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subject should take a more practical form than the mere production of samples of stitches, many of which are not used afterwards. In many schools children are taught to make useful articles— handkerchiefs, pillow-slips, pinafores, blouses, shirts, nightdresses, and even clothes for small children. The teachers have not found any great difficulty in getting the parents to provide the material, and in cases where difficulty has arisen they have generously supplied it. Cutting out has been taught side by side with this work, and the patterns appear to be highly prized by the children who had made them. In one school I was assured that each girl who submitted a pattern for my inspection intended to make a dress for herself from it during the holidays. One difficulty has always to be faced in connection with work of this sort—the natural impatience of the Maori. Neither children nor parents can wait until the garment is made, and often trouble is caused on this account. It happens also that in most Maori settlements the sewing-machine is very commonly used, and one frequently sees even in the most isolated parts a woman seated working a machine placed on the grass before her. Maori people are not thrifty or careful by nature, and. the machine is driven at high speed without oil till it refuses to go; then it is put aside—" bust " is the word used to describe its condition. As we have hitherto done considerably more for the boys than for the girls in the matter of manual training, the Department has approved of the idea of supplying a machine to each of two or three of our largest schools where the extensive work of the teachers in sewing has deserved special recognition. It is hoped that the introduction of these machines will serve a twofold purposeviz., to enable the children to do their work more quickly, to the benefit of themselves and smaller members of the family, and to teach them the practical use of the sewing-machine and how to take proper care of it. Extra Subjects. —Singing, drawing and drill: Singing still continues to be very well taught in the greater number of the Native schools, and the sol-fa system is in practically universal use. Maori children seem specially gifted in this work, which forms in many of our schools a very enjoyable part of the work. In a few cases there is a tendency to harshness, arising from the desire of each child to make himself heard. This, of course, is a fault that should be checked, sweet singing being the goal to be aimed at. In some schools, also, the children, taking the pitch from the teacher's voice, sing an octave lower than their natural singing-voice, and consequently produce sounds like little old men. If a tuning-fork were used to give them the correct pitch this habit would disappear. To give an instance of what Maori children can do, I should like to make mention of the excellent singing at Whakarewarewa. The infant classes there sang four-part tunes in excellent style, while the singing of the seniors afforded me the greatest pleasure. Nor could one place the children at fault in their modulator exercises, which they sang without hesitation. There are two points further I should like to ask teachers to observe—(l) to teach the children the words of their songs, so that, being independent of song-books, they may attend to proper enunciation, and (2) to choose songs suitable for school-children. I must confess my dislike to hackneyed music-hall songs, especially in the case of Maori children. Drawing : There is still much to condemn in the drawing of many of the schools, and until we have a suitable course properly graded for each standard I am afraid that little improvement can be hoped for. Further, from the meagre amount of work one sees in the drawing-books, one can hardly conclude that the subject is taught, or even taken, with the regularity that the time-table would indicate. And yet there are schools where the children themselves enjoy the drawing-day almost better than any other day. This, of course, is evidence that there the subject is well taught. At Maraeroa, in Hokianga, the drawing is specially excellent, and shows what a degree of proficiency Maori children may attain when the subject is given its due by the teacher. I have, again to remark on the want of proper care of the books, which should be kept clean and collected after each lesson. The inculcation of the habit of neatness is not the least object aimed at in the teaching of drawing. Drill: The forms of drill in use in Native schools are such as are calculated to strengthen the physique rather than to produce military precision. Hence the drill consists of breathing exercises, free exercises, wand, club, and dumb-bell drill, with some marching and simple evolutions. The work of the schools as a whole may be regarded as satisfactory, and a gradual improvement is noticeable. In the best of our schools all the exercises enumerated above are done, and with a precision and vigour that are pleasant to behold. Here again the peculiar character of Maori children lends itself to rhythmic movements, which, where the work is well done, are very graceful indeed. In some of the schools, on the other hand, one gets very little else year by year than half a dozen exercises with wands, which become monotonous. The need of a special course of work suited to Native schools is manifest, and I hope before long to have such a course ready. In a very few schools, I regret to say, the subject does not get the attention it deserves; and 1 think the Department should consider whether it would not be advisable to begin school half an hour earlier on three days a week for the special purpose of physical exercises and drill. Indeed, there are many of our teachers who already follow this plan. lam glad to note that teachers have followed the suggestions made in last year's report with regard to the preparatory classes. These, as well as the elder children, now receive their lessons in drill. Of course, one cannot expect too much from them, yet they do fairly well on the whole. In two schools there are cadet companies under the regulations respecting public school cadets and the boys evince a keen interest in the work. Handwork. —The forms of handwork introduced into Native schools consist of paper-work; modelling in carton, cardboard, and plasticine; cane-weaving; and carpentry. In addition to these should be mentioned, as of recent establishment in one or two schools, cooking and practioal needlework. The majority of our schools take up some form or another of the occupations referred to, but there are still some schools in which payment by results—soon, happily, to disappear—precludes the introduction of what is valueless from a money point of view. The work that is done is very satisfactory, and I regret that I am unable to submit by way of testimony specimens of exoelr lent work in paper-mounting, cardboard-modelling, plasticene-modelling, and cane-weaving. The