EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AND ORPHANAGES (PAPERS RELATING TO). [In Continuation of E.-3, 1885.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1886 Session I, E-03

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1886. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AND ORPHANAGES (PAPERS RELATING TO). [In Continuation of E.-3, 1885.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

_No. 1. Extract from Ninth Annual Eeport of the Minister of Education. Under " The Industrial Schools Act, 1882," 340 children (199 boys and 141 girls) were committed in 1885. Of these, 220 were destitute children, 13 vagrant, 30 were living in disreputable places, 48 were committed as uncontrollable, and 29 as guilty of punishable offences. Two of them had been to high schools, 3 to private schools, 39 to Roman Catholic schools, 159 to Board schools, 129 to no school (many being too young), and information is wanting as to the 8 remaining. As to the faith in which they are to be brought up, 154 belong to the Church of England, 113 are Boman Catholics, 55 Presbyterians, 10 Baptists, 6 Wesleyans, and one is described as a Methodist, and another as Protestant. The information supplied as to the parents of these children shows that in 35 cases the condition of the children is traceable to misconduct on the part of the father and mother, in 89 other cases to that of the father, and in 65 others to that of the mother; in 118 cases death, sickness, or other trouble appears to be the sole cause of destitution; in l 4 cases such misfortune was at least in part the cause of destitution; and in_l9 cases there is not sufficient information to justify any conclusion. The following table will bear out this statement:—

TABLE U.—Committed Children classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character.

By section 17 of the Industrial Schools Act a parent having a child whom he is unable to control may obtain from a magistrate an order for the child's COJRmittal, on giving sufficient evidence and security for payment for the main--I—E. 3.

Mothers described as Children of Sick, t_ -, Lunatic, Doaa- Disabled, &c. .._ .- „ Not Of Good known Character or n0^ (or poor). statecL Of Bad Character. Deserters. Total. 'athers described as— Dead Sick, lunatic, disabled, &c. .. Of good character (or poor) .. Not known or not described .. Of bad character Deserters 36 1 22 5 20 16 1 8 16 1 7 6 10 1 17 1 2 L8 7 1 13 6 16 9 1G 2 20 20 17 11 1 3 3 3 _ 77 16 88 35 66 59 Totals .. 100 89 50 51 86 1.4 340

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tenance of the child. Of the 48 children committed under this clause last year 30 were committed by one magistrate, and 9by another; in some cases, 3, 4, or 5 children of one family were so committed, and no security was taken for maintenance, or the payment was fixed at a very low rate. The view of the Department is that such cases do not properly come under section 17, and the attention of the Minister of Justice has been called to the practice that has sprung up. While 340 children were committed, 220 names were removed from the roll, 208 being discharged by warrant under the hand of the Governor (the majority being returned to their friends), 4 having reached the age (21) at which the control of the school ceases, and 8 having died. Considering that more than 1,500 children belong to the schools, and that many of them are affected with hereditary disease and weakness, the number of deaths must be considered very small. The particulars are as follows : A boy, 2 years old, boarded-out in Auckland ; at Nelson, a boy, nearly 14 years old, drowned while bathing, and two girls, 6 and 8 years old; one boy from Burnham, aged 10, long in hospital with hip disease ; a boy from Burnham, aged 9, boarded-out, died from sunstroke ; an infant of 10 months, at Wanganui (nominally committed to Burnham) ; a boy, aged 12, at Caversham, of cramp and weak action of the heart. The increase in the number of children belonging to the schools is 120, being, of course, the difference between 340 admitted and 220 discharged; and the number belonging to the schools at the end of the year was 1,566. But, of this number, 267 were at service, 156 were with their friends on probation for discharge, 24 were absent from the schools or from service without leave, and 3 were in hospital; so that the number actually maintained by the institutions was 1,116, which exceeds the corresponding number for the previous year by 57. Pour of these children, being over the age of 15, were maintained by the institutions in which they resided, and no contribution was paid on their account by the Government. The following table shows the numbers maintained in connection with each institution, and the increase or decrease during the year : —

TABLE W.—Number of Committed Children maintained.

The number of children actually residing in the schools was much less than the number shown in this table. The actual residents were only 618, the rest being placed with foster-parents under the boarding-out scheme, as follows : From Auckland, 106 ; from Burnham, 207 ; from Caversham, 183 ; and from St. Joseph's, Wellington, 2 : that is, 498 in all. The actual number residing in the Government schools was : at Kohimarama, 61; Kent Street, 3 ; Burnham, 127 ; Caversham, 155. Of non-committed children in orphanages and industrial schools there were 169 at the end of 1884; 45 were received during the year, 47 were discharged, 4 were committed under the Industrial Schools Act, and 1 (a girl, 16 years old, belonging to St. Mary's, Nelson) died; so that there were 162 on the books at the end of the year, as follows: Kent Street, 5 (1 at service, and 4 boardedout); St. Mary's, Ponsonby, 3; St. Stephen's, Parnell, 14; Thames Orphange, 13; St. Joseph's, Wellington, 4; St. Mary's, Nelson, 13; Motueka Orphanage, 5 ; Lyttelton Orphanage, 103 ; Caversham, 2. The numbers at Lyttelton Orphanage show an increase of 22; at most of the other schools there was a decrease.

Doe., 1884. Increase Decrease. Dec, 1885. rovernment Schools — Auckland—Kohimarama , Kent Street Burnham Gaversham iocal School —• Thames Industrial School 'rivate Schools— St. Mary's, Ponsonby St. Joseph's, Wellington St. Mary's, Nelson 102 71 292 351 12 3 42 "6 13 105 65 334 338 12 50 16 165 9 25 3 47 25 190 Totals 1,059 79 22 1,116

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Of the 45 cases of admission, 21 are traceable to death, sickness, or other trouble; there are only 4 that are due to the misconduct of both parents ; in 2 others the mothers were in fault; in 12 others the fathers were of bad character; and in 6 cases the information is not sufficient to justify a conclusion. One of these children had been at a high school, and 27 at public schools; 13 had not been to .school (most of them being too young); and information is wanting in 4 cases. As to religion, 34 belong to the Church of England, 3 are Presbyterians, 1 is " Protestant," and no information was supplied with respect to the remainder (7). Under the operation of " The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885," all the non-committed children will now be cared for by the District Boards, instead of by the Government; and the Boards will pay for the maintenance of such of the Industrial School children as have been committed under the Industrial Schools Act simply as being destitute. The children at the " private schools " (St. Mary's, Ponsonby, St. Joseph's, Wellington, and St. Mary's, Nelson) were maintained at a cost to the Government of Is. a day for each child, paid by the Colonial Secretary's Department. The few (12) children at the one "local school," the Thames Industrial School, were maintained by an arrangement between the Borough Council and the Colonial Secretary's Department. The Thames Orphanage and the Lyttelton Orphanage were supported in the same way. The expenditure in 1885 (exclusive of building works) on account of the children belonging to the Government schools was as follows :—

TABLE X.—Cost of "Government Schools."

The average of the twelve monthly statements of the number of inmates was 384 children in the schools and 459 boarded-out, the total being 843. The general rate of payment for the boarded-out children is Is. a day, but as most of these children when committed are almost destitute of clothing, and must be provided with an outfit before they are sent to foster-parents, it is impossible to separate between the cost of those that remain in the institution and those that are boarded-out. During the year about 200 children were supplied with clothing on being sent out to board. Moreover, some items charged against the schools are for the travelling expenses of such children, and much of the time of officers of the institution is spent in attending to their affairs. The schools have also to bear the expenses of management involved in finding places of service for the older children that are no longer resident, and in looking after their wages and savings-banks accounts. The cost of the maintenance of each child is therefore not easy to ascertain. It can only be said that the total cost (£19,261 13s. 4d.) is equivalent to about £22 17s. for each of the 843 children of the average roll, or about Is. 3d. a day. Apart from the explained impossibility of separating the items of expenditure on the resident and boarded-out children respectively, and from a consideration of the fact that the £10,312 spent on the schools includes the cost of education for 384 inmates, the conclusion that might be drawn—-that each resident child costs the Government nearly £27 a year, and each boarded-out child £19 only—would be misleading. Probably the difference of expense either way is very small. A small proportion of the cost of maintaining these children is paid by parents under orders of Court; but such payments with all other recoveries amounted during the year to no greater sum than £1,080 9s. Id. The recoveries

School. Maintenance of School. Payments to Foster-parents. Total. .uckland iurnham laversham £ s. d. 2,404 7 11 4,587 17 1 3,320 6 3 £ s. a. 1,867 9 4 3,280 12 6 3,541 19 9 £ s. d. 4,271 17 3 7,868 9 7 6,802 6 0 Totals .. Salary and expenses of visiting officer.. 10,312 11 3 8,690 1 7 19,002 12 10 259 0 6 Total .. 19,261 13 4

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were—for Auckland, £443 Os. lOd. ; Burnham, £373 15s. lid. ; Caversham, £263 12s. 4d. The excess of the expenditure at Burnham over that at Caversham requires explanation. In the Burnham accounts a sum of £85 is entered for salaries of the preceding year; the excess in the expenses of travelling is £112, due to the distance of Burnham from Christchurch; about £300 has been spent on stock and farm with a view to future use; and an excess of about £625 in the expenditure on clothing appears to be due to the fact that the new manager has had to use great exertions to bring up the stock of clothing to a proper level. The outlay on buildings, which is not included in the foregoing statement, was £882 165., as follows: Caversham, £810 Bs. Bd., principally on account of the new school-room built to supply tbe place of the -old one that was destroyed by fire in 1884; Burnham, £36 19s. 6d. ; Auckland, £35 7s. lOd. Thanks are due to the ladies who visit all the boarded-out children and make a report on every case every month. It is proposed to arrange if possible for the extension of this system of visiting, so as to obviate the necessity of making inquiries through the police authorities as to the welfare of young people placed at service. It should be remarked that the police officials render very efficient aid to the Department, not only in making such inquiries, but also in tracing defaulting parents and obtaining payment from them.

« No. 2. Memoeandum by the Inspectoe-Genebal of Schools. The following is a statement of the number and status of the inmates of the industrial schools, using the word "inmates" in the sense given to it by the Industrial Schools Act, that is, asequivalent to " persons under the legal guardianship of the managers of industrial schools."j

"Inmates" of Industrial Schools, 31st December, 1885.

The number of committed children received into industrial schools and their precedent condition is shown in the following table :—

Precedent Condition of Children admitted in 1885.

Govt >rnment Schi >ols. Local Schools. :ivate Schools. All Schools. Inmates. Auc] [land. Burnham. Cavers sham. Thames. ft 5 a . a a Nelson. o .9 P. CD o B B. G. B. G. 15. G. B. | G. G. G. B. I G. jo. the schools .. ) 1 1 . - I 3oarded-out ../ i 'J-Lb'l Nith their friends .. H service "n hospital Ibsent without leave 63 66 22 26 1 40 8 29 1 95 112 23 59 32 95 17 27 1 91 98 45 65 64 85 27 38 1 4 8 47 6 7 23 2 2 108 '_ 4 82 8 6 361 276 93 160 257 222 63 107 3 1 618 498 156 267 S '<_ *6 10 'i i 23 3 24 Totals 183 299 172 306 215 8 61 27 91 913 653 1,566 79 10 115 61 27 1, 166

Government Schools. Local Schools. -ivate Schools. All Schools. Committed as Auckland. Burnham. Caver B. | G. B. | G. B. -sham. Thames. o a P. o to a . H a ■35 Nelson. co co o 3 4_> O B G. B. G. G. a, B. I G. destitute .. r agrant jiving in disreputable places Jncontrollablo J-uilty of punishable offences 'ransferred from other schools 9 4 53 36 33 1 .. 1 .. i 3 6 5 1 9 ; .. 22 5 6 1 ! 3 7 .. 8 ..10 2 1 .. .... 27 1 2 1 1 3 7 *5 11 3 21 6 5 1 2 5 15 2 3 117 11 12 32 27 7 103 2 18 16 2 2 220' 13 30 48 29 9 - " i 1 Totals .. J i 47 15 69 46 I 49 47 31 1 3 12 14 40 22 206 143 349 12 14

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The number removed from the control of the several schools during the year is stated in the next table: —

Discharges, Deaths, and Transfers in 1885.

Many individual changes have taken place in the condition of the committed children that have been on the books of the institutions for the whole year, as shown in the following table:—

Changes of Individual Condition in 1885.

For purposes of comparison with the preceding year the numbers both of the committed and of the non-committed children for 1884 and 1885 are given in the follow:ng table, without distinguishing the different schools :—

Numbers of 1884 and 1885 compared.

Wm. Jas. Habens.

No. 3. Dr. Purchas's Report on the Auckland Schools. Sir,— Auckland, 22nd May, 1886. I have the honour to report that the health of the children at the industrial schools at Kohimarama and in Kent Street during the past year has been remarkably good. The same may be said of the children who have been boarded-out in this district. There have been cases of sickness here and there, but no serious epidemic and no death.

Govi srnment Schi iol:l. Local Schools. Private Schools. All Schools. Bemoved by Auckland. Burnham. Caversham. Thames. . s. B.Q „° a P. O __ a . 3 el i-i o Nelson. _. >. o « 01 3 S 3 o H B. | G. B. G. B. G. B. | G. a. G. B. a. f arrant of discharge. >cath Varrant of transfer to other schools .Usi-iing tho age of 21 33 1 7 48 3 22 42 1 25 2 1 8 3 10 1 7 2 135 6 73 2 208 8 1 2 'a 0 2 7 2 2 2 9 4 Totals 37 9 57 24 43 25 2 I 8 3 11 9 150 229 79 8 3

Govi .rnme: it Schi )0lS. Local Schools. Private Schools. All Schools. Inmates on the 31st December, 1885. Aucl land. Burn: ham. Caversham. Thames. o a Ph o DO Nelson. OT __ o .9 n © O EO Q fi a © u 9 g B. B. I G. B. I G. I G. B. G. B. I G. G. G. 'laced out to board teturned from boardingout 33 16 41 38 25 21 2 99 77 176 4 1 2 2 7 13 13 16 29 lent to friends teturned from friends .. 14 1 3 2 6 1 8 22 2 8 2 5 1 2 2 3 44 4 29 5 73 9 14' lent to service teturned from service .. 9 1 7 1 22 2 7 3 22 1 13 4 i 4 1 4 6 61 4 37 I 6 98 10 lent to hospital teturned from hospital.. 'i 1 1 1 1 1 Lbsconded teturned after absconding 2 2 1 1 1 4 1 2 6 1

Inmates. 1884. 1885. Increase or Decrease. lommitted— In the schools Boarded-out With their friends At service In hospital Absent without leave Ion-committed— In the schools Boarded-out At service 675 384 163 201 4 19 618 498 156 267 3 24 - 57 + 114 - 7 + 66 1 + 5 161 8 157 4 1 - 4 - 4 + 1 Totals 1,728 1,615 + 113

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On the occasions of my inspection of the school at Kohimarama I have found the buildings clean and tidy, and the boys generally as healthy in appearance as one could reasonably expect considering the previous history of most of them. The supply of water is now good, and the culinary appliances are much improved. The site of the school is in some respects very suitable, but the buildings are not altogether desirable. In the event of a new lease being obtained I trust that many improvements will be made. At the time of my last quarterly inspection on the 30th March there were sixty boys on the list, of whom nine were away fishing; it was between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, and therefore during playtime. There are one or two boys at this school who are of weak intellect, and therefore would be better placed at an asylum for idiots than among the ordinary class of boys at an industrial school. I think it would also be desirable that boys of decidedly criminal habits should be sent to a reformatory, and not be allowed to live together with children who have been left to the care of the State because of the death or misfortune of their parents. The home in Kent Street (known as Walmsley House), under the charge of Miss Jackson, is always in thorough order, and seems completely to answer the purpose for which it is maintained, namely, as a receiving-house for girls and young children for the time that may elapse from their committal until suitable homes can be found for them. Nothing can exceed the care and attention of the matron. The boarding-out of the children has I think been attended with great success. As far as my observation enables me to judge, the children are well cared for, happy, and thriving. In cases where sickness has occurred I have no reason to complain of the nursing. In one case of severe illness I considered it desirable to have the little girl removed for a shoi't time to Kent Street, and I have no doubt that the change accelerated her recovery. I have, &c, A. G. Purchas, M.R.C.S. Eng. The Secretary, Education Department, Wellington.

No. 4. Dr. Prins's Report on Burnham School. Sir, — Christchurch, May, 1886. I have the honour to forward the following report on the industrial school at Burnham for the year ending the 30th April, 1886. The number admitted from the Ist May, 1885, to the 30th April, 1886, was —boys, 71; girls 34. The number discharged was —boys, 35; girls, 20. One boy died in the Christchurch Hospital. The institution, has during the year been kept in a very clean and orderly condition, and the master has displayed a thorough knowledge of the duties required of him. The health of the inmates has been generally good. I append a return of those treated in the Christchurch Hospital. Since my last report the necessary additions and alterations to the buildings have been completed. A more complete and plentiful water-supply has also been provided. These improvements have added materially to the comfort of the inmates. For the purpose of guarding against the risk of fire a small manual fire-engine has been purchased. The matron has been at considerable pains to make the different rooms as homely and comfortable as possible. The windows have been curtained, and the walls have been brightened by the addition of a number of fresh pictures. The matron has established an evening class for girls. The time is pleasantly and usefully spent in conversation and in examining and explaining the illustrated papers. Those children who have been boarded-out with foster-parents have also been free from any serious illness. With reference to the boarding-out system I desire to remark that the more I see of it the more I feel convinced of its advantages. I have invariably advocated the boardingout principle; and I feel myself justified, seeing how admirably it has worked up to the present, in strongly urging the authorities the importance of extending the system. I am pleased to state that the master is endeavouring, by procuring an instructor, to bring the band into a state of efficiency again. In conclusion, I can confidently bear testimony to the efficient manner in which the master, matron, and their assistants have fulfilled the duties intrusted to them. They are certainly to be commended for the very great pains they take to render the inmates comfortable and happy, and at the same time to cause them to conform strictly to the rules of the institution. I have, &c, H. H. Prins, M.R.C.S. Eng. The Minister of Education, Wellington.

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List of Children admitted to Christchurch Hospital from Burnham School, from 1st May, 1885, to 30th April, 1886.

No. 5. Dr. Burns's Report on Caversham School. Sir,— Dunedin, 29th May, 1886. In furnishing my annual report I have much pleasure in recording that we have experienced another fortunate year as regards the sanitary condition of the school and inmates, one death only having occurred in the school out of an average number of 160; this was a boy aged twelve years, a delicato, scrofulous child whose general condition had often caused anxiety, and had induced me some months previously to send him to the Dunedin Hospital, from which he returned to us apparently improved. No other serious illness occurred during the year. I have peculiar pleasure in recording this pleasant state of affairs, as my duty had compelled me frequently to put on record my opinion that what illness we had resulted from the attempt —well meant, but impracticable-—of combining the foundling hospital with the industrial school. And now that the boarding-out system has taken the place of the latter department— all children under ten years of age being now placed out under proper regulations with private families—l see every reason to hope that, epidemic illness apart, our children will continue to enjoy the same immunity from sickness and display the same robust health and high spirits which now characterize them. I have, &c, Rorebt Burns, F.R.C.S.E., Medical Officer to the School. The Secretary for Education. [Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, nil; printing (1,550 copies), -35 9s. 6d._

Authority : George Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBSG.

Date of Admission. Age. Disease Date of Discharge. Remarks. :6th October, 1885 iOth !8th March, 1886 iOth April, 7th June, 1883 14 Ulcerated finger 14 Scrofula 8 Pneumonia 6 Tonsillitis .. 7 Strumous disease of knee .. 24th October, 1885 .. 25th April," 1886 .. 11th June, 1885 Under treatment. With foster-parents. .. Dead. Eemaining from .revious ■oar, 1; admitted, 4 ; dischari ;ed, 2 ; died, 1 ; remainini in hos" >ital, 2.