3

E.—2

had gone away— and partly through loss of interest in the school on the part of those who remained. It was closed at the end of the year.— Waitapu School, the oldest of the Hokianga schools, faded away gradually, and there can be little hope of its ever being resuscitated. Very few Natives are now living in the neighbourhood of the school. — Maketu, on the Bay of Plenty, ought to have been able to support a good school, but it failed to do so. The Arawa Natives are intelligent people, and it seems strange that they could not recognise the fact that a school is nowadays indispensable in a community that wishes to hold its own. The view has been stated that the Arawas are such great rangatiras that mere pakeha knowledge seems to them to be quite beneath notice. It is difficult to believe that such acute people could be so unwise. Uolac School went out of Native-school existence in a much more creditable way. It had become so European that the Department thought it desirable to transfer it to the Southland Board. This school did capital work as a Native school, and, especially during the last few years of its existence, it was a school that the Department had no reason to be ashamed of. Besides the schools spoken of above several others have been opened, either at the beginning of the school year 1898 or a little later on. Such are the schools at Te Kuiti, the present terminus of the Auckland- Waikato line; Opureora, on an island some ten miles from Tauranga; Kormiti, on the Wanganui Biver ; Whakarara, near Te Ngaere, Whangaroa ; Groiselles, in the Nelson District (a subsidised school); and Karioi, at the foot of Mount Buapehu. The school at Nuhalca, Hawke's Bay, will be ready in a few months' time. Proposals fob New Schools. Manukau. —This settlement is between Herekino and Pukepoto. The request for a school was declined. Facts adduced did not show that a Native school was necessary. Manukaewa is a nearly deserted settlement some miles from the Waihi goldfield. No case was made out. Maunu is a Maori settlement on the main road from Whangarei to Poroti. Its distance from the Maungatapere and Maunu Board schools is hardly great enough to warrant the establishment of a new school. If the Maunu public school could be removed to the top of the hill there would be little need for a Maunu Native school. The principal promoters of the Maunu proposal are Mangakahia men who understand that education is a thing to be valued and not lightly thrown aside. Among them is Ihimaera Poutai, for a long time Chairman of the Mangakahia School Committee. Motiti Island. —The request for a school on the island has been renewed. This now seems to be a rather good case. Ngakau-o-Hine Kuku is near the Napier-Taupo Boad. It is probable that its application and that from Te Haroto are either one and the same, or that the tw 7 o are very closely connected. Onewhero. —This is one of a number of Maori settlements on the left bank of the Waikato, beginning about three miles below the Tuakau ferry. A school for this district in a suitable position could hardly fail to be successful. The case is very strongly recommended. Oromahoe. —A Native school,was in operation here many years ago (in 1880). Progress with the application is blocked at present through non-receipt of reply from the Natives. Otamatea, Kaipara. —The reopening of this school has been strongly recommended. Circumstances have changed there, and greatly for the better. Peria, Mangonui. —This is another reopening case. A fair amount of success should be achieved here. The school would be a mixed one. Punawai, Head of Ohiiva Harbour, Bay of Plenty. —This is a very good application. There should be a fine school at Punawai. Putataka, Port Waikato. —This business is in the preliminary stage only. The Natives have not yet asked for the visit of an Inspector. Bamoto, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay. —There is here a large and rather populous Maori district in which Native education appears to receive but little attention. There should certainly be some provision made for Bamoto. If the Hawke's Bay Board could see its way to establish a school there, and if it could arrange matters so that the Maori children could cross the river and attend the Frasertown School, as Maori children attend the Wairoa School, every purpose would be answered. If this cannot be done it seems plain that the Department ought to take the matter in hand. Bangaunu, Waimate North. —A very interesting case. A school is wanted at the place on which missionary efforts were first put forth in the Bay of Islands district. It is intended that the school shall provide for the wants of all the Natives living in the valley of the Waitangi. Bangiawhia, Mangonui. —The Natives of this place appear to have good grounds for asking that a Native school shall be established in their district; but there are, it would seem, equally good grounds for believing that the establishment of a school there would very seriously (perhaps fatally) weaken two other school districts, one of which already has a school, while in the other the old school is about to be reopened. It is hard to see how to deal justly with such an application. Taharoa is close to Whakapara, the present terminus of the Whangarei Eailway-line. This is a capital case, but it seems that a public school would meet all the requirements better than a Native school could. Te Haroto is on the Taupo-Napier Boad. This application appears to deserve very favourable consideration. The place will be visited towards the close of the year. Te Waimana lies in the valley east of that in which Buatoki is situated. There is no good reason why a school should not be established here. The population is large and the land appears to be fertile. It is a very favourable case. Wai-o-tapu. —The proposed site is some distance from the Wai-o-tapu thermal springs, and it is not likely that the visits of tourists would interfere injuriously with the work of the school. It appears certain that Wai-o-tapu is a good field for our operations.