EXAMINATION OF NATIVE SCHOLARS.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 4, 30 April 1857, Page 7

EXAMINATION OF NATIVE SCHOLARS.

The Annual Examination of Scholars from the various Native Schools in connection with the Church of England Board of Education, took place at St. Stephen's, Taurarua, on the 28ih and two following days of the present month. Twenty-five pupils, male and female, were carefully examined by his Lordship the Bishop of New Zealand, assisted by an examiner appointed by the .'ilanagers of the Schools, in the various branches of education taught in the Schools wh.Te they had been instructed ; and it is but justice to say that they acquitted themselves most creditably. Some of the scholars came from the Hev. Mr. Maunscll'sschoolai Kohanga, YVa:kato ; others from the Kev. Mr. AshweJl's at Taupiri, and the remainder were pupils or the Rev. Mr. Xissling, at St. Stephen's School. On Hie last day of examination many European friends of the Maori people were present, including his Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Gore Browne, the Honorable the Colonial Treasurer, Colonel Wynyard, and many others, and afforded an opportunity 10 the scholars of shewing to the public that"the labour bestowed upon them by their teachers had not been lost. Most of them were able to spell and pronounce English words corlectly, and many to translate Maori sentences into English, writing and reading the translations. Nearly all showed themselves familiar with the first four rules of Arithmetic—Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Dnision, while some of the more advanced had mastered the ili rlcullies of simple and double Proportion. In Scripture History and Geography they gave proof of hexing had luo benefit of careful instruction missing very few questions put to them un-.ici these heads. Most ol ihcin could readily point out on the map, and name in English, the various countries of the world, giving their products, principal rivers, etc ' and indicating the different routes from

England Ho N'ew Zealand, overland and by I ea. " I j At the close of Ihe examination, ITis Ex", cellency requested ilie Bishop to tell llic | scholars that he was much pleased to see the progress ihey had made, and thai he hoped they would continue to advance, and io make good use of the opporiuniiies afforded them of acquiring the most valuable of all possessions—knowledge. We wish mnnv of our Maori friends could have witnessed this examination. We think it would have led them to prize education more highly than they now do, and to be niure anxious to procure ll for their children. Those who have the opportunity within reach will, in future, we hope, show themselves more careful to improve it. and grateful both to those who are engaged in the work of instructing their children, and also to the Government which contributes to the support of these schools. Once more we say to our Maori brethren —See that your children be instructed, j Suffer them not to grow up m idleness and ignorance. Where there are schools, send your children to them. Where there are j no schools, rest not until you get them. The | same kind of effort which is being daily put j forth to procure vessels, mills, horses, carls, j threshing machines and other things, at! present so eagerly sought after by ihe Mao-; lies, would procure the services -of the Schoolmaster. The land wliic.h lies waste and unpioduclive would, if cultivated, grow food for both teacher and scholar. The money now wasted in extravagance and upon trifles would purchase those materials required for building school-houses such as windows, doors, nails, etc., which the Maori cannot provide for himself without the help of the Pakeha Thelin.enow too often spent in idleness, gossip, profitless discussion, and works of no practical utility, would, if properly applied, be more than sufficient for erecting the necessary buildings, fencing and bringingunder cultivation enough landloproduce food for ihe support of a school. Were a fair proportion of labour, land, money, and time thus devoted, an applicationmightbereasonably made for assistance, if required, and we believe it would not be refused. We wish, however, to see the Maori .people take np the matter themselves, and show what they are able and willing to do for themselves, remembering the old proverb—

" A man values more, and uses more, that which his own hand has procured for himself, than thai which has been given him by another." Let not what has been said be thought unkind, or as implying undue censure. We are aware that some of the Tribes are giving attention to these matters, that they arc both alive to their wants, and preparing to provide for them in the proper way. This is >vell. Let, then, what we ha*e now snid be received as a word intended to stimulate and encourage rather than to find fault.