E.—No. 9

The steady progress made by the pupils is most creditable to their teachers, who are most earnest and zealous in the discharge of their duties. This School is one of the few Native Schools that I can-pronounce to be in a satisfactory and progressive state. The School-house is a large raupo building in good repair. At either end are the dormitories, one for the boys and the other for the girls The mistress sleeps on the premises. Each dormitory is furnished with bedsteads. The grown lads sleep in the teacher's house, some short distance apart. The School-room has a large fire place, and is well ventilated and lighted. The pupils partake of their meals in the School-room, and make use of tables, spoons, plates, <Src. They have only two meals per day, which consist for the most part of pumpkins or kumeras and potatoes, supplied mainly by the parents. Only two tons of potatoes were grown on the School ground last year. One hundred aci'es were set apart by the Natives as a School Estate, but they serin averse, indeed, decidedly object to a legal transfer of the land. The pupils are insufficiently clad, having received since February last through Rev. Mr. Reid only twenty yards of dungaree and twenty-four yards of duck for trowsers. The supply since April, 1862, has been very limited. The parents furnish blankets and some clothes. Seventeen pupils are entered on the roll, of these nine are boys and eight are girls. Sixteen were present at inspection ; one absent from sickness. Division of Time. Half-past six to eight, a.m.—Prayers. Eight a.m.—Breakfast. After breakfast to two p.m. the classes gather firewood, peel potatoes, and amuse themselves. Two to six p.m.—School. Eight p.m.—Bed. The children now in the School, with one exception, are very young. Class L Reading (3rd Book Irish New Series), most creditable, pronunciation good. Spelling (words of two and three syllables), also creditable. Arithmetic (Compound Addition and Compound Division), two questions in each Rule solved by one with correctness and despatch. Tables (Multiplication and Money), all pei'fect. Writing.—2 very good, 3 good. Class II. Reading (latter pai-t of 1st Irish School Book,) very creditable. Spelling. —Not so good compared with their progress in reading, but satisfactory, taking into account the ages of the pupils and the short period they have been under instruction. The children in this class have not commenced to cipher on slates, bat evince great aptness and quickness in mental calculations. They attempt writing on slates. All are young and give promise of great ability. Class III. In letters and monosyllables. They are all new comers, received during the last month. The fair amount of progress attained by the pupils of this School, under a persevering and pains-taking teacher, shows what might be effected in other parts of the country if the Natives would only co-operate, and equally energetic and persevering teachers were forthcoming. The Natives are proud, and justly too, of this School. It is the happy and only promising result of the Native educational enterprise I have witnessed. I regret that the Wesleyan Board of Native Education has not given to this School the countenance or monetary support I consider it justly entitled to. Henky Taylor, Inspector of Native Schools.

AOTEA SCHOOL. Inspected 21th April, 1863. Having visited this School in May 18G2, I regret to state that I found no visible improvement either in the internal arrangement of the Institution or educational proficiency of the pupils. The same loose unmethodical way of doing everything is still adhered to, and a want of order and exactness is visible in every quarter of the Establishment. The teaching of the pupils, the general management of the Establishment, as well as of the farm, besides the actual manual labor required on the farm, all alike devolve upon Mr. Skinner, the Manager ; the consequence is that nothing is done efficiently. The Government, during the course of the year, advanced on my recommendation the sum of ,£75 to this School, which the Wesleyan Board of Education agreed to supplement by a similar amount. I entered into a distinct understanding with the Manager that the money so advanced was to be applied in procuring the necessary appliances for a Boarding School, and in pro-

6

NATIVE SCHOOLS.