E.—2,

8

yet. The spirit of old Maoridom is still mighty within the district. The Maoris are much given to hospitality, and have calls on their liberality that make them none too well off, in spite of their favourable position and abundant resources. The examination brought to light numerous traces of hard and successful work done by the two teachers and their pupils. Preparatory work was very good. Te Waotu (examined 13th March, 1899). —The site as a whole is made good use of, although some portions of it are weedy. The order is greatly improved. The parents show interest in the school, but not enough to secure regularity of attendance. Rabbiting here takes the place of gum-digging as a perturber of the attendance. It made the examination results disappointing, although the inspection work was better than it had been for many years. Hot Lakes District. Banana (examined 25th May, 1899). —The parents still take good interest in the school; they expect great things from it, and are not disappointed. All the children except the very little ones work with zeal and alacrity. At examination excellent results were secured. This school now fairly deserves to be called one of our very best. The success is all the more striking when contrasted with the defeats that we have experienced in this district. Kindergarten work could be well managed here, and it would be of great service. Te Awangararanui (examined 27th May, 1899). —The "preparatories" had been carefully taught, and showed well at examination. Only one failure of the older children that had attended regularly occurred, but the attendance generally had been poor. The Maoris are not altogether responsible for the irregularity; it is the hard conditions of Galatea life that mark out the limits of the moderate success attainable at Awangararanui. It was plain, however, that the removal of the school had been beneficial. It should be mentioned that famine had caused the school to be closed during the last quarter of 1898. Te Hoiihi (examined 30th May, 1899). —Here, as at Galatea and Te Whaiti, the school had suffered much from a three months' enforced vacation. This is one of the most secluded schools in New Zealand, and this fact partly accounts for the difficulty experienced by the pupils under examination ; they cannot readily catch the drift of questions. This is, however, hardly an excuse for shortcomings; it ought rather to serve as a stimulus, and as an indication that additional care should be bestowed on this most important matter. The examination results were poor, but the inspection results were rather encouraging. Te Whaiti (examined 29th May, 1899). —The people here are not used to European ways; they wish to have a school, and also to make it a sphere for petty tribal squabbles. However, the relations of Teacher and pupils were good. The results were small, but, considering the circumstances in which they were produced, I call them quite respectable. The Master deserved a much better school, and he has been appointed to one. Te Teko (examined 23rd May, 1899). —The site is now pretty well grassed; this holds, too, of Te Teko generally. For many years after the Tarawera eruption there was but little grass in the district. The school order is not very good, and there is a want of punctuality. The school is below the average in the matter of dress. Only one pass was secured. There were enough bright spots in the work to make one hope that next year's work might be better. The Teacher had, in the course of the year, suffered much from domestic affliction. Bay of Plenty. — Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, N.Z.G., S.M., District Superintendent. Paeroa (examined 17th May, 1899). —The interest of the Maoris in their school has revived, and they have mustered many pupils; the establishment of a " Pakeha school "at Te Puna has put the Paeroa people on their mettle. In the lower division the pupils were all young, and none passed ; higher up the work was satisfactory, and creditable to the teacher. Still better results will be forthcoming next year, all being well. Huria (examined 16th May, 1899). —After the examination it was recommended that this school should be closed. The children were all very young; three managed to pass the First Standard, and there were many traces of work actually done. It seemed useless, however, to give the school any further trial, for, either through the circumstances of the district or the apathy of the parents, children have hardly ever remained long enough at school at Huria to do any real good. The case is still under consideration. Te Kotukutuku (examined 15th May, 1899). —It is pleasing to find that the people of this isolated district are raising oats, wheat, maize, and potatoes for the Tauranga and Waihi markets ; this work is, of course, a powerful civilising agency. The alleged frequency of " witchcraft" is a less pleasing feature, but no doubt the superstition will disappear in time. The school is doing capital work, and requires only continuous care and judicious nursing to make it a complete success. The physical conditions of the school, the garden, and the sanitation are being very well attended to. Papamoa (examined 18th May, 1899). —Seeing that no passes were secured it will seem paradoxical to say that fair work had been done ; but this was really the case. The Teacher has had very hard luck; till within a short time before the examination work had had to be done in a cramped and altogether unsuitable building very difficult of access, and there had been an influenza epidemic of considerable severity shortly before the inspection took place. There should, however, be a really good result next year, if the Maoris give the Teacher the advantage of a good attendance ; they probably would do so if her bearing to them were somewhat more conciliatory. Te Matai (examined 19th May, 1899). —The Te Matai staff is exceptionally strong and good, and the inspection results noted were of a very high order. The examination work, too, was as a whole of a pleasing character, but the low average age of the pupils, and the fact that a considerable proportion of the children are somewhat less bright than the usual run of Maori children,