E.—l.

Putiki, Te Hauke, Matata Convent, Tokaanu, and Waerenga-a-hika. The roll numbers at the time of the Inspector's visit were: Otaki, 34; Putiki, 30; Te Hauke, 29; Matata, 36 ; Tokaanu, 28 ; and Waerenga-a-hika, 43. For the higher education of Maori boys and. girls the Department avails itself of six boarding-schools under the control and management of various church authorities —viz., Te Aute College and St. Stephen's School, for boys; Hukarere, St. Joseph's, Queen Victoria, and Turakina Girls' School, for girls. The Government offers 123 scholarships, tenable at one or other of the boarding-schools, to such children of predominantly Maori race as qualify for them in the village schools. At the end of 1906 forty of these scholarships were held by boys and forty by girls. A number of scholarships is also offered to Maori children attending public schools who pass at least Standard V before reaching the age of fifteen. The holders of these may attend a secondary school or become apprenticed to a suitable trade. Three of these scholarships were current at the end of the year—one boy attending a secondary school and two boys being apprenticed. Three boys who formerly attended Native schools were also, at the end of the year, learning trades under this arrangement. Six Maori girls are at present being trained as nurses for work among their own people. Of these, three hold senior scholarships and are probationers on the staffs of various hospitals, while three hold junior scholarships, or day-pupil-ships, and attend the hospitals daily from their respective schools. Of the six University scholarships offered by the Government to the most promising youths from secondary schools, three are at present held—two in law and one in medicine. A former scholarship holder has just succeeded in qualifying for the degree in medicine and surgery of the New Zealand University, he being the second to so qualify under the Department's scheme. Instruction in woodwork is given in thirteen schools, and in several schools the girls are taught practical dressmaking and plain cookery with simple appliances. A scheme of cottage gardening as a branch of handwork is being prepared; in several schools a beginning has already been made. In the majority of schools some form or other of elementary handwork is taken with success. A new scale of staff's and salaries approximating to the " colonial scale " was issued, to come into operation at the beginning of 1907. While reducing a few of the higher salaries, this scale will increase those of a large percentage of the other teachers. The total expenditure on Native schools during the year was £29,755, which includes £111 paid from Native school reserves and .£2,000 from the Civil List for Native purposes. Deducting £74 recoveries from various sources, the result is a net cost of £29,681, as against £24,041 in 1905. Included in this amount is £5,641 for new buildings and additions; on secondary education (including boarding-school fees for holders of scholarships from village schools, apprenticeships, nursing scholarships, University scholarships, and travelling-expenses of scholarship holders), £2,477. The staff of the village schools included seventy-six masters, nineteen mistresses in charge, ninety-seven assistants, and eleven sewing-teachers. Of the 4,174 children attending Native schools at the end of 1906, 803 per cent, were Maori or nearly Maori; 633 per cent, were half-castes, speaking Maori in their homes; 4-22 per cent, were half-castes or nearly so, speaking English in their homes ; and 9-15 per cent, were Europeans. The standard classification of pupils at the end of the year 1906 was: Preparatory classes, 1,618; Standard I, 568; Standard 11, 646; Standard 111, 545 ; Standard IV, 452 ; Standard V, 241 ; Standard VI, 101; Standard VII, 3. Twenty-four certificates of competency and twenty-nine of proficiency in Standard VI were issued during-the year, the majority to European children. Of the children of Maori or mixed race attending public schools 6311 per cent, were of Maori race,, 5*34 per cent, were of mixed race living as Maoris, and

iv—E. 1.

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