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E.—2

Changes: New Schools opened and Schools beopbned ob closed. In March operations commenced at Arowhenua, near Temuka, South Canterbury. There seems to be every reason to hope that success will be achieved here. The school has long been needed.—An experimental school was opened at Kawhia, on the west coast of the North Island, in June. There are many Natives here, and it is quite time that they should again have an opportunity of getting their children educated; their former school was closed during the war. It is expected that buildings will by-and-by be erected here on a suitable site.—Hiruhararna, about eight or nine miles inland from Aku Aku, on the East Coast, was opened in June. The existence of this school is mainly due to the persistence of the Maori chief Tuta Nihoniho, and his desire to confer a real and lasting benefit on the people who acknowledge his chieftainship. Owing to the inland position of Hiruharama it is possible that the school may have difficulties to encounter in the first year or two of its existence, but there is every reason to anticipate eventual success.—Mawhitiwhiti is in the West Coast district, about three miles from Normanby. A fair beginning has been made here, and it may be hoped that when the Maoris of the district find that the school has no political significance whatever, except such as is involved in the tangible expression of a desire on the part of the Government to do them and their children good, they will probably begin to make full use of the advantages it affords. Their experience will show them very soon that the school is practically very beneficial to them. It is true that the establishment of the school was, and was intended to be, an experiment, but the intelligence of the West Coast Maoris must be of a much lower order than that of the other Maoris if they allow it to be an unsuccessful experiment.—Pukawa is situated on the southern shore of Lake Taupo, whence it commands one of the finest views in New Zealand. It was opened in December last with very good success; more than sixty pupils have been enrolled. A school is very much needed in the neighbourhood, but the difficulties to be contended with are very considerable.—The people of Taiharuru, near Whangarei Harbour, asked for assistance, and the Department undertook to subsidise a school that they had tried to establish. The experiment was made, and so far it has been successful. It seems probable that a school of from twenty-five to thirty children may be maintained here. The school at Ahipara, near .Beef Point, was reopened in March. There appears to be a prospect of its doing well, but the attendance is neither so large nor so regular as it well might be.— Kopua, near Alexandra, on the Waipa, was opened again in September. A very good start has been made here too. —Mangamuka was reopened in December on a new and more convenient site, and it has a very fair attendance. All these reopenings have been granted in compliance with urgent requests of the Maori people interested. The school at Aku Aku, after maintaining a more or less precarious existence for many years, was finally closed in May last. The removal of the people inland to Hiruharama was the cause of the decay.—Pouto, Maungatapu, and Wharekahika were closed on account of the falling off in the attendance. The last-named was reopened at the beginning of the year 1896.—Eawhia was handed over to the Auckland Education Board at the beginning of the year. Very good work was done at Eawhia, but the school was in all respects " white." New Schools and New Buildings asked foe oe in Peogeess, and Proposals for reopening Schools that have been closed. Awawaroa, near Kaiwaiwai, Wellington. —Application was made for a school here, but as it seemed that only ten Maori pupils could be forthcoming the application was declined. Karioi, near Buapehu, —A rather small but very useful school could probably be maintained here if the Natives combined to secure its success. Koriniti (Corinth), Wanganui River. —This is a very promising case. The settlement is about forty miles up the river, and may be considered the most convenient that could be chosen to serve as centre for a group of six settlements, some of them of considerable size. A suitable site has been selected, and will probably be acquired shortly. Manukau, near Herekino. —This is another place that might perhaps support a small but useful school. Pipiriki. —Preparations for building here have been for some time nearly complete, and it may be hoped that within a few months school work will have been commenced. Bakaumanga, Waikato River. — Some day there will probably be a good Maori school at Bakaumanga, but the people are not yet so far agreed, or so much in earnest, as to be able to offer a suitable site. Banana, Te Ngae, Rotorua. —The Botoiti buildings, rendered useless on their original site by the departure of the inhabitants of the principal settlement, are about to be removed to Banana. There should be a good school there. Buatoki. — The buildings are nearly ready, and there is great reason to hope that there will be a very flourishing school at Buatoki. Taumarunui. —It has not been found possible to do anything at this remote settlement, or at Pukerimu, which was proposed as an alternative locality for a school. Te Kuiti, King-country. —Application has been made for a school at Te Kuiti, but a request for the names and ages of the children that would attend, and a description of the school site that it is proposed to give, have not yet been sent in. Te Ngaere, Whangaroa. —The Department is waiting for survey of site. It should be possible to maintain a useful school here. Te Whaiti, Urewera Country. —The building of a schoolhouse has been sanctioned, and a site has been secured. The school will be important as an outpost. Waikare Moana (Kokako). —Here, too, a site has been obtained for an outpost school, which should be of great utility.