E.—2.

1894. NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION: NATIVE SCHOOLS. [In Continuation of E.-2, 1893.]

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

No. 1. EXTEACT PEOM SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL EEPOET OP THE MINISTEE OP EDUCATION. At the end of 1892 there were 63 ordinary Native village schools, 1 experimental subsidised school (at Waiomio), and 4 boarding-schools receiving Government scholars. The boarding-schools remain as they were. The experiment at Waiomio proved unsuccessful, and has been abandoned. Five ordinary village schools had been closed, and four new ones opened, before the end of 1893, the number being thus reduced to 62, two of which —Waitapu and Matihetihe—are taught by one master, with assistance. The village schools closed were Ahipara, on account of the apathy of the Native people, due, perhaps, to their pursuit of gum-digging; Otamatea, on account of the decay of the Native settlement, and Kirikiri, Tangiterona, and Matakohe, because the preponderance of Europeans seemed to render it desirable that the work required should be taken up by the Education Board. The new schools are at Otamauru, near Whakatane, Matapihi, across the water from Tauranga, Opanaki, m the Kaihu Valley; and Te Houhi, not far from Galatea and just within the Urewera country The average attendance at each of these schools in their normal state is between 30 and 40, but the latest returns show a small attendance at Opanaki, where fever had been rife, and at Matapihi there is a decline apparently due to the objections offered by an influential part of the scattered population to the Department's choice of a site for a permanent school. The school at Te Kao (north of Mangonui) is about to be reopened, Pukepoto was reopened m April, 1894. A new school was opened at Te Pupuke (near Whangaroa) in April, 1894, a smaller school at Parapara (in the Kaitaia district) in the same month, and a half-time school at Eawhia (subordinate to Eangiahua) in February The number of headmasters at the end of the year was 51, of headmistresses, 10 ;of assistants, 44, and of sewing-mistresses, 11 The salaries of head-teachers ranged from £71 to £184, and those of assistants and sewingmistresses from £50 to such very small allowances as £6 or £7 The expenditure in 1893 was £12,488 11s. 9d., made up as follows Teachers' salaries and allowances, £8,725 12s. 7d., boarding-school allowances (including scholarships) and apprenticeship, £1,452 Is. lid. ; buildings, fencing, furniture, &c, £669 13s. 7d.; repairs and small works, £413 17s. 10d., books and school requisites, £366 3s. 3d., inspection (including travelling), £773 16s. 10d., cost of lantern-lectures,,

I—E. 2.