain. This and the grass-seeding work together almost emptied the school. However, what the Inspector did see of the work led him to believe that very considerable progress had been made during the year. The place of this school has been determined by means similar to those employed in the case of Akuaku. Wairarapa and Soicth Island Schools. Papaiuai. —The unexpected failure of the local saw-mill, which has been permanently removed to a place ten miles away, has damaged this school considerably. It seems to me, however that there is no reason to take a gloomy view of the prospects of the district. There is a considerable population here still, and energetic work under the new master would certainly secure a very fair attendance. The results obtained at the examination were pleasing. Waikaiva.— The late master's work was that of a thoroughly earnest man, always working intelligently and progressively ; his removal to a much larger school may be regarded as a decided step forward both for the Department and the master. The new teacher has been removed to Waikawa from D'Urville Island, iu which isolated locality he spent several years. Wairau. —There is still some want of proper appreciation of the value of carefully supervised silent work, but there has undoubtedly been some improvement in this important respect. On the whole there is reason to be satisfied with the work done. This school is partly supported by revenue from Native reserves.