8.—2

2

of the great Tainui canoe; and the school asked for at Parawera, near Kihikihi, formerly King Tawhiao's settlement. Similarly we might refer to the Tuhoe country, where progress on the whole has been satisfactory. On the other hand, as pointed out by the Inspector of Native Schools, the extensive district connected with Parihaka is still closed to us. At the two boarding-schools for Maori boys there were, at the end of 1898, 117 boys, of whom 25 were Government pupils; and there was a like number (117) at the girls' boarding-schools, 53 being Government pupils. The number of industrial scholarships in force at the close of the year was seven, the holders being apprenticed, three to saddlers, one to a blacksmith, one to a carpenter, one to a coachbuilder, and one to a farmer. Two girls were holders of hospitalnursing scholarships; one Maori youth is going through his university course at Canterbury College. Since the beginning of 1899, two former pupils of Te Ante have commenced their medical course at the University of Otago. Interesting details in reference to the Te Makarini scholarships are to be found in Mr. Pope's report. Sixty-two out of the eighty schools in operation on 31st December, 1898, were under the charge of masters, and eighteen under mistresses; there were besides 63 assistants, and ten sewing-mistresses. The salaries paid to the headteachers range from ,£lOO to £248, and those for assistants and sewing-mistresses from £7 to £50. The expenditure on Native schools for 1898 was as follows: Teachers' salaries and allowances, £13,192 lis. 4d.; books and school requisites, £560 17s. Id.; repairs and small works, £406 19s. 7d.; inspection, £855 13s. lid.; boarding-schools and scholarships, £1,822 lis. 5d.; buildings, fencing, furniture, &c, £5,584 15s. 5d.; sundries, £167 17s. id.: total, £22,591 ss. lOd. Mr. Pope's report (Native Schools, E.-2) gives fuller details on the points referred to above, and on other matters connected with Native schools. The examination results for 1898, given therein, show that 518 children in Native schools passed Standard I.; 334, Standard 11. ; 226, Standard III.; 148, Standard IV.; 31, Standard V.; 10, Standard VI.: total, 1,267.

No. 2. The Inspector of Native Schools to the Inspector-General of Schools. Sir,— Wellington, 31st March, 1899. 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 1898. Number of Schools. At the end of 1897 there were seventy-eight schools in full working order ; at the end of 1896 the number had been the same. In the, course of 1898 seven village schools were opened, one being a subsidised school. No school was reopened, and none was closed; but one was transferred to the Auckland Board. During the year, or some portion of it, eighty-five schools were in operation, and at the end of 1898 there were eighty-four schools open—viz., eighty village schools and four board-ing-schools. These numbers do not include the denominational schools that the department has been asked to inspect and examine—viz., those at Putiki, Otaki, Waerenga-a-hika, and Matata Convent. Changes: New Schools opened and Schools reopened or closed. Te Kuiti Native school was opened in the March quarter of 1898. So far it has been quite successful. Further reference to Te Kuiti will be made later on in this report.— Te Kotukutuku, Koriniti, and Whakarara Schools were also opened in the March quarter, all in very favourable circumstances, and with good success; these will be more fully commented on by-and-by.— Karioi School, some eight or nine miles from Mount Buapehu, was opened in the June quarter. This school will not be a very large one, but there is good ground for hoping that it will be exceedingly useful; reports received with regard to it have been encouraging; the teachers have set to work with great earnestness and enthusiasm.— Nuhaka School was opened in the December quarter ; recent reports show that the school is going to have a large attendance, and that the Natives are taking very great interest in it. —At Whangarae, Croiselles Harbour, Tasman Bay, a subsidised school was established in the June quarter; further reference is made to it later on. The school at Opanaki was transferred to the Auckland Education Board in the December quarter. Through the ill-health of the master and other contributing causes this school, after