NELSON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. 95

prising that the reading should be indifferent, with a few exceptions. The arithmetic and the writing are however much better than I expected to find them; the latter indeed being superior to much of the writing turned out in larger and more regularly attended schools.

Riwaka: MR. AND MRS. SEVERNE.—A slight falling-off has taken place in the numbers attending during the past year, and the scholars above twelve years old are fewer by one-half. But, after due allowance has been made for all this, the present state of the school cannot be regarded as satisfactory. The number of readers, writers, and arithmeticians that can, by any stretch of goodnature, be classed as good is not only far less than in former years, but this year's returns, as a whole, contrast most unfavorably with the results shown by neighboring schools. The children throughout the school are lamentably deficient in mental arithmetic, and are very imperfectly grounded in the multiplication and money tables. This is very unusual in our schools, both of these subjects being generally carefully attended to.

Takaka: MR. BOW.—This, which at one time was a flourishing school, fell off towards the close of last year so much, that the daily attendance was reduced to twelve. The appointment of a new teacher in January has had the effect of raising the numbers considerably; but some time and patient effort will be required before the school can be restored to its former position, though the present teacher is both painstaking and zealous.

Longplain: MR. A. LANGFORD.—The children who attend this school have the same kind of difficulties to contend with as I have described when referring to the school at Pangatotara; this also being a land of creeks and streams. The few children who attend are well taught and very orderly. It is perhaps not out of place to mention that the master of this school was educated in one of our town schools, where he was subsequently employed as a pupil-teacher. He is now fully equal to the management of the Longplain school. It may fairly be enumerated among the very incidental advantages of small and backward schools, that young and inexperienced teachers can by this means gradually qualify themselves for larger and more advanced schools.

Motupipi and Clifton: MR. AND MRS. ROBINSON.—These two schools, with for local reasons, are classed as one establishment (being little more than a mile apart), only number unitedly as many scholars as attend a third-rate country school. I confess that I am at a loss to account for the thinness of the attendance, particularly at Motupipi, where the average was only nine during the last quarter. The surrounding population is tolerably numerous, and improved roads have placed the school within easy reach of a large number of children. Such as do come are well taught, both the reading and the writing being unusually good. Map-drawing is also well taught. The general demeanor of the children is such as to call for special praise.

Collingwood: MR. O'SULLIVAN.—The daily attendance at this school has almost doubled during the past year; the number of good readers having increased in a still greater ratio. But in other branches the scholars still fall short of the average standard of our country schools. The teacher is thoroughly up to his work, and the children are remarkably orderly.

Motupiko: MRS. FUGLE.—It was at one time in contemplation to close this school, the daily attendance having dwindled down to six. The appointment of a new teacher about two months ago, coupled with the threat of withdrawing all pecuniary assistance unless a change for the better took place speedily, had the effect of more than doubling the attendance at once. It is to be hoped that, under the present management, this very backward and thinly-attended school may yet take a respectable place among our smaller schools.

Ngatimoti: MR. H. YOUNG.—Though the roads are worse, and the distances to be travelled by the scholars greater than at Motupipi, the daily attendance is nearly twice as great as at the latter school. It should be recorded also, to the credit of the inhabitants, that they built the present schoolroom and provided a site at their own cost, following the good example set them by the inhabitants of Motupiko. This school is regarded in the neighborhood as a great boon, the teacher being deservedly popular and thoroughly devoted to his work. As is usually the case in very small schools, the children are rather backward, lacking that activity of mind and spirit of emulation, that are fostered by and rarely found outside of comparatively numerous establishments.

Dovedale: MR. SEVERNE, jun.—A daily attendance of 12 and a percentage of 58 would seem to indicate that the opening of a school in this district is somewhat premature. I have observed that where schools follow too closely on the footsteps of population, the result is apt to be very disappointing. In a newly-settled district where a hard struggle is going on for bare subsistence, the services of even very young children are constantly in demand at home for such tasks as are left to adults in more established communities; and it is not unusual to find some of the children who do attend so jaded with their previous work as to be almost unfitted for any mental exertion. These remarks, though especially appropriate to Dovedale, are also applicable to several of our schools in the remote districts.

Neudorf: MR. DESAUNAIS.—My last round of inspection was completed before the opening of this school, which was built partly to relieve the over-crowded school at Upper Moutere, and partly to accommodate the numerous children in the immediate neighborhood, the younger of whom were quite out of reach of any school, many of the bigger boys having to travel more than four miles, as I was informed, to attend Sarau. Thirty-five scholars were enrolled during the first week, about twenty more being expected to attend during the coming half-year; so that within another twelvemonths this may fairly be expected to become a numerously attended and flourishing school.

Cobden: MR. RAY.—Considerable progress has been made here during the past year; the present 2nd and 3rd classes being now equal in every respect to the 1st and 2nd classes of 1869. Though I was sorry to see, on my last visit, how small a proportion the children above twelve years old bore to the total number on the roll—6 out of 77, I was able to record a considerable number of good readers. The handwriting was also