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not quite good enough to insure a speedy return of pupils after the holidays. The examination of the school took place on the 6th December, account being then taken of the excellent singing, drawing, drill, and needlework shown at the previous inspection. No less than four girls passed the second-year examination ; the arithmetic papers given in deserved special mention. Of the four girls of the first-year class only one succeeded in passing ; the weakness appeared mainly in the English. It is pleasing to note that the paper-work of both the senior classes is improving. In the three junior classes the work was, as usual, very good indeed ; only three out of eighteen showed any weakness at all, and of these three only one required indulgence in order to pass. It should, perhaps, be noted that the work of the upper school is relatively much harder than that of the lower, and that it would be futile and unfair to expect similar percentages of passes in the two divisions. The work throughout was very satisfactory. The Protestant Native Girls' School, Hukarere, Napier. —The inspection of this institution took place on the 20th February, 1899 ; forty-seven girls were present, the number on the roll being fifty-one. Attention may, in the first place, be directed to the state of the flower-garden, which was very pleasing. This was partly due to the previous favourable weather, but very largely to the interest taken by one of the teachers in developing a taste for flowers and the culture of them among her pupils. This is a very small matter, some may be inclined to say, but it really means eesthetic culture, which may have far-reaching effects on the minds and lives of the girls subjected to it. The extra subjects are effectively taught : singing, drawing, and drill are all very good. Dressmaking is attended to by the Headmistress with pleasing results. Without discrediting in the smallest degree the work of previous teachers, who, indeed, have to a very large extent made the paths smooth for their successors, I may say that there is good reason to expect excellent work from the present staff. The examination of Hukarere was to have taken place on the 6th December. When this date was reached there were fifty cases of influenza in progress, and the examination had to be deferred till after the reopening of the school in 1900. The Native Boys' Boarding-school, St. Stephen's, Parnell, Auckland. — The inspection took place on the 23rd February, 1899, and the examination on the 10th May, 1899. The number of boys on the roll at inspection time was forty; the highest attendance in the course of the year was forty-nine. The discipline here is good : the order has been improved in the junior class, and it is now good throughout; there was only one record of corporal punishment, a case in which it was likely to be of real service. With regard to the general tone it may be remarked that there is no jarring at all; the boys are docile and very industrious. The freehand drawing of the seniors is particularly good; the juniors are using Marcus Ward's "Oriel Demonstration Sheets," with good effect. A rather difficult part song was pleasingly sung; also, the pointer was very well followed. Musical drill and gymnastics were both good. There is not room for the smallest doubt that the health of the pupils has been greatly benefited by the physical education given them. Much of the industrial work done here has been done with the view of improving the place rather than as a means of giving the boys technical skill, although this aim has not been entirely neglected. I paid what attention I could to the technical work, properly so called. The workshop in which this is done is not quite so convenient as it ought to be, but it may answer the purpose. It can accommodate two boys working, one boy looking on, and the instructor, Mr. J3utterworth. There is reason to believe that more satisfactory work is being done now that definite arrangements have been made to prevent the carpentry instruction from being temporarily thrust aside in favour of work far less important from the educational point of vifew. On the whole, there is now, I think, only one important feature in the St. Stephen's teaching that needs any modification: there should be considerably more spoken work than there is. All that is done with the pen is good, most of it is very good ; but the boys who come to St. Stephen's from outlying village schools still need somewhat more viva voce practice than they usually get. At the examination three boys passed the second year's test, and four that of the first year. All the seven candidates passed Standard IV. All the five candidates passed Standard 111. Two passed Standard 1., and the others were beginners. The examination percentage was 93-14; this result speaks for itself. The Native College, Te Aute, Hawke's Bay. —The inspection of the College was held on the 13th February. It is but rarely that one hears that anything inconsistent with good school-tone has happened at Te Aute. "Boys will be boys"; but this excuse is hardly needed here. With reference to the extra subjects, I may say that the College has an excellent cadet corps. Provision is made for about sixty-five boys. The singing is taught to two independent divisions. Drawing seems to receive but little attention at present; that is, I think, to be regretted, for Maori boys can be taught to draw really well. The seniors do a satisfactory amount of technical work. The carpentry book is an interesting record ; entries show that " all-round " teaching is given : e.g., 18th October, " Two boys sharpened a plane beautifully to-day " ; 22nd September, " The dovetailing takes a great deal of time, and when a false cut has been made the whole work has to be done again." Side-lights of this kind are valuable to one who wishes to form a correct estimate of the character of the work done. The following notes with regard to the methods were taken on the spot: The second master gave two lessons to the senior division : the first of these dealt mainly with questions of percentages and problems involving them; throughout there was a striving after perfect clearness of thought, and the expression of it, that was quite successful and very pleasant to see. The other lesson was in Latin composition; here there was careful analysis, followed by satisfactory synthesis, the principal object being in each case the finding of a middle step between the English and the Latin. I noticed that the boys were not always quite correct in their quantities. The Headmaster gave a thoughtful analytic and illustrative lesson on a portion of "Hamlet." At the examination, which was held on the 7th and Bth December, 1899, it was found that of the nine boys examined in Class 11. none gained less than 50 per cent., the work being very uniform and good, and also satisfactorily neat. Class I. showed work of similar quality, but less advanced. In