E.—2.

the schools dealt with above there are eleven other Native schools not taken note of in this enumeration; of these, three were closed temporarily and eight have been opened only recently. Besults, as shown by percentage figures, have in them elements of chance when merits of schools are in question. But a school that makes 70 per cent, is generally a very fair one ; one that makes 60 per cent, is not necessarily a poor one. Boarding-schools, etc. Under this heading is to be found a brief statement of the facts connected with the inspection and examination of the four Native boarding-schools in the course of the year 1902. There are given also abstracts of the reports on the Church of England Mission Schools at Putiki, Otaki, and Waerenga-a-Hika, and on the Convent Native School at Matata. There is also information with regard to the annual examination for the Te Makarini scholarships, which are provided for from a fund established by Mr. B. D. Douglas McLean, in accordance with the views and wishes of the late Sir Donald McLean, and in remembrance of him. These scholarships, it may be said, have exercised an important and highly beneficial, although mainly indirect, influence on the Native schools of New Zealand. They have also been instrumental in bringing to the front many able young Maoris who would, without the aid of these scholarships, very possibly have had no opportunity of showing their capacity for the work of helping to mould the future of their people. St. Joseph's Boman Catholic Girls' School, Napier. —The inspection took place on the 25th March, 1902. The total number of children inspected was forty-nine. The average attendance of Government scholars for the four preceding quarters had been 2285. The records were in good order. As is usual here, the buildings, including outhouses, and furniture were in good order ; there was at any rate no insanitary condition of an obvious character. Garden and grounds were neat, and likely to give pupils good impressions as to what the surroundings of a homestead might possibly be made—in a word, to give them high ideals. Twenty hours a week are here devoted to subjects other than needlework and extra subjects, including manual and kindergarten work, which receive very satisfactory attention ; singing, drawing, and drill are all pleasingly done. The order is good. What noise there is is that of bees at work, and not the result of effort to kill time. The school tone is really admirable. The girls have learnt to work hard and with interest —a most important factor in the utility of their residence here. All seemed healthy and contented. The usual discussion and exemplification of method formed an important part of the inspection — possibly with useful resuits. The examination took place on the 10th December, 1902. Of Government pupils, three passed Standard I.; six, Standard 11. ; five Standard III.; three, Standard IV. Five passed the examination for the first year ;of these, two were good and one was very good. Twenty private pupils passed, including two second-year girls —both were very fair ; and one first-year pupil, who was good. It was pleasing to note that the English of the elder girls had greatly improved. The English of the juniors was very strong. The needlework was particularly good this year; some of the stitching and oversewing work was really exquisite. Also, the hand-work had been done with great success ; the scheme covered much ground. Plasticine work is to be taken up at once. In future none are to be admitted as Government pupils unless they have already passed Standard IV. Hukarere Protestant Girls' School, Napier. —The inspection took place on the 24th March, 1902. The total number of girls inspected was fifty-four. The school documents were in good order. The average attendance for the four previous quarters was 4796. This school takes twenty Government scholars. Garden and grounds looked well, although the season was far advanced ; a tennis-court was being made. With regard to the time-table, it could be said that it was a matter for regret that more room for hand-work had not been found in it. The juniors do plasticine and brush-work. The subject was on the table, but there should have been more of it. The only indication of defect in the school tone was the dilatory way in which pupils returned to school after the midsummer vacation. This defect has now been corrected by means of a strict rule on the subject. It may be remarked for the information of the junior teachers here that in the case of young Maori children it is not the amount of ground gone over that is of the greatest importance ; it is rather the thoroughness with which the ground is worked. Ten lines of a reading-lesson will, if well mastered, be of far more value as progress-producing work than a hundred lines of mere perfunctory reading. The results of the inspection were decidedly satisfactory. There was here a strong staff working in the best kind of spirit, and there seemed every reason to hope that there would be a successful examination at the end of the year. It remains to be said that the drawing and drill are good; the singing is very satisfactorily taught by Mr. Sharpe, of the Cathedral. At the examination, which took place on the 9th December, six children passed Standard I.; seven passed Standard 11. ; two passed Standard III.; five passed Standard IV.; six children passed the first-year examination—one fairly well and one very well. The examination work of this class seems to show that there is reason for insisting on higher attainment in English and in spelling at some of our village schools. Seven girls passed the secondyear examination, two doing well and one very well. Six girls passed the third-year examination, two doing well and two very well. On the whole this is a highly creditable result. The work of the two upper classes was very pleasing, showing as it did that the girls had a thorough grip of what they were supposed to know. The English of the third-year girls was decidedly strong, and the answers to the questions in the general paper were highly meritorious. Four girls in the upper divisions showed a little weakness in arithmetic. There is reason to believe that sanitary conditions are quite satisfactory. The Native Boys' Boarding-school, St. Stephen's, Parnell, Auckland. —The inspection was held on the 3rd March, 1902. Fifty-seven boys were present at inspection ; the average attendance for the four preceding quarters had been 5854. About one-half of the boys in attendance are Government scholars. The place has its usual creditable appearance, and the sanitary arrange-

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