E.—3

10

ticing Maori boys were made at a time when the Native-school system was in its infancy. The best qualified boys who had passed through the village-school course had the option of either a free place or an apprenticeship. The results obtained under this system have not been entirely unsatisfactory, but there wen- without doubt a good many failures. Nor is this to be wondered at when one considers that in most cases the boy was transferred from a Native settlement right into the civilized life of a town or city. The new scheme provides an opportunity of his becoming acquainted with civilization during the time lie- is holding a junior fie.- place, and it is only when he has satisfactorily completed this course and has had. in addition, the opportunity of showing his aptitude during a year's training in technical work, that he becomes eligible for an apprenticeship. Several boys who have passed through St. Stephen's School have- been apprenticed to learn suitable trades, and so far the new arrangements appear to be producing satisfactory results. Nursing Scholarships. In the case of girls, senior free places take the form of hospital scholarships. It is a somewhat difficult matter for the Department to get hospital authorities to accept Maori girls as junior probationers. \t present there are only two hospitals, Napier and Auckland, at which the day-pupilship is possible. This allows of four new girls being admitted for training every year; but when these have completed the year much difficulty is found by the Hospitals Department in obtaining positions lor them on tin- staff of suitable- hospitals. The two Maori girls who held the first nursing scholarships under the present conditions have successfully passed the State examination qualifying them for registration as nurses, and have received further training iii a maternity home, where one of them, Miss Akenehi Hei, has been su.eessful in obtaining a certificate in midwifery. Her services should, according to the scheme- agreed upon in 1907, now be available to the Native branch of the Health Department for work among hfir own people, and just now there is very urgent need for her aid in three or four Maori settlements. Six University Scholarships have- hitherto been provided for Maori youths who have passed with credit the entrance examination to the University. Three of these were reserved for those who wished to study medicine, tin- remainder being devoted to arts, science, or law. The record of the University Scholarship scheme for Maoris is not encouraging, and tin- tesults have not in any way been commensurate with the expense. In recent years the candidates have- shown themselves to be lacking in application and to be- unworthy of scholarships. To such a degree was this apparent that the Department decidc-d that the scheme should remain in abeyance-, and no University Scholarships will therefore, for the present, be awarded. Te Makakixi Scholarships. The examinations for the Te Makarini Scholarships were held on the 7th and Bth December. 1908. There were five candidates for the senior scholarship and nine- for the junior, the former sitting either at Auckland or Te Aute College, and the latter at various Native schools. The examinations were conducted under the revised regulations, which in many ways mark a considerable advance on the former ones. For the first time English appeared as a definite subject, with very gratifying results. Especially was this the case in the work of the junior candidates, a fact which bears testimony to tin- advance made in English in the village schools. To encourage the study of Maori in its best form, the questions set for the examination in this subject were based on passages selected from set portions of the Maori version of the Scriptures. The result showed that candidates had studied the language, and were able to use it in their answers, thus securing purer Maori than that used formerly. Reading and comprehension also showed advance in the quality of work. In arithmetic the work of the junior candidates was relatively more proficient than that of the seniors. The junior candidates also showed to better advantage in geography, in the general paper the work of the senior candidates was only moderate in quality, and their knowledge of the Bible was not of very high merit. History was rather poor, and in laws of health the answers of the senior candidates lacked the common-sense aspect displayed in those of some of the juniors. Neatness in arrangement and in the written work should receive greater attention, and we propose to make an allowance of twenty-five marks-for general neatness in next year's papers. None of the senior candidates succeeded in gaining the number of marks required by the regulations to pass the examination, and no senior scholarship was therefore awarded. The junior scholarship was awarded to Pekama Kaa. of Kangitukia Native School, East Coast, who gained 535 marks, and the junior open scholarship to Daniel Kingi. Ranana Native School, Rotorua, who gained 527 marks out of a possible 1,000. School Attendance. The constant increase in the number of children attending Native schools and the regularity with which as a general rule the pupils attend serve to show that the appreciation of education by the Maori people is becoming widespread. The fact that the Department is constantly receiving wellfounded applications for the establishment of schools affords further testimony on this point. The average weekly roll-number in the village schools for the year 1908 was 4,479, and the average attendance for the year was 3,781, the average percentage of regularity being 84-4, as against 824---for the preceding year. At the end of the year there- remained on the rolls 4,217 children, five schools with a roll-number of 179 having been transferred, and three with 95 children closed during the year. To the number of children in the village schools must be added the number on the rolls of the Mission and the secondary Native schools inspected by officers of the Department. This gives a total of 4,735 children of Maori or mixed race belonging to the schools at the end of the year, an average weekly roll 0f4,987. and an average yearly attendance of 4,249. i a few schools where the attendance was irregular it was found necessary to take action under the' compulsory clauses of the Education Act, which apply equally to Maori and European children attending Native schools. At twenty-six schools the average attendance during the year was over 90 per cent., three schools obtaining 99-3, 99-2, and 98-9 per cent, respectively. At Rangiawhia,