44

aggregate attendance equal to that of the Ross Grammar School, and that it is desirable that a building should be erected for school purposes exclusively, to be conducted on the national system of education, under the direct control of the Board of Education.

I have the honor to be, sir,
Yours respectfully,
(Signed) JOSHUA GIBSON.

Report of the Okarito School.

Okarito, 29th May, 1868.

Sir,—Your letter, dated 2nd instant, did not reach me until the 19th instant, too late to enable me to forward you a report on the state of the school at Okarito, by the 20th instant, as our postal communication is only bi-monthly.

The enclosed report from Mr Raife, the present master, who first opened the school on the 27th of May, 1867, affords correct information on the subject therein referred to.

I held an examination this day and find the course of education pursued is generally of an elementary kind, consisting of reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar (English), geography (ancient and modern), history (general and sacred), and poetry.

The scholars appear to have made fair progress in the various branches.

The grant of £75, placed at the disposal of the school committee, by the Board of Education for the year ending 31st March last, has been expended as follows:—

Allowance to master to make school fees up to the rate of £200 per annum as salary, commencing from January, 1868, to 31st of May ... £34 14 0
Purchase of School Books, &c. ... 9 0 0
Sundries ... 1 1 11

£44 15 11

Leaving a balance in the hands of the committee of £30 4s 1d.

The average attendance of children, since the school was first opened, was in 1867, (daily average) from May 27th to August 24th, 23; from August to 31st of December, 19. In 1868, from January to March, 18; from April to May, 13. There has been a gradual falling-off in consequence of the parents having left the district.

The sum placed last year at the disposal of the committee was not sufficiently large to enable them to purchase a building for a school-house. That in use at present they have free; but it would not be advisable to purchase it, as it is on Maori land, for which they would have to pay rent.

The consequence of the falling-off in the attendance of the children will be (unless the Board give a grant for the ensuing year) that the school cannot be kept up, as the fees are not sufficient to pay the master’s salary. They may at present be reckoned at £1 10s per week. The committee have, therefore to make up the balance, £2 6s, so that the funds at their disposal will scarcely be sufficient to meet the expenses for the next quarter, ending the 31st of August.

The fees charged weekly for one child are 4s; two children, 7s; three children, 9s, and so on in proportion.

In conclusion, I would suggest that Government should be asked to set aside a piece of land for a school-reserve and playground—say one acre—when, with a grant of £120, a building might at the present time be purchased and moved on it, so as to make a creditable school-house; and considering the little demand there is for land down here, and that none has yet been sold, I should suppose Government could have no possible objection to give a piece for a purpose so intimately connected with the future well-being of the country.

I have the honor to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) M. PRICE,
Chairman,
Okarito School Committee.

Okarito,
May 27, 1868.

The Chairman,
School Committee.

Sir,—At your request I have prepared the following report, which I have endeavored to render as complete as possible. I have taken as a basis the form which I have been accustomed to furnish to the Board of Education of Canterbury.

The building at present in use as a schoolroom was formerly an hotel. It consists of two rooms, the largest of which, being well ventilated and spacious, is, in some measure, adapted to the purpose of teaching; but there is a deficiency in light, and no provisions for heating it. Therefore I have, from the commencement of the last quarter, used the other portion of the building, which is better lighted, and is furnished with a chimney, though the latter is in a ruinous condition and smokes badly; the rain also beats in under the doors in some winds.

The furniture is sufficient for the use of the pupils in attendance, consisting of three tables and four forms. It is true, these are not of the form usually found in schoolrooms, but are, in my opinion, better adapted to the use of children who have no better appliances at home.

The apparatus for teaching, by which I mean maps, &c., is very deficient, consisting of only four maps: one of the World (Globular and Mercator’s projection), one of the British Isles, and one of England; with a very small one of New Zealand. I possess also an Abacus and Blackboard.

The supply of school books has been very irregular and unsatisfactory, from the difficulty of obtaining them in the Country, and the expense of importing them.

I have used, as a rule, when I could obtain