8.—2

2

The old schools reopened are at Ahipara (on the west coast of Mangonui County), Kopua (on the northern edge of the King-country), and Mangamuka (on the upper waters of the Hokianga). The average attendance (working average) at Kopua is 38, and at each of the others 37. At Pukawa (on the south-west shore of Lake Taupo) a school was built several years ago, but owing to very peculiar circumstances it was not opened till last December: it has an average attendance of 43. Hiruharama has an attendance of 48, and bids fair to become an important school. The new schools at Kawhia and at Taiharuru (near Whangarei Heads) may be said to owe their origin to the energy of their teachers, whose pioneer work the Department has recognised by giving them regular appointments: the attendance at these schools is 40 and 33 respectively. Mawhitiwhiti is noteworthy as being the only Native school yet established by the Department in the whole stretch of country lying between Wellington and Cape Bgmont. The influence by which the extension of Native-school work to this district has been hindered is well known. The attendance at Mawhitiwhiti is only 18 at present. Arowhenua is in the immediate neighbourhood of Temuka. The Education Board and the Temuka School Committee strongly supporting the often-reiterated petition of the Maori people, the Department has at last set up a Native school, where there is now an average attendance of 29. At the date of this report a large new school at Kuatoki (in the Urewera country) is nearly ready for occupation; another large building is in progress at Pipiriki (Wanganui River); the buildings of the extinct school at Rotoiti are being removed to a site at Te Ngae, where they have been long wanted; a tender has been accepted for a school-building at Te Whaiti (Urewera); and tenders will soon be invited for one at Kokako (Waikaremoana). Negotiations are in progress for Native schools at Koriniti (Corinth, on the Wanganui) and at Karioi (on the main line of communication between Wanganui and Taupo). It will probably be found necessary to build at Kawhia, and at Karikari; and the buildings at Te Houhi (near Galatea) and at Taiharuru are quite temporary structures. The expenditure on new buildings in 1895 was £3,077 10s. 10d. The expenditure on maintenance was £14,759 12s. 9d., accounted for as follows : Paid to teachers, £10,704 4s. Id.; books and school requisites, £504 ss. 4d.; lantern lectures, and lanterns and slides, £203 7s. 5d.; repairs and small works, £736 12s. 5d.; inspection (including travelling), £768 Bs. 3d.; sundries, £52 17s. 2d.; boarding-school subsidies, and scholarships, £1,790 os. Id. Now that five lanterns and a large supply of slides have been procured and distributed, there will be no expenditure for lectures, which will be delivered by the teachers. At the end of 1895 there were 57 masters, 10 mistresses, 60 assistant mistresses, and 13 sewing-mistresses. The salaries of masters and mistresses varied from £94 to £210, and the salaries of assistants and sewing-mistresses from £7 to £50.

No. 2. The Inspector of Native Schools to the Inspectob-Geneeal of Schools. Sib,— Wellington, 31st March, 1896. In accordance with the terms of your standing instructions, I have the honour to lay before you my report on the general condition of the Native schools of New Zealand, and on the work done in them during the year 1895. Numbbb of Schools. At the end of the year 1894 there were sixty-nine schools in full working order. In the course of 1895 six schools were opened, three were reopened, and five were closed. During the year, therefore—or some portion of it—seventy-eight schools were in operation, and at the end of the year seventy-three schools were open —viz., sixty-eight village schools (including two half-time schools), one subsidised school, and four boarding-schools. These numbers do not include the denominational schools that the Department has been asked to inspect and examine—viz., those at Matata, Waerenga-a-hika, and Otaki.