E.—3

5

and are tenable by Maori scholars at Te Aute College. One senior and two junior Makarini Scholarships and one Buller Scholarship were awarded in 1922, there being keen competition for the senior Makarini and the Buller Scholarships. Disappointment is expressed at the small number of candidates from Native village schools competing for the Government junior scholarships or free places, and the obligation is impressed upon teachers of encouraging suitable pupils to enter for the qualifying examination. Senior free places are provided for boys in the form of industrial and agricultural scholarships, which enable the holders to be apprenticed to suitable trades, or to obtain agricultural training at Te Aute College. Two scholarships of the latter type were held in 1922. Senior free places for girls take the form of nursing scholarships. These scholarships have proved very satisfactory, a number of Maori girls having qualified as nurses and now being at work in the field. At the end of 1922 three scholarship-holders were in training. University scholarships are awarded to promising Maori youths who have matriculated, and are intended to enable them to take up a profession which will eventually prove of service and benefit to the Maori race. Three such scholarships were current at the end of last year, the holders studying medicine, law, and engineering respectively. Cost. The total payments made by the Department for Native schools during the year ended the 31st March, 1923, amounted to £69,631, being £8,019 less than in the previous year. The chief items of expenditure were teachers' salaries and allowances, £55,052 ; new buildings and additions, £2,642 ; maintenance of buildings, repairs, &c, £2,579 ; secondary education, £3,805 ; books and school requisites, £1,764. Reduced expenditure on new buildings and on the maintenance of buildings accounts for the greater part of the saving in cost effected in 1922-23.

No. 2. REPORT OF THE SENIOR INSPECTOR OF NATIVE SCHOOLS. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the following report upon the general work and conditions of the Native village schools, the Maori mission schools, anil the Maori secondary schools during the year 1922. New Schools, etc. At the close of the year 1921 there were 123 village schools in operation. During the year under review the Ohautira School, Raglan, which had been closed for some considerable time owing to the small number of children available, was reopened with better prospects, and the Te Kopua School, Waikato, which had remained closed for several years, was reopened at the urgent request of the people. The erection of the necessary buildings at Awarua, Bay of Islands, was completed late in the year, and the Department was thus enabled to establish a new school in the district. The Whakapara public school, Whangarei district, was transferred to the Department during tin; year for the purpose of being administered as a Native school. Four schools were thus added to the number in existence at the beginning of the year, so-that the year closed with 127 Native village schools in operation. In connection with, various requests for the establishment of new schools visits were made to Port Waikato; Makomako and Matakowhai, Aotea Harbour; Parinui, Wanganui River; and Oruawharo, Kaipa.ra Harbour. In the case of Port Waikato, Parinui, and Oruawharo the prospects were not sufficiently encouraging to warrant the Department taking any further steps. Buildings more or less unsatisfactory were offered as schoolrooms, but, as it is quite impossible to secure suitable teachers for places where accommodation is quite unsatisfactory, the requests for schools in tin; places referred to could not be favourably considered. With regard to Makomako, however, the number of children available is large, and as a suitable site has been offered the steps preliminary to the establishment of a school have been taken. The application for a school at Matakoivhai requires further investigation, as the people have not been able to come to an understanding regarding a suitable site On account of increased attendance, additional accommodation has been considered necessary at Nuhaka, Hawke's Bay, and at Te Teko and Poroporo, Bay of Plenty. Attendance, etc. (1.) Native Village Schools. In last year's report reference was made to the substantial increase which had taken place in the number of children attending the Native village schools, and it was shown that the roll number at the end of 1921 represented an increase of 314 pupils over the corresponding number of the previous year. Another substantial increase lias to be recorded for the past year. The roll number at the end of 1922 was 6,161, an increase of 339 pupils on the roll number at the end of 1921. Thus in