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(4.) Requisitions for books and materials are to be carefully prepared by the teacher and given to the Organizing Inspector at his second visit in eacli year. [Note. — The Department intends to have drawn up, shortly, a set of Wall Cards and of Reading Hooks for special use in Maori schools.] XIV.—HOLIDAYS. (1.) The following shall be observed as close holidays in all Native Schools :—All Saturdays and Sundays, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the 24th of May, the 9th of November, the week following the last Sunday in June, and the six weeks following the 15th of December. On all other days of the year the schools shall be opened, and the masters shall be present at their duty. In the case of the illness of the master, the sewing mistress shall, if possible, take his place temporarily. (2.) It shall be the duty of the master to make a record in a book (to be called the " Log Book ") of every instance in which this rule is transgressed, and to state the reason for the transgression. (3.) Under certain circumstances leave of absence may be granted to the master. This can be obtained only with the direct sanction of the Department. XV.—SCHOOL HOURS. The net time devoted to school work shall be four hours daily, viz.:—from 10 to 12 and from 1 to 3 There are to be no " intervals " either at morning or at afternoon school. XVI.—SCHOOL COMMITTEES. (1.) In every district there shall be a committee of five persons, elected annually by the parents of the children in the district. The committee-men shall all be Maoris or half-castes, unless it be otherwise allowed by the Government. (2.) The principal duty of the committee is to see that a proper average attendance is maintained at the school. (3.) The members of the committee shall assemble once a month for the purpose of deliberating as to the best means of keeping up the attendance at the school. (4.) The committee shall see that there is a proper supply of firewood for the use of the school, and shall arrange matters so that the schoolroom may be cleaned every night, and scrubbed out at least once a month. (5.) The school committee may, should occasion arise, forward to the District Superintendent any complaint they may have to make with regard to the school. The District Superintendent will transmit the complaint to the Department, if the matter complained of be of sufficient moment. It is no part of the duty of the committee to interfere with the teacher personally in any way. That officer has the sole charge of the schoolhouse, the residence, and the grounds, and is responsible to the Department alone for the general management of the school. XVII.—FALLING-OFF IN THE ATTENDANCE. (1.) If the attendance at a school should from any cause suddenly decrease considerably, or if after vacation the children should not at once assemble, the master shall at once rejiort the fact to the District Superintendent, who will endeavour to ascertain the cause of the falling-off in order that he may report the same to the Department. (2.) When the attendance at the school of a high-class master shall fall off, and it is found that such decrease has not taken place through the fault of the teacher, he will be removed to a better school as soon as possible, and his place taken by a teacher of lower rank. (3.) Should the average attendance at any school fall below 15, the Government may at its discretion close the school. XVIIL—NATIVE SCHOOLS MAY BECOME BOARD SCHOOLS. As soon as the Organizing Inspector shall report that all the children in a native school district have made sufficient progress in English to enable them to work for the " Standards of Education " with advantage, the Native School in that district may be transferred to the Board of the Education District in which the school is situated. XIX.—EUROPEAN CHILDREN AT NATIVE SCHOOLS. (1.) Where the parents desire it, there is no objection to the children of Europeans attending a Native School. In such cases, however, the master will bear in mind that the object for which his school has been established is the instruction of Maori children. He will let nothing interfere injuriously with this his proper work. (2.) In a mixed school the records of the attendances of. Maoris and Europeans are to be kept separate. XX.—FENCING. The Department will entertain favourably all proposals for the complete fencing-in of Native School sites, if the titles have been secured to the Government. XXL—INSPECTOR. The Organizing Inspector shall visit every native school twice yearly—once to examine the school and report upon it, and once for the purpose of organizing and improving it. In cases in which tha ■ school is difficult of access, the second visit may immediately follow the inspection. At least four weeks notice of an approaching visit of inspection shall be given. XXIL—DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT. (1.) A District Superintendent may be appointed to exercise supervision over several schools. The District Superintendent will visit each school twice yearly. At these visits he will take note