NEGLECTED CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 1, 26 September 1917, Page 6

NEGLECTED CHILDREN

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM PROPOSED REFORM "In view of the fact that so many of our finest men liave been killed or disabled during the war, we should mako every effort possiblo to save this email army of children, most of whom, if Hie State stood aside, would not only bo lost to the State as citizens, but would becomo a hindrance or a menace lo tho public well-being." With these words tho Minister of TMucation (the Hon. ,T. A. Hanan) prefaces his interesting memorandum dealing with reforms in connection with the industrial school system of New Zealand. '(ho memorandum deals in n very able :>nd thoughtful manner with the treatment of neglocted, uncontrollable, and flelinHUPiit children. There are 4128 children under tho control- of tlio Department. Tho Minister states that it is well that the State is prepared to stand "in 'oco unrwitis" to- this large family of waifs and strays, but it is a matter for public concern that year after year there should be a constant supply of such .■hiklron claiming the State us its foster-parent. Home Influence, It lint* to be admitted with regret that, home influence is not so stronjr. nor of so fine a tyne as it was a generation ago. Not only for tho sake of the homo nnd the children, but for the sake of the future of the nation, the importance, of the liomo and of efficient and economical management of domestic affairs needs to be more clearly recognised. Ttome. management is as worthy of consideration in the. conrse of instruction', for all ffirls as almost any subject in the primary, ■secondary, and technical school curriculum. It has often been urged that, rather than the children, parents' who have ptovm! themselves unfit to mj parents should be placed under restriction. It certainly seems to be the height of foil? to take' children from a home which i* judged to be unfit for children and from parents who are unfit to rear children, nnd yet. to wait year I.v y<-ar for the sue cession of additional children which pro» ceeds from the same home. In many cnet-s the evil ofiects cannot he -emodied even if T-ln , children arc taken aharee of from infancy, for physical or mental Infirmity are often stampmt on the cV.I--dren for life through the moral or phy. eical degeneracy of their parents. Housing Conditions, The question of the eradication of llm «lum areas of our towns and.cities is oi>e tvhich demands the most careful consideration. It is a crime to place children In conditions that almost defy them to become healtliy, decent citizens. More care ie taken over , the rearing of etocic rlmn the rearing of children. The free klndergarte-n associations, however, are doing splendid work towards brighteninp; the Uvea of city children, and !n mnny cases stimulating parents to do more for the welfare of their children, and the Minister has, as far as - possible, recognised the value of this work by arranging for an increased capitation and an improved status for the.free kindergarten schools.

By means of continuation classes for both boys and Riria who hnvi> Wtschtnl it is hoped not only to extend their genoral education, bint to provide for ren>. sonable opportunities for receiving instruction relating to their trade or calling. This should give a distinct bias towards the move skilled trades as against blind-alley occupations, and help .to eliminate tho undesirable results often accompanying poor education and the lack of a skilled occupation. • •" Future Action. The Minister has arrived, at tho conclusion that future action should bo based on the'following principles:— (1) That definite steps should be taken to apply the axiom, "Prevention is bettor than cure." (2) That it is advisablo to influence parents as well as their children. (3) That neglected and delinquent children under tho care of the State shonld be placed as far as possible under natural home conditions, and that admission to an institution should be used only as a last resort. (4) That thero should be a icclassihcation of those resident inmates of the ■tarious institutions who could not be boarded out under ordinary conditions. / The following are some of the reforms that nro now in progress or have Actually been established as the result of the Minister's review of tho position:— Extension of the probation system to the four chief centres of population. Establishment of probation homes for boys at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunediri.. . Reservation of tho Boys Training FaTin, Nelson, for boys of school age. Reservation of tho Boys' Training Farm, Weraroa, for tho training of boys over school age. . > . . Establishment of central training school for girls combined with a yeceivinir home fo-. children at Chrietchtirch. Closing of the girl?' industrial schools as such at Auckland and Cayersham, and converting them into special schools for feeble-minded children. Establishment of receiving homes for children at Auckland nnd Dunedin Closing of the day schools attached to the trainins: farm at Weraroa, the Burnham Industrial School, Te Ornnga ilome, and the Caversham Industrial School. ' Building Programme. The report goes on to state that owing to the overcrowding of institutions under the control of the Department it seemed as if it would be necessary to provide: A fourth institution, at a cost .ot not leee than ,£21,000. with a recurring annual charge of about ,£6OOO. A subsidiary institution, on the Buruhnm School estate for the detention of "i«>;' r wW« bovs, at a capital cost of at least .£BOOO and an annual maintenance charge ot .£2500. The rebuilding on n. much extended scale of the first division building at Te Oranga Home, Chrislchurch, destroyed by fire eome time ago '1 he cost ot building was estimated at about .£6OOO and the increased annual cost at about £1400. Additional buildings at the Auckland Industrial School at a cost of £1500, carrying with 1 it an increase of .fiboO in annual maintenance.

Required Legislation. The. present social conditions and the i unusual amount of liberty given to many I children probably account to some cx--1 lent for Hie large number of imcontroli lable children that are brought before I the Juvenile Courts throughout New Zealand. The number of children who either cannot be controlled by their parents or who may be regarded as not under proper control has increased remarlrI nblv dnrin? the last two or three years. I For instance, during last year over ono hundred and fifty of the children committed to industrial schools were charged with not being under proper control, ana over one hundred were comnjilfcd as the result of petty offences. Onjler llio vro- ; balion scheme it will probably be wifn- ! e.ient in at least 9" per cent or tnesc ! cases to supervise children in their own i 'Tremarkablo fact in regard' to ma ' present inmates of Ix.ys , schoo s is. that I at least SO per cent, of tho delinquent hove were engaged in street trading bei fore their admission to the schools. This j fuel- may be regarded as direct oviilsiien I in favour of the proper regulation of street trading airionif children, and r.roiposnls for legislation in this direction : and regulations thereunder are now being I Pr The rC niatter of regulating the ntten-1- ' ance of children at picture theatres and ! other places of public amusement is also dealt with in the proposed .n-smlnti-Mis. ; Provision is also made for/ the regulation of admission of children to privoto orphanages and similar inehtutions, and for Ihe method of conducting these m- ! etitutions. .. ■ In order to provide better guidance in i connection with the employment of children after leaving school it is proposed to establish juvenile employment bureaux, so as to provide, if possible, tliat a boy or girl who has the. ability will have ample ecopo for employment of a congenial character, and also that the employer will be able to obtain a boy or girl who is suitablo for his particular

requirements. It too often happens at tho present time that because hie parcuts are poor a boy who is really fit for a useful career has to take the first position that offers the highest iinniediiiie wages. In most cases such attractive employment lends to nothing, and in a few years' time the boy finds that lie lias arrived at the end of a blind alley. As a rale it is impossible on account of linanoial considerations for him lo start life over again in employment that would offer better opportunities, and hu joins thu ranks of unskilled labourers.