NOTES ON THE REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1865 Session I, E-03

E.—No. 3.

NOTES ON THE REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF NATIVE SCHOOLS.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OP HIS EXCELLENCY. WELLINGTON. 1865.

E.—No. 3.

31 a. Gobst, after discussing the points in which the present method of distributing the yearly grant of public money to Native Schools has failed, sums up his suggestions under the following headings: —■ (a) Buildings, (b) Teachers' (European) salaries, (c) Books and teaching apparatus, (d) Food and clothing, (c) Careful inspection. He suggests that the Government should make its grants in respect of each of these items conditionally; (a) The buildings should be subsidized,' if in accordance with regulations as to number of beds and proper accommodation for a certain number (not putting three in a bed) &c. He says " five or six shillings a head would secure these benefits." (b) Teachers' salaries should be contingent upon their efficiency as seen in—-(1) Teaching ; (2) Feeding and clothing of the children ; (3\ Repair of buildings. (c) The manager of the schools should be made responsible for the safe keeping of books and teaching apparatus to be supplied by the Government. (d) Food and clothing should be subsidized by head money, contingent upon the proper feeding and general management. (c) Close and strict inspection to be the means of deciding the amount of grant in respect of the above. Mr. Gorst speaks strongly on the necessity of establishing " good models" for the Natives to imitate, in the form of primary schools. Until Native schools are numerous and efficient, Native colleges are an impossibility. Government money should always be paid to the real managers, (I conclude he means not to Hoards representing religious bodies,) and for specific purposes as given above. He speaks against the present system of Government aid, on the obvious ground that the total school expenses do not vary directly as the numbers which are the basis of the grant, and that therefore the system cannot work well. The Bishop of Waiapu lays great stress upon the necessity of maintaining central schools to supply teachers and clergy. The central schools must be fed, clothed, and housed from funds raised from " independent sources," (i.e., I presume from Government and Ecclesiastical bodies), but some portion at least of the food may be raised on the spot. In the other schools the Natives may be brought to assist largely. He gives as requisites for success in central schools — (a) Good men as teachers from (Missionary) central schools, (b) That Natives be required to set apart ground and cultivate necessary food, (c) That Natives find clothing, (d) That Government give a salary to the masters, dependent upon their diligence, and also upon the fulfilment on the part of the Natives of their engagements, (c) Lastly, he recommends that the master be overlooked : (1) By the Magistrate in respect of his punctuality of attendance to duty. (2) By the Clergy in the direction of instruction, it being premised that the Government will put forth a general scheme for the instruction which is to be given. The Bishop evidently contemplates that ecclesiastical machinery should be largely utilised, but if his system were attempted to be enforced in all cases, difficulties would arise on religious questions which are always mischievous. There can be no doubt that Missionary bodies present a machinery readily available for promoting education, and that it would be unwise not to make use of their agency. Practically the Clergy, as having the most leisure and being perhaps in many cases the best educated men in their districts, would take the direction of instruction into their own hands, and the people would gladly concede to them a privilege which they have not the same interest in exercising; but in inaugurating a system of education it becomes a serious question whether the Government ought directly to countenance religious differences to suit their own temporary convenience. The State ought, I think, to assert itself as Christian, but not to identify itself with any particular phase of Christianity. The difficulty seems to admit of solution by dealing in each individual case directly with the managers of the school, without reference to their creed. The plan at present adopted of giving money to religious Boards, on condition of its being used only in schools in connection with some special denomination, would seem wrong in principle, and is likely eventually to lead to considerable complication. In dealing with the religious sects, the State ought not to make itself sectarian, and the religious sects on the other hand ought in their relations to the State to meet it on common ground, as members of the same civil body ; at the same time the State is no doubt responsible for Christianity being taught, and through its inspector ought to take cognizance of religious training. In the matter of inspection especially it asserts its own impartiality, and the inspector, so far as he gives way to sectarian views, fails in his duty to the State. Mr. Carleton disapproves of the Government retaining the management of Native education in their hands, and also disapproves of the present system of working through Denominational Boards. He suggests, " induce the Natives to take the initiative ; make education a part of the runanga ; give lhe direction of it to themselves ; let them feel that it is their own work. Once conscious of being free agents they will take European advice and assistance as readily as Native assessors accept the opinion of the Resident Magistrate on a point of law." In another place he says, "as a first step towards

Mr. Gorst, 1861.

The Bishop of Waiapu, January 1862.

Remarks on religious question.

Mr. Carleton, April, 1862.

NOTES ON REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF NATIVE SCHOOLS.

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inducing the spirit of self-reliance, equal contributions from themselves either in money, land or labor, should be made an imperative condition of receiving Government aid." He suggests as the most important feature of the system the establishment of numerous day schools, the direction of which should in each case be in the hands of a Native —European teachers to be employed where necessary.— A paid inspector to give constant advice and assistance, and to report to Government.—A mid-day meal to be provided for the children. He thinks it would be unwise to let the Native boarding schools drop, but considers them as of secondary importance in the scheme. These schools, it would seem from all reports, have been hitherto filled with scholars of two classes —(1) Those in their first 'and earliest childhood ; (2) Those in their second and last stage of decrepitude. Time and money are wasted in maintaining these establishments as " Baby Schools," and it should be a condition of admission to these schools that the candidate should have passed through a day school. These boarding schools might, Mr. Carleton suggests, in the vicinity of Auckland, be with advantage turned into Normal schools, one for each denomination, for the training of Native teachers. The numbers to be restricted, and not less than twenty pounds a head allowed by Government: this sum, with endowments, ought to maintain them in comfort, luxury being the only sure antidote to the " crapulousness" of Native habits. The Normal schools he considers of primary importance as a means of preparation for Holy orders. The ordination of a single Native Deacon after thorough preparation goes further towards the peaceful maintenance of British rule than a smattering of education bestowed upon scores of children. Messrs. Hunter Brown, and Henry Taylor's reports call special attention to the loose way in which returns of attendance are made up under the present system, illustrating the imperfect working ofthe plan of head money. They also notice the " inadaptedness" of the books used to teach English to Maoris. Their report, in common with all others, agrees upon the desirability of appointing a permanent inspector of Native schools. Mr. Taylor, in a further report of July, 1862, states that considerable dissatisfaction prevails with the present system of distributing money through separate religious Boards—they are accused of having " Pet Schools," and neglecting the outlying districts. A central Board representing either the Government or the denominations, and having a Government inspector for adviser as to the requirements of the several schools, would, he says, be more acceptable. He states, but does not give the data upon which he founds his estimate, that an annual sum of two thousand five hundred pounds would be required, independently of the sum given as a capitation grant for building purposes and teachers' salaries. This report contains many valuable suggestions on matters of detail which do not bear directly upon the question of the best system to be adopted by the Government, but the incidental remarks go far to shew the hopelessness of continuing the present system. Mr. Taylor's report in 1863 gives very unsatisfactory results of the present system, and insists upon the inadvisableness of paying over to Boards the whole amount of money due to the several schools in connection with the various religious denominations. It would be far more satisfactory if the payments were made directly to the managers. It appears that a considerable portion of the grant in each year has remained unexpended in payment of capitation money, and has been expended in improving buildings. There remained in the year ending £ s. d. June 1861 ...... 2097 6 6 „ 1862 ...... 2423 4 0 Total £4520 10 6 In the year ending June, 1863, about five thousand pounds was claimed in capitation money. A consideration of the reports of the different inspectors seems to lead to the conclusion that the circumstances of different districts and different schools are so various that any Act which attempted to lay down definitely a principle and conditions upon which Government aid should in all cases be given, would fail in its object, or at least be only temporary in its operation. " The Native Schools Act" has not worked satisfactorily, so far as I can judge from the Inspector's reports, from an attempt to prescribe too narrowly the mode of distribution of funds. Independently of the principle involved, on which there may well be a diversity of opinion, the provision that all schools must be in connection with one of three religious bodies is arbitrary, and not unlikely in some cases to defeat the object of the Act. Mr. Gorst's, Mr. Taylor's, and Mr. Carleton's reports all go to shew that this working downwards from central bodies through colleges to primary schools is a faulty plan. As has been proved in the case of European schools in the Colony, this system always leads to the neglect of outlying districts. The primary schools should have the first attention, and the only way of successfully promoting these schools must be through local agencies in each individual case, and the only way of making schools effective will be by creating an interest in them among the Natives themselves ; hence, as Mr. Carleton shews, action must be made to spring from them, and Government aid must only be made supplementary to local exertion. Mr. Clarke's Native education scheme which, in many points, coincides with Mr. Taylor's opinions, seems to indicate the machinery which is available for the purpose. He suggests that a Board be formed in every district, consisting of the Civil Commissioner, the District Magistrates, and such gentlemen of the district as may be deemed proper by the Government, and that they should have the appropriation of the school funds. He further proposes that the Government grant should be divided among the districts in proportion to population. He also recommends definite proportions in which Native efforts should be subsidized —the Natives to build school-house, the Government to find windows, &c., the Government to give ten pounds per annum for teacher's salary, the parents to supply two day's work or food per month. Mr. Clarke's suggestion as to the formation of District Boards seems to point out the first step towards the establishment of an educational system, but in addition to the Magistrates and others whom he suggests, a certain number of Natives should be members elected by their own people in the district. These Boards should every year make an estimate in detail of the sum required for the maintenance of the schools in the district and for the establishment of new schools ; they would also

Messrs. H. Brown and Henry Taylor 1862.

General conclusion from reports of Inspectors.

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make a full statement of the condition of the schools and of their plan of operations for the ensuing year. The Government would, through its inspector, satisfy itself of the correctness of the information given, and would also have the power of requiring that certain portions of the grant should be spent on any object which might on his recommendation appear advisable. Mr. Clarke appears to insist too much upon definite conditions on which the Government grant should be apportioned. The District Boards being the centres of action, the practical organization of the schools and the future development of the system should be entrusted to them, and it would seem to be unwise to attempt to lay down any uniform rule as to conditions on which grants should be made. The apportionment of the grant to different districts should not be fettered by any predetermined rule, such as population or contributions by Natives, but should be made to meet the requirements of each individal case. Local Village Boards would spring up in the course of time under the District Boards, whose constitution powers and mode of action should be left to District Boards, subject to the interference in extreme cases of tho central controlling power of the Government. I would submit that the only essential and permanent features of an education scheme are—(l) Division into districts; (2) Formation of Boards ; (3) Active Government inspection, with power to organize and suggest measures to meet individual cases. This last point is really the key to success in whatever plan may be adopted. Nothing else can ensure a necessary amount of uniformity of system. I may observe that it is found in European schools in the Colony, and I believe generally, that Boards are not useful from any combined action which might be expected to issue from them, but only as inspiring a degree of public confidence, diffusing an interest in the undertaking, and forming a salutary check on the one individual who is sure to do all the work of the Board in each case. The central boarding schools would naturally continue under the control of religious bodies, and from these the Boards of the primary schools would draw their masters. The Government would help them according to numbers and other points as suggested by Mr. Gorst, not as propagators of special doctrines of the merits of which it cannot judge. It would deal directly with the financial managers of these institutions. The religious difficulty, as it is called, has really little existence, except in the minds of a few interested persons, and vanishes insensibly as it comes into contact with common sense and practical work. I am of opinion that if any legislation is brought forward, it should be of a general character, giving wide latitude in the administration of the funds which may be set apart for Native education; that it should deal broadly with the following points : — (1) Division into districts (perhaps the Commissioners' and Resident Magistrates' districts would be found the most convenient to begin with). (2) Formation of District Boards, consisting of not less than three nor more than nine persons, of whom the Commissioner and Besident Magistrate shall be " ex-officio" members, and with whom Natives shall be associated, in the proportion of not less than one-third of the number constituting the Board. (3) Aid to boarding schools in such sums and subject to such conditions as shall be determined after reports from the inspector. (4) The appointment of a permanent inspector, who shall report upon the points treated of in sections 6, 7, 8, and 11, " Native Schools Act," and advise the Government generally as to the distribution ofthe grant and the peculiar wants ofthe several districts. As to the amount of funds which would be required I would observe that the sum of £7000 would, judging from the expenditure in past years, be sufficient to appropriate for the ensuing year, and I would submit that an annual appropriation would be more likely to meet the real wants of the Natives than a permanent appropriation for a series of years ; the latter would not be made from a consideration of the real requirements of the case, and must be fettered in some measure with conditions which might be injurious to the object it was intended to promote. An educational system to be successful must be elastic, and must spring from the circumstances of the time and the people whom it is intended to benefit. W. Bolleston.

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INSPECTORS OF NATIVE SCHOOLS.