E.—2

2

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 holdei 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 beingprepared; 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 staffs 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 leserves 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, 80-3 per cent, were Maori or nearly Maori; 6-33 per cent, were half-castes, speaking Maori in their homes; 422 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 63 - ll per cent, were of Maori race, 534 per cent, were of mixed race living as Maoris, and 3155 per cent, were of mixed race living as Europeans. No statistics are available showing the standard classification of the Maori children in public schools, and thus no idea can be formed of the degree of attainment reached by Maori children in these schools. By 3,952 children coming under this category sixteen certificates of competency and thirteen certificates of proficiency were, however, obtained during the year. Jn many parts of the colony the Native school is the only means of education, and attending Native schools are some 380 European children. Included in this number are the children of the Native school teachers. Facilities for higher education offered by the provisions under the Education Act for free places in secondary schools are afforded these children, of whom several during the year have qualified as required by the regulations.

No. 2, The Inspector op Native Schools to the Inspector-General of Schools. Sir, — Wellington, 31st March, 1907. In accordance with instructions, I have the honour herewith to place before you my report on the general conditions of the Native schools and the work done by them during the j'ear 1906. At the end of 1905 there were in operation ninety-five Maori village schools. During the year five new schools were opened, making a, total of 100 schools in operation at the end of 1906.