E.—2

6

Bay of Plenty. — District Superintendent, Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, N.Z.C., S.M., Tauranga. Paeroa (examined 13th July, 1896). —This is a mixed school. It continues to do very well. The magic-lantern work had been evidently appreciated at Paeroa ; the children had retained a satisfactory amount of knowledge of the subjects that had been brought before them. The Committee supports the teacher loyally. The examination results were very good indeed. Huria (examined 11th July, 1896). —The attendance is very irregular. The people are very poor, and their hospitality to numerous visitors of one kind and another tends to aggravate their poverty ; the general result is that satisfactory work may not be expected here. The examination work was, on the whole, discouraging, but there was sufficient evidence that good work had been bestowed on the school. Karikari (examined 10th July, 1896). —The attendance, although small, has been regular, in spite of the fact that the children have a long way to walk to school. The building is not satisfactory. It would be well if the Maungatapu buildings could be removed to a site which the Natives offer on the Te Puke Road. The results shown at the examination were poor. Te Matai (examined 9th July, 1896). —The teaching here is very thorough and painstaking. The teachers took much trouble about the magic-lantern exhibitions, giving most of them by day. The children retain a really satisfactory amount of knowledge of the subjects brought under their notice. The examination results were, on the whole, good, and in some directions excellent. Maketu (examined Bth July, 1896). —Good honest work is done by the children, and in a very hearty fashion. There are signs of interest on the part of the parents, but there is room for improvement in this direction. Failure of the crops has made it necessary for many of the Maoris to leave Maketu, and these have taken their children with them; hence there were many pupils absent from the examination. The results were not so high as usual. Matata (examined 9th June, 1896). —The order here is very fair; there is some unnecessary movement, with a little whispering, but nothing to prevent the doing of excellent work. The results were such as could be obtained only by teachers having great insight into and aptitude for Native school work. The top part of the school was really excellent. Te Teko (examined Bth June, 1896). —The civilising work done here by the master and his family has a very high value. When they came here they found a number of wild and particularly rough young people ; now they have around them a band of docile and well mannered children. There was reason to be well pleased with the amount of meritorious school work done in the course of the year. Otamauru (examined sth June, 1896). —The children work very well in the upper classes ; well also in the lower, but rather noisily. The examination results were very pleasing; much excellent work must have been done to produce them. Weakness appeared in the geography of Standard II.; the English of that standard—a large one—deserved high praise ;so did most of the arithmetic. Poroporo (examined 6th June, 1896). —A large hut was going on in the settlement, and many Maoris visited the school and watched the proceedings with interest. The examination work shown on this occasion was, on the wdiole, very considerably better than any previously submitted to me by the same master, and that is saying a great deal. Wai-o-weka (examined 9th April, 1896). —There had been a want of real interest in the school on the part of the parents. This had led to irregularity of attendance, and had greatly depressed the general tone of the school. Unless the apathetic attitude of the parents can be corrected, Wai-o-weka must soon lose its school. The examination results were fairly good, but there were no strong passes. Omarumutu (examined 10th April, 1896). —The Committee of this school has always worked hard and kept up a very satisfactory attendance. At a korero held after the examination the members expressed the greatest affection for their teachers. Evidence that good work had been done was forthcoming, but some of the branches need very careful extra attention. Torere (examined 11th April, 1896). —The children attend well, and settle down to their work in a business-like way. They work honestly, and behave properly. The people of the settlement show by the earnest support they give the school that they appreciate education highly. The results were fair, but there were no strong passes. The master's ill health during part of the year had hampered him considerably. Omaio (examined 13th April, 1896). —The pupils work in a quiet and orderly fashion. Class changes are made without disturbance. The population of this place is increasing, and the interest in the school is maintained ;it is, indeed, greater than ever. In spite of a falling off in some of the examination subjects, the results were decidedly good. Te Kaha (examined 14th April, 1896). — The peculiar but decidedly satisfactory relation established between teachers and parents still exists here, and the tone of the school is very good. In school and out of it the children behave themselves well. There had been a rather severe outbreak of fever in the course of the year. This, no doubt, had tended to lower the results, which, however, were, on the whole, satisfactory. Raukokore (examined 15th April, 1896). —There had been a large amount of sickness here, and, as usual, trouble and death had been busy in spite of the tohunga's practice of his profession—it would, perhaps, not be uncharitable to say in consequence of it. The examination results were, on the whole, excellent. During the year several of the elder girls have been instructed in cooking by the mistress. East Coast. Wharekahika (examined 20th April, 1896). —The school was reopened at the beginning of the year, after having been closed for several months. Of course, the results obtained were not entirely due to the new staff, but it was encouraging to find that the new teachers had been able to recover so quickly much of the ground lost through the closing of the school.