E.—2.

Writing. —The conclusions here stated have been reached through use of unsatisfactory methods. Experience began with the time-honoured method of letting children copy written or engraved headlines as best they could, with occasional extra lessons or lectures on the blackboard for exemplifying the errors into which young writers are prone to fall, the copy-book writing being treated as silent work. The course now recommended gives much better results; it is as follows: The pupils under one teacher are divided into three classes—to be reduced by-and-by to two when good progress has been made. For three classes there must be three blackboards. Three kinds of copybooks are used; these are blank, except that they are ruled with lines suitable for the kind of writing to be done. The kind of writing is not exactly prescribed at present, but it is hoped that a uniform Maori-school style of writing will gradually be developed. The handwriting will probably be nearly or quite upright, with the letters in each word strictly continuous, and a visibly current hand will be aimed at from the first. The method of conducting the lesson is as follows : The master may, if he wishes, have three copies set on the blackboard before school, all ready for the beginning of work. But it is better that the pupils should see the master set the copies, and only a very short time is wasted in securing this great advantage. The first copy is set on the board, that of the lowest (C) division ; dangers are pointed out carefully but rapidly. The class at once take up the work. The second, (B), copy; and the first, (A), are then set in the same kind of way. The master returns to the lower division and rapidly examines the work, notes the mistakes, and deals with them briefly on the board, and then directs the class to write the line again, avoiding all the errors just previously noted. B and A divisions are similarly treated. Then new copies are set for A, B, and C, and treated in the same way. After this there will be a third setting. Probably no more will be required at first, but after a time there may be four or even five settings. It is thought that the advantages of this plan are obvious. Three of them may be named : The lesson is interesting from start to finish; the children's minds are constantly directed towards improvement; the temptation to copy what has already been written is very nearly done away with. Composition. —The results achieved in English within the last year have done much to encourage those who have been concerned with Maori education. It is felt that the conversational work referred to above has been very useful in the way of making the teaching of young Maoris to compose in English much less difficult than it used to be. It is likely that it will prove to be a master key to open the way to all further solid progress if accompanied by the fourfold method laid down in the Native-school Primer, along with the reproduction of short stories, the writing of paraphrases of easy poetry, composition of telegrams, and the writing of short essays on familiar subjects; all of which kinds of work have their own utility. For children in Standards V. and VI. a little translation from the Maori into English can do no harm and may be useful if the English is good enough. Geography. —This is sometimes the dullest, but it may be made the most interesting of all Native-school subjects. It may be taught best by means of the concrete method, a method that is, in brief, a plan by which a structure on a mere framework or outline of knowledge may gradually grow to be a system of connected interlinked information, scientific so far as it goes—one might even say philosophical. If we took Standard 111. geography we could use as our basis the external boundaries of New Zealand, along with the positions of the straits, gulfs, and bays; this should be very thoroughly learnt. It might be called stage 1. Stage 2 should deal with the provincial districts of New Zealand, their boundaries and their relative positions ; it, too, should be mastered very thoroughly. Stage 3 would take in the four capitals and, say, eight other important towns and their positions, also a good deal of general information about them, including the mode of communication between them and other places. It is to be understood that these stages are to be gone over more than once—in fact, until they have been thoroughly mastered and well linked on to the previous stages. By-and-by it will be similarly linked with those below it. Stage 4 should show pupils how it is that the surrounding districts have been reconciled to the existence of these large towns, and have even come to be proud of them. Stage 5 might deal with the products of the various provincial districts, and the uses of these products. Stage 6 could bring to light the reasons that exist for keeping up the primacy of Wellington. Stage 7 could deal systematically with the products of foreign countries that are of interest to New Zealand, and with the routes and means by which these products reach us. Stage 8 might show the value of, say, a dozen of the principal rivers—or, rather, explain what it is that gives them their value. Stage 9 might deal with remarkable mountain-lakes and thermal phenomena. Stage 10 could familiarise pupils with facts and principles connected with the climate of New Zealand. Such facts, when firmly welded together, would prove to be a fairly complete body of knowledge concerning the land we live in. Stage 11 might be an appendix, showing in an elementary way how New Zealand is governed. Stage 12 should link us Europeans with the Maoris historically, and New Zealand Maoris and pakehas with the British nation. This would be a good year's work for an able teacher, but it could be done with fairly intelligent Maori boys and girls well up to their standard. The spirit implied here should pervade all geographical schoolwork. The work in the extra subjects — singing, drawing, and drill —has undergone great modifications since the year 1880. In many schools the singing is at the present time really good. It is generally taught on the tonic sol-fa plan. In two or three schools the children deserve to be called musicians; in most schools they can sing in parts. The drawing is not generally very strong. Mr. Bird, M.A., is doing a great deal to improve it. He has been able to expand the work in drill, and to introduce other physical exercises also. In many of the schools great advance has been effected in this highly important work. In fact, Mr. Bird has done much towards bringing it up to date. The same officer has also had charge of kindergarten and manual work ; and there are very few of our schools in which the highly beneficial influence of hard work, as seen in Mr. Bird's earnest efforts, has not made itself very distinctly felt. It is, I think, well

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