E.~2.

Bay of Islands, Whangarei, and Raipara. Kaikohe (examined 16th May, 1902). —This school was in a flourishing condition. Garden and grounds were very clean and pretty. The improvement in the order had been considerable, but what may be called the legitimate working-noise may still be somewhat reduced. The tone is very good ; children, parents, and teachers appeared to be working very harmoniously for the benefit of the whole. As the school had been at a low ebb for some time when the present teachers took charge there was a considerable amount of reorganizing to be done and of lost ground to be recovered. The results cannot be called good. The teachers, however, are evidently doing good work, and there is no room to doubt about their future success. Ohaeawai (examined 15th May, 1902). —The garden was not in particularly good condition. Also, the order in school was imperfect, and the ancient box on the ear was in use. The extrasubject work—except drill, which had improved considerably—was decidedly poor. Great improvement in the teaching was noted; kindergarten work and hand-work were pleasingly done, and the pupils were taking real interest in it. The inspection as a whole gave the impression that a very pleasing increase had taken place in the teacher's capacity to handle a class and to impart instruction, especially in English and allied subjects. Te Ahuahu (examined 17th May, 1902). —At the time of examination the master was evidently ailing, and a few months after he had to ask to be relieved from duty. The results obtained here were, as might have been expected, only small. Major Clarke showed considerable aptitude for the teacher's work in the direction of being able to state things with clearness and precision, and to make what he said interesting to his pupils. He had, too, satisfactory views about " driving home " what he was teaching. Had this officer taken up teaching when much younger he would probably have been a very good teacher indeed. Oromahoe (examined 19th May, 1902). —The garden and grounds look well, the length of time they have been in existence being considered. The time-table needs altering ; longer time should be devoted to English. Order is good. The pupils are somewhat shy, but fond of their work and their teachers. Elder Maoris show much interest. Not a great deal has yet been done with extra subjects. Plenty of intelligent English work and much hard "driving home" form excellent features of work at Oromahoe. In a school only thirteen months old many serious weaknesses could be fairly condoned. Lenient treatment, however, is unnecessary here; the school already bids fair to be a very good one. Taumarere (examined 20th May, 1902). —The building is not large enough for the work that has to be done in it; the lighting is execrable, and the ventilation is poor. The English work is insufficient; four half-hours should be devoted to English involving writing, and four to conversational work. The order and discipline generally were very decidedly good. Singing and drawing are fair; drill not so good. The teaching, done by Miss Cummings, was pleasing, and change of teachers and the shortness of the school year satisfactorily accounted for some weakness in the results. Improvement should somehow be effected in the building. Karetu (examined 21st May, 1902). —The whole establishment is very neat and tidy; trees have grown up, and flower borders and plots are in good order. Discipline is very good indeed. The extra subjects are satisfactorily done, but dumb-bell practice should be added to the drill. A typical English lesson was decidedly good, but still it did not quite hit the mark. It was rather a conversation between the teacher and members of her class than a discussion by the pupils, " personally conducted " by the teacher. The geography and the slate-work were somewhat weak. The results were, as usual, satisfactory. Whangaruru (examined 19th August, 1902). —The soil here is sufficiently poor, and gardening is difficult, but the teacher does his best. Buffalo-grass is being tried on the site with some success. The discipline is very fairly satisfactory. The people here take great interest in their school; also, the relations between parents and teachers are very good. Miss Patrick is a hard worker, and of great assistance to her father in managing the school. The results show that fairly good work is being done. Much more should be expected from the primer class in reading; the "roots" of arithmetic should be laid here, too. Poroti (examined Bth August, 1902). —The teacher had begun work only a few weeks before the inspection. The children are orderly, although the silence is not complete. Corporal punishment is used occasionally. The school tone is pretty good, although there is some want of attention to orders. It was pleasant to find that a good lesson .in English on conversational lines was given. The teacher had made an excellent beginning, and there was every reason to anticipate complete success. Besults were good. Takahiwai. —This new school is not far from Point Marsden, Whangarei Harbour. It was opened in the September quarter ; the working average for last quarter was twenty-six. Otamatea (examined 27th May, 1902). —The school-children have done much to improve the garden ; they have made it very pretty. The rule is mild and generally satisfactory, the order being very good. The Maoris speak very highly of the teacher and all her works. The pupils are very clean and neat. The results achieved were creditable to all concerned. The Committee have done their best, and so has the teacher, whose appointment to this rather out-of-the-way school has been more than justified. The methods in English and in writing require some strengthening —(1) Children must converse with one another under the teacher's jurisdiction; (2) they should not copy their own writing. Thames, Hot Lakes, Waikato, and King Country. Manaia (examined 22nd April, 1902). —The garden is neatly kept. School tone is very fairly good ; the only evidence of failure in this respect is connected with the irregular attendance. The chief faults noted in the teaching were—(l) neglect of the principle that sentences are necessary for complete answers; and (2) considerable want of "driving-home" work. It is noted that the teacher speaks to his children in Maori—a poor compliment this to his success in teaching them English. Generally, the lower school was good ; the upper not so good,

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