E.—3

8

taken advantage of, and the Government provides a large number of scholarships or free places which are tenable at several of these institutions. 'These scholarships are awarded to selected, pupils, from the village schools principally, who possess the necessary qualifications and are considered, likely to receive benefit from a further educational course. In the girls' schools special prominence is given to needlework and dressmaking, including instruction and, practice in cutting out garments for the girls' own use, laundry-work, cookery and domestic duties, first aid and nursing, sanitation, cleanliness and personal hygiene, care and rearing of infants, and preparation of food for infants and for the sick. All the work is of as practical a nature as possible, and the girls take a large share in the work of the institutions, and thus put into practice the instruction they receive. Their physical and. spiritual well-being receives careful attention through the agency of good wholesome food, physical instruction and organized games, and religious instruction respectively. In the boys' schools the practical training takes the form of instruction and practice in woodwork, and. also in elementary practical agriculture and gardening. At Te Aute College and the LatterDay Saints' College special attention is given to agricultural work, including farming operations, which the boys actually carry out. At Otaki College attention is devoted to dairy-farming and poultry-farming. At St. Stephen's College woodwork receives special attention, and a large number of the boys attend the Technical School for instruction in metal-work. At Hikurangi College and Waerenga-a-hika College; practical work also receives attention. As in the case of the girls' schools, the physical and spiritual welfare of the scholars receives special attention. All the schools referred to in this section are subject to inspection and examination by officers of the Department, and, generally speaking, the work is uniformly good. During the year boys from these schools were successful in the public examinations. At St. Stephen's School quite a considerable proportion of the roll number is made up of boys from Samoa, Barotonga, and other islands in the Pacific. At the end of tho year the number of pupils in attendance at these; schools was 493—208 girls and 285 boys. Of this total 1.24 scholars were holders of scholarships or free places provided by the Government. Several pupils from the islands in attendance at these schools are holders of scholarships granted by the educational authorities of the islands. Scholarships. Provision is made by the Government for the following classes of scholarships for Maori scholars : (1.) Junior scholarships or free places. (2.) Senior scholarships or free places—(a) industrial scholarships (apprenticeships), (b) agricultural scholarships, (c) nursing scholarships. (3.) University scholarships. In addition to these scholarships there are scholarships founded from, private bequests—Te Makarini Scholarship and. tin; Buller Scholarship. The junior scholarships are available for pupils from Native; village schools, and also under certain conditions for Maori scholars from public schools. Of tho 154 free places available, 124 were current during the past year. The senior scholarships available arc limited in number. With regard to the demand for apprenticeships, not much progress is to be reported. At the present time three such, scholarships are current, the lads having taken, up carpentry. Maori girls who are qualified in every respect and are; anxious to become nurses may be awarded nursing scholarships. The purpose of such scholarships is to secure Maori nurses who will work among their own people. One girl is a day pupil at Napier Hospital; a either has joined the general Hospital staff. The University scholarships are; awarded to Maori scholars who having matriculated are desirous of taking up a profession which will enable them to be of benefit to their race. Six such scholarships were current at the end of the year —one (medicine), Otago University ; erne; (law), Otago University ; four (three law and one electrical engineering), Canterbury College. One of the university scholarships (law) is held by Miss Kiri Hei, of Gisborne. There were thus eleven senior scholarships current at the end of the year 1.923. The Te Makarini Scholarships are provided from a fund established in accordance; with the views anel wishes of the late Sir Donald McLean, and in memory of him. The scholarships are of the annual value of £35, and the successful candidates are required to attend Te Aute College. The examination, which is conducted by the Department at convenient centres in the first week in December each year, is based upon a syllabus of work in English, arithmetic, geography, Maori, and general knowledge (including New Zealand history, health, and religious knowledge). For the year 1923 two scholarships were offered for competition, one senior and one junior scholarship, the senior scholarship being open for competition among Maori lads from any school, the junior scholarship being reserved for competition among boys from the village schools. For the senior examination there were seventeen candidates —nine from'Te Aute College and eight from St. Stephen's School. For the junior examination theroTworo ten e;andidates—four from Whakareiwarewa Native School, two from Parawera Native School, three from Wharekahika Native School, and one; from Kaikoho Native School. In the senior examination the highest marks were gained by Walton Davis (St. Stephen's), 69 per cent. ; Wharewhiti Cotter (Te Aute), 68 per cent. ; Henry Atatu (St. Stephen's), 67 per cent. ; and June te Moana (St. Stephen's), 66 per cent. In the junior examination Wharetutu Corbott (Whakarewarewa) gained 67-5 per oent. The senior scholarship was awarded to Walton Davis, and tho junior scholarship to Wharetutu Corbett. '""] In last year's report opportunity was taken to direct the attention of the Native village schools to the lack of candidates for the junior scholarship, and the view was expressed that teachers who did not, encourage eligible candidates to compete for the scholarship were neglecting their plain duty.