G.—4,

2

I may here mention, in connection with the part that Natives should take in the education of their children, that they had proposed to pay £40 a year towards the master's salary, to which I acceded on the part of Government. My belief is, that such contributions should vary according to the pecuniary position of the Natives; for whilst in Hawke's Bay, for instance, they have fertile lands, improved farms, rents from sheep runs, and other means of wealth at hand, and where they drive carriages, ride on horseback, scorn to work for wages, and lead such a life of ease and self-indulgence as Europeans of no class habitually practise, I see no reason why they should not contribute at least one-half of the cost of their children's education ; whilst onthe other hand, in some districts in the North where their lands are poor, where they are remote from Europeans, and have scarcely any other means of obtaining money than by kauri gum digging, or the sale of a few head of cattle occasionally, I conceive they should be required to make but a small contribution, and that, not for its pecuniary value, but because they will not otherwise take proper interest in the school. I found, however, that the Natives will not recognize such consideration for the poorer districts otherwise than as an injustice to themselves; and having agreed to receive a contribution of Is. per month per pupil in some cases such as I have indicated, I found myself obliged to consent to accept the same rate from those of Ahipara and Pa-renga-renga, and I fear this rate will eventually have to be adopted throughout the Colony. Pukepoto. —This is the school alluded to in my letter of 14th March, and in your reply of 25th April, 1872 (Papers relating to Native Schools, F. No. 5, pp. 12 and 13), in which it was reported and agreed to that the sum of £50 having been generously contributed by the Auckland Provincial Government towards the erection of a new schoolhouse, a similar sum should be contributed from the Native School Fund, which would, it was supposed, when added to contributions of timber and of labour by the Natives, be sufficient for the purpose. But the proposed plan of building having been objected to by an officer named by the Provincial Government, a further sum of £40 became necessary to carry out his requirements, for want of which the erection of the schoolhouse has been delayed and the health of the pupils has suffered, though no death has occurred. As this is a purely Native school, and as the joint action of the General and Provincial Governments has not worked well, I proposed to the Auckland Board of Education I should recommend that the Pukepoto School should be entirely supported from the Native School Fund —the schoolhouse and 12 acres of land given by Timothy Busby, and at present vested in the Superintendent of the Province, to be conveyed to trustees nominated by the Natives, and appointed by the Governor, in conformity with the Native Schools Acts. This has been assented to, provided it can be legally carried out (see the Secretary's letter annexed) ; and as the effect would be to bring the management of this school into conformity with that of the other Native schools, I beg to recommend its adoption, and that, for the health of the pupils and the expansion of the school, no time be lost in lodging with the Resident Magistrate the sum of £40, in addition to any unpaid balance of the £50 already granted. I found forty-three pupils present in the school, between the ages of six and seventeen years, of whom forty were Maoris, one half-caste, and two Europeans. Their progress in reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, and writing from dictation, was good —indeed the success of the school in a house not large enough for half the pupils was extraordinary. Mr. Masters, the master, is an enthusiast, restless and excitable. to a degree which to a visitor is distressing, yet no schoolmaster is more successful, and that in the face of all difficulties. I imagine the parents and pupils must recognize his anxious earnestness for their well-doing, for the result is admirable. He does not encourage (and indeed seems unwilling to receive) any co-operation from his School Committee. The pronunciation of English seemed to be well attended to, and I found the older boys able and willing to talk with me. Their manner was respectful, and the appearance of the pupils generally clean, their clothing good—their conduct reported as docile and orderly—the attendance (four and a half hours a day) very regular. The master has introduced singing by note (or numbers) into this school with great good effect, both pupils and parents taking great interest in the part-singing, and I am happy to say that his example has been followed in the other schools of the district. In this respect and in others, such as the simultaneous singing of the multiplication and other tables, the masters of the Kaitaia schools have contrived to give a life and interest to the work which is very wanting in some other schools. Awanui. —This is one of the schools to which I have alluded as having .already produced a marked change from ragged squalor to decent cleanliness in the appearance of the Native children. The master, Mr. Ernest Matthews, has been very zealous and successful. I found thirty-eight pupils in the school, of whom thirty-six were Maori, and two half-castes. Their progress in reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, writing from dictation, &c, was good for tho period under instruction. They appeared to be in thorough accord with the master—their conduct orderly and respectful —their attendance (four hours a day) regular—their health good—no deaths. I am happy to find that it will be necessary to enlarge this school, as its numbers are increasing beyond the present accommodation. From Kaitaia I proceeded to Ururu, in the neighbourhood of which Mr. White, R.M., desires to establish a school, in connection with which subject I may say that I invited Mr. White and other Resident Magistrates to consider the question of a system of schools which should provide for the education of all the Native children of their districts. I consider that our efforts to educate them in the English language, which hitherto may be considered as of a tentative character, have been so far successful as to call for more systematic and extended movement, in all districts where the desire for schools is strongly and distinctly expressed. Mongonui Districts. —I beg to annex Mr. White's and Mr. Yon Stunner's reports, containing suggestions for schools which would educate all the Native children of their districts; and believing as I do that those schools, if carefully established and properly nurtured, would speedily convert the Maori into a good imitation of the Pakeha, I strongly recommend their reports to your favourable consideration. Returning by Whangaroa to the Bay of Islands and Waimate, I was sorry to find that the stagnation and inertia which seem to have settled down upon that district have been too much for the arrangements made upon my last visit. Aaeo. —At Kaeo, Whangaroa, where, as I reported last year, there is a Native church not now