E.—2

6

controlling authorities of each school. Two of them— Waerenga-a-hika and Otaki —are endowed schools managed by trustees appointed by the Anglican Church. There is no local advisory or supervising body connected with them, and the whole of the responsibility is thrown upon the teachers. I think that this is a very unwise arrangement. Some attempt should be made to secure the active interest of the parents, which is a most essential factor in making a Native school a success. Periodical visits of inspection should also be made by a visiting committee, and reports on these visits should be laid before the authorities of the school. The results of the examinations at the schools were very fair. Tokaanu School has made very steady progress, and I was very well satisfied with the very creditable results obtained by Otaki School. Very good work was done also at Matata Convent School. Te Hauke Mission School has very few children attending it, and the irregularity of the attendance points to a lack of interest in the school on the part of the people. The discipline in one or two of these schools was rather weak. The methods of teaching, however, show steady improvement, and, indeed, I have found that the teachers of these schools are always ready to accept advice as to methods of teaching. Boarding-schools. Higher education is afforded to Maori boys and girls in six institutions—viz., Te Aute College, Hawke's Bay; St. Stephen's Native Boys' School, Parnell, Auckland; llukarere Protestant Girls' School, Napier; St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Girls' School, Napier; Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls, Auckland; and Turakina Maori Girls' School, Wanganui. All these schools were both inspected and examined during the year, with the exception of Turakina, which was examined only. The inspection showed that the schools were being conducted satisfactorily, the discipline being in all of them very good, the pupils well cared for, and the instruction efficient in character. Special inquiries made in the schools I inspected showed that an ample supply of food of good quality is provided. One sometimes hears complaints made by Maori parents who for the first time are sending their children to a boarding-school, that the boy or girl does not get enough food. It must be remembered that Maori children are accustomed to two meals a day, and at each sitting they eat as much as they can get. It follows naturally that, when they receive an ordinary ration at school, they do not feel so satisfied as they used to do after a meal at home. They therefore conclude that they are not getting enough food. Their healthy appearance after a few months and the " condition " that many of them put on give sufficient denial to any statement to the effect that they are underfed. Indeed, I am afraid that they find it rather hard to fall in with the Maori custom when they return home. The schools have been particularly free from sickness, and, indeed, at Hukarere School, prior to the epidemic of influenza towards the end of the year, there has been no occasion to call in medical aid for two years. The following are the principal features contained in the examination report on each school : — St. Stephen's Boys' School, Auckland. —Examined. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 28th, 29th, and 30th November, 1907. In the higher standards, in which the syllabus of work is that of the public-schools course, the numbers of boys were as follows: Standard VII, 1; Standard VI, 10; Standard V, 31. In the lower classes the work, though nominally that of the Native-schools Code, 1897, is really on the lines of the new Code for Native schools. The numbers of boys in these classes were: Standard IV, 3; Standard 111, 4; Standard I, 3; and Class P., 6. The work of Classes P. to Standard IV was extremely satisfactory. The boys set their work out with neatness, and it was characterized also by methodical arrangement. The instruction given to the preparatory class appeared to be of a very thorough description. In the higher standards (Standard VStandard VII) the reading was very good, and the comprehension of the subject-matter was very pleasing. The writing was on the whole very good, some of it being excellent. Spelling and dictation was, on the other hand, very weak, and showed the need of some extra attention to the teaching of this subject. The English composition was very fair; it was marred by want of punctuation in several cases, leading to what is known as "breathless narration." In the highest class the arithmetic was fair; in Standard V it lacked the careful and methodical arrangement which characterized the work of the lower standards, and was inaccurate in consequence. In Geography, Standards 111 and IV were very good, Standard V was fair, and Standard VI good. Some very good drawing of freehand copies and of simple plans, some of them to scale, was shown in the lowest classes. In the upper classes the drawings connected with the woodwork were very well done. Agriculture has been taught in a practical manner, and various experiments have been carried out in connection with the instruction given. The boys seemed to have an intelligent grasp of the principles, and the results of their labour appeared to be very gratifying. The school continues to afford the boys excellent opportunities for acquiring a practical knowledge of woodwork and carpentry, and a valuable amount of work has been done during the year. The singing was very enjoyable; the boys sang part-songs in first-class style, and underwent a sight-reading test in a very creditable manner. Some company drill and physical exercises were taken by the headmaster, and under Professor Potter the boys did various calisthenic and gymnastic exercise., in a manner which reflects a great deal of credit on their instructor. One or two of the pupils were particularly good at their exercises, and this instruction appears to afford the boys much pleasure as well as to assist considerably in improving their physique. Mrs. Wilson has rendered valuable help during the year in looking after the health of the boys and attending to their ailments. The very useful instruction of the elder boys in rendering assistance in dressing wounds, &re, is, we are glad to se, still continued. Of the manners of the boys and their fine sturdy appearance we can speak only in terms of the highest praise. Four certificates of proficiency and