E.—2.

Matata (inspected 21st July, 1902). —The new teacher handles a class and a school well; with fair opportunity results of such teaching should be very satisfactory. There is, of course, much to be learnt yet concerning Maori capacities and shortcomings, but this will not take very long. The teacher has a quiet dignity of manner which is very effective. After consultation it was decided that no examination should be held. It soon became plain that there was as yet no material on which to operate. The teacher and the Maoris were already on excellent terms. Otamauru (examined 18th July, 1902). —Belations between teacher and pupils were found to be decidedly good. Perfect understanding between teacher and parents had not yet been secured. Capital work had been done in garden and grounds. The personal appearance and habits of the children were decidedly good. Teachers show here a most refreshing enthusiasm with regard to the school, its work, and the welfare of the pupils. The best Standard V. class ever examined by me here or elsewhere awaited me at this little school. One was a late pupil of Mr. Herlihy; the other two had been taught by Mr. Crene, junior. They all seemed to be invulnerable. The new teachers here give promise of being among our very best in quite a short time. The extra subjects require some looking up. Poroporo (examined 17th July, 1902). —At the time of the visit the teachers had not been long here. They had had some difficulties and prejudices to encounter, but they had certainly kept the school in good working-order. While the results secured are undoubtedly the work of their predecessors (removed to the Waikato District after a successful career), the new teachers deserve credit for having the school well in hand—so well indeed that it gives one the impression that its work is proceeding as if nothing in particular had happened. It was pleasing to find that the teachers, with the aid of the Organizing Instructor, had already learnt to give an effective English lesson of the kind especially required in our schools. Wai-o-weka (examined 15th May, 1902). —The teaching is thoroughly well given, and is on lines that are the result of careful thought. There is no observable general defect. The teacher has very competent assistance. The results were, generally, very good. From being a small and somewhat uncertain school this has become a large one, giving good promise of permanency. The European element is not considerable. The Maoris are drawn from considerable distances. Manual work is good. Plasticine work is excellent. Omarumutu (examined 17th May, 1902). —The results of the examination were fairly good, but they might well have been more equal. There is great lack of fluency in reading; also, the enunciation in Standard IV. is poor. The English was not strong anywhere, and was weak in the upper school. The arithmetic was fair, and the writing satisfactory. Dictation and spelling were not very strong. Geography was generally good, but the physical work was weak. Pronunciation was fair. Neatness of work was not remarkable. On the whole there had been a considerable falling-off since the previous examination. The master had been and was still very ill. This, of course, had put the school out of gear. No doubt it has long since recovered. Torere (visited 19th May, 1902). —Seeing that Mr. Moore, the master, had been very seriously ill, and had not been in the school at all for three months, it was deemed useless to hold an examination. Three months under a new teacher using the methods belonging to another system would necessarily be fatal to the children's chance of passing well. Since examination time Mr. Moore has done some work in school, but he has not been able to regain his health or his power of doing successful work. Hence the Department has lost his services. Mr. Moore has done much good work for the Department. Omaio (examined 20th May, 1902). —The teaching at this school is, speaking generally, clear and intelligent. English is well taught on the whole, except that there is in the oral lessons a tendency to make the word, instead of the sentence, the unit for teaching purposes. The examination results were good, except in arithmetic, which is decidedly weak here, and in reading, which is not strong. The extra subjects are well taught, except the book-work in drawing; singing and drill are good. The school-work proceeds quietly and in orderly fashion. There is some want of honesty in the work of the pupils; stringent precautions against copying are necessary. There are still visible traces of the last hakihaki outbreak. Te Kaha (examined 21st May, 1902). —The order and tone of Te Kaha are first-rate; also, the children are clean, except for a few lingering traces of hakihaki. The instruction is generally fairly up to date, although there is still room for improvement in the teaching of English. Teachers still seem to find difficulty in making the sentence, rather than the word, the basis of language; but that is the best and most probably the only truly good way. The first step is to demand that every answer shall be a complete sentence. It may be mentioned also that there is still some difficulty experienced in making it a rule to find how far each effort to teach has been successful —how far each child has grasped what it was the teacher's wish that he should grasp. The results generally are very decidedly good. The one weak point here is, unfortunately, the master's health, which has been far from good. Baukokore (examined 22nd May, 1902). —The results below Standard IV. were fairly good, but the improvements suggested at the previous examination had not been made. The principles that answers should be given in complete sentences, and that inexact sentences should never be taken as final seem in some schools very hard to enforce ; in others a little trouble and perseverance seems to do away with the difficulty. The assistant takes great and fruitful pains with her classes. The school continues to do good work under its master—who is a veteran, in several senses. His consistent, kindly earnestness has quite won the Maoris, and they speak of him. very affectionately. East Coast and Wairarapa. Wharekahika (examined 24th May, 1902). —This little school made an excellent appearance at examination ; the children are well-behaved and their attainments are good. The results generally were very satisfactory. The technique is really good ; only one defect was noted—the teacher did not quite ascertain that he had carried each child with him right through the lesson.

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