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CIRCULABS. SCHOLARSHIPS FOE MaOKIS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Education Department, Wellington, 15th January, 1900. 1. The Government offers deserving Maori children attending public schools a limited number of scholarships of £20 a year, tenable for two years, to enable them to prosecute their studies after leaving such schools. A Maori boy or girl entitled to such a scholarship may be sent to a higher school approved of by the Minister, or may be apprenticed to learn a trade. 2. Candidates must be of predominantly Maori descent, and evidence to this effect satisfactory to the Inspector-General of Schools must be produced in each case ; also each candidate must show, in a manner satisfactory to the Inspector-General, ability to translate a fairly easy piece of Maori into good English. 3. Candidates must not be more than fifteen years and a half old at the beginning of the scholarship period. 4. All candidates must have passed Standard V. in some public school. 5. If in any year there are more candidates than scholarships to be awarded, preference shall be given in the first instance to those who have qualified for Education Board district scholarships, and in the second instance to those who have passed Standard VI. If further limitation be necessary, the Minister shall take steps at his own discretion to determine which of the candidates shall receive the scholarships. 6. The principals of the schools at which scholars shall attend, or the employers of apprentices, shall, at the end of each term or quarter, send to the Inspector-General a brief report with regard to the conduct, diligence, and progress of each scholar ; and the Minister may at his discretion terminate any scholarship on the receipt of an unsatisfactory report. 7. Any scholar may be examined as the Inspector-General may direct, due notice being given to the principal of the school or to the employer, as the case may be. 8. In general, scholarships will be awarded at the end of the year, but applications for scholarships addressed to the Inspector-General of Schools may be made at any time. Gboegb Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools.

Defective School Chimneys. (Circular Memorandum to Secretaries of Education Boards.) Education Department, Wellington, 30th July, 1900. Two schools have recently been burnt down in precisely similar circumstances, explained as follows : " The lower part of the chimney (about 5 ft.) was composed of brick, and the rest of iron. The reason for constructing the chimneys at the country schools in this manner was because it was almost impossible to convey bricks to the site. In the case under notice it is surmised that a quantity of soot lodged on a kind of shelf at the back of the mantelpiece ; this became ignited and caused the outbreak of fire. The chimney is now built wholly of brick. The necessary steps are now being taken to replace, as far as possible, all the iron chimneys with brick, and to remedy any defects that may exist." I am directed to call the attention of your Board to this matter with a view to its also taking precautions against fire in such cases. E. O. Gibbes, Assistant Secretary.

Fabes of Teachees attending Classes foe Insteuction in Deill. . (Circular Memorandum to Secretaries of Education Boards.) Education Department, Wellington, 14th September, 1900. I am directed to inform you that this Department has arranged with the Bailway Department for the payment of the fares of teachers willing to attend classes for instruction in drill. If it has been decided to hold such classes in your district, and if you will let me know, I can send you a supply of certificate-forms for use of teachers applying for railway-tickets. I enclose a specimen of certificate-form. Geoege Hogben, Secretary for Education.

Conference of Inspectors. (Circular Memorandum to Secretaries of Education Boards.) Education Department, Wellington, 13th November, 1900. I send for the information of your Board copy of a circular letter to Inspectors of Schools conveying an invitation to them to hold a conference next January, for the consideration of subjects connected with the public-school system of education. E. O. Gibbes, Assistant Secretary.