REPORTS ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4788, 27 July 1876, Page 3

REPORTS ON NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Amongst -the Parliamentary papers presented this session of the General Assembly is one containing the Reports-of Inspecting-Offi-cers of Native Schools in the North and Middle Island. There are in all eleven reports, together with a table., The first is from ' ■ Mr. W. B. White, 8.M., of Mangonui, who visited the Peria' school in January last. He found that the pupils had made considerable progress in reading, arithmetic, geography, and writing, and that they were ‘ 1 qnito as well advanced as children of an English,school of same ages.” They appeared neat and healthy, and Mr White passed some encomiums upon Mr. and Mrs. Capper, the teachers. It will be remembered that when his Excellency the Governor visited Mangonui, just prior to the meeting ot Parliament, the pupils of this school, to the number of about fifty, assembled to welcome him, and presented an address in English drawn up by one of the boys, and bearing the genuine signature of every pupil. Mr. White reports that the Kaitaia school was Improving; that, owing to the .indefatigable exertions of the teacher at Pukeputo, the advancement of the pupils becomes more noticeable at each succeeding visit; and that at; Ahipara prepa- . rations were being made to. erect a: suitable school building. The school at Parengarenga was in want of a teacher, and Mr, White thought the peculiar circumstances of tlm case required “ an elderly, quiet, humble-minded man, whose experience of life has taught him to be satisfied with little, as long as he .can be usefully employed.” , . , Mr. S. You Sturmer, of Hokianga, sends three reports, the latest on the 28th of April last. In December last .he reported that the total number of scholars on the rolls in his district was 239, consisting of .112 girls and 127 bovs,' with ah average attendance of 174. The Waima, Waitapu, Bakau Pura, Whirinaki, and Pakia schools were in a satis; factory condition. The children were rapidly acquiring a thorough knowledge of English. The native subscriptions ■ towards the maintenance of the teacher were paid regularly, and the advantages of education were fully appreciated by the teachers. On the 6th March Mr. Yon Sturmer reports the result of a protracted examination of all .the schools in the district, held at Herd’s-point. The competition was keen, and the . manner in which the children answered the questions propounded to them reflected credit upon the teachers. The discipline was found to' be excellent, and Mr. ■ Von Sturmer remarks that despite some drawbacks as to accommodation “ it would be very difficult to collect the same number of children attending European schools whose personal appearance and behavior could excel” that presented by the native schools. A boy named Kereama Tawhai, eleven years of age, grandson of the chief Mohi Tawhai, succeeded in securing. 302 marks out of a possible 350. Mrs. Von Sturmer and Mrs. Frazer examined the girls in sewing, for which a prize was awarded, and also for excellence in singing. The affair, was appropriately wound up with a ventriloquial and musical entertainment, given by Professor Jacobs, followed by a liberal distribution of sweetmeats. Mr. Von Sturmer anticipates the most, favorable results from these annual reunions and'Competitions. The last report, made in April, shows a slight increase in the number of pupils on the roll. The school fees contributed: during the year ending the previous -March amounted to £96 9s. 2d. The' progress of the schools was marked, the parents showed ah increased desire, to secure the advantages ot an English; education for. their children, and there was a marked improvement .in'respect to personal cleanliness at the various settlements. The' natives of Lower Waihou had voluntarily raised,£so towards the erection of a school.' ! Mr. H. W, Brabant, 8.M., Opotifci, reports on July 10, 1875, on the schools at Te Kaha, ■ Omarumutu, Opotiki, Ohiwa,' Whakatane, I Matata, Maketu, and Whareroa, the aggregate! number of: which on the rolls was 391, with a total average attendance of 226. . All these schools had made and were continuing to make satisfactory progress, notwithstanding that sickness had been so - prevalent as :to seriously diminish' the attendance. In translating colloquial English the pupils excelled, and in the various branches of elementary edu-cation-they had made, considerable advances. The schools in the. Lake district,'two ot which were temporarily without masters, were also in a satisfactory condition, . Mr. Brabant was able to make a still- more favorable report in January, 1876. He , visited tea schools, some of them far in the interior of the country, and examined the pupils, in the following branches; in all of which they exhibited satisfactory progress :— Beading, writing,' spelling, dictation, grammar, arithmetic, tables, weights and measures, geography, repeating poetry/the Catechism, and the Ten Commandments.:- At Ohinerautu the natives were induced to subscribe, a sum : of £SO towards Hie 1 cost of a schoolhouse, and set, aside a:-suitable site. Preparations were .on . foot for establishing a school at Buhirua,. on Lake Rotorua." ' Mr.,, J. Hi Campbell; B.M.', of Waiapu,' reports the resulta of an examination: of the school at Akuaku, . where ‘ “ the general proficiency of the scholars in reading, .writing,-and geography was really surprising.” They had> - made creditable advances in religious knowledge, .could repeat the Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments; in gbod English, were : able to point out all'the principal places on a map of the ,world, '’naming, at the same time, - the sovereigns, presidents, &c.: '< - - ; ' Mr. J, A- - Wilson, Gisborne, reports on the : condition of; the schools at Tokomaru, Tologa, 1 and Whakato. He.found the pupils creditably proficient in reading, writing, and arithmetic ; .the schoolrooms clean ; . the; arrangements or> iderly, and the interest in .education well main'tainod. At Whakato the natives, had, some time previously set aside a valuable block-of i land as an endowment, fpr, a school, which is r now yielding an. aiplfial revenue of; £4OO, and -they were supplementing this by subscriptions, Mr. ■ Wilson recommends the introduction-,of , English games-aiMpastime.s as a means of rendering'the schools popular and attractive, ~- ■ ' .Mr., Woon reports at (some length, on [the: educational;. condition pf. tjiq,motives,:.in, theUpper .Wanganui ..district.-,,i The,-.progress, of; the Iruharama. school .had been, somewhat rc, tarded by. (he jnigijatpry habits pfi.thejjatiyes,: bpt thp; .liberal,ai(i, afforcic.i by tjio .Govern;, ment/iyaa.'! producing ..benefipia},,results.,, (ThOSchool at jepusalpm„,uflder tjbe,.efficient,super-': Vislpp of Mr, rapidly improveingGlie .afjcqndanoe hayfaS• iri<?reftsed.. As-itpi jjhe- Pqrxjcug) pchpftl, sfx. , jrcppmpionda. a, modified,,[idardj)ig-,achool,system,, in, order .to. meet tlio’'wants of children i -ppfl)i»^-.irom.diaT ! tant.sottlemepts., A fresh, impetus,Twd bepn given . to'' thiS'School 1 by \ tha'.jdistriWtjpii pfiKdafor irtuTby an ehtecteiiirajefit, liberally provided by the local chief Kataraia.

Mr. Woon remarks;:l am not'without hope that, sooner : or 'later/ 1 the natives will du|y prize the matter of , educating thein offspring, and that some day,’valuable'aid will 'be 'ajiforded by them"towards the support' and improvement .of the ', educational establishments ■ started by . the ; New Zealand Government in their midst, and which have hitherto been so highly fostered by.-the department under the im-. mediate supervisiou and control ot Sir .Donald McLean.” Mr. : Woon'also remarks that where the attendance at the schools partly consists of European children,' the natives acquire a know-, ledge of English .more readily- than they other--wise would. He "gives-au- account of theexamination - of -a’..native .boy named Williams, spn of the late John Williams, a celebrated Wanganui chief, whp rendered di?-' tinguished services,to the,-Government during the war. The boy .read fluently ".from “ Phillips’s Fourth Beading Book,” recited the “Burial of Sir John Moore” in good English, besides other pieces, described various ocean mail routes, and explained the uses of the Suez Canal. The pupils appeared to have'ma<[e excellent progress in other-branches of elementary education, were 1 being insti’ucted in drill, singing and other, and the girls were instructed in sewing, - knitting,. culinary arts, ironing, &c,, the specimens of needlework being particularly good. The sum of £9 had been subscribed towards.the purchase of ,a. harmonium. " ■ . ■ ; : i The Rev.'J. W> Stack, of' Christchurch, reports' on .the state . of the :native. schools in Canterbury and Nelson. Ho estimates that out of a total of 500 children in 1 the South, Island who ought to be receiving instruction, about 250 ■ are attending the schools ; 'and, having regard to the opposition- offered by ,a considerable section of the natives;' he considers the , attendance ' satisfactory, .-Kerri Taiaroa, Irai Tihau, To Boreyaud other influential natives were-aiding the efforts of the Government in every way. He, however, suggests compulsory education as a means., of increasing the attendance at the schools, together with public competitions and the distribution of prizes. • - ' ■ ; I■ - Mr. H. J. Beeves reports on the schools at Kaiapoi, Waii-ewa, Wairau; Whakapuaka, and Motueka, which - were in a 1 satisfactory condition. In one instance a chief named Eli; who was an enthusiastic supporter, travelled twenty miles to bring five scholars. _ The girls were receiving industrial training in the shape of house-work, cooking, and sewing.Mr. A. Mackay adds a,memorandum upon the condition of the native school at Arahura, Westland, and suggests that an improvement would be effect ed by handing ovei the management of this school to the local Board ot,Education. A table is appended Shoiyiig that the fotal number on the roll at the Schools at Whakapuaka, Wairau (Marlborough), Arahura/ Bluff, ; Riverton, Buapuke, Taieri, Otago HetCds, Pura,kanui, Kaiapoi, and Motueka, is 209; of . whom 112 are boys, and 97- girls ; the attendance having increased - from A4s' in 1875 to 209 in 1876. ' , ‘ 1 11 ’ We conclude our review ot these reports with a feeling of peculiar satisfaction. They show that what has been accomplished,,and the strenuous' efforts now bring made,, give abundant promise of great _ success, and, ,o£ results the magnitude of which can hardly be ever-estimated. The system adopted-by the Government, though' sufficiently liberal, is judicious. The natives are hot encouraged to become paupers, but to practice hhbits’ of selfdependence. The lesson constantly kept before their view is that education is-a'boon that calls for some pecuniary sacrifices on their part. .It ought also to be borne’in mind that many of the above-mentioned schools now flourish in districts which only a few years ago were desolated by war, ; and could not ,be traversed except by troops. Indeed, sonm of them were the sites of deeds of barbarism which the mind shudders to reoal. Now all this is changed. The schoolmaster .is abroad ; rapine and devastation have given place.to the humanising influences of :education; . where soldiers and “tauas” mustered for the deadly conflict bands of healthy children assemble for the peaceful competitions of ■ the schools, and for invigorating pastimes and- social reunions. This is what all true friends of the native race will view with satisfaction, and desire to see fostered in every .reasonable way. "