EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-3, 1899.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1900 Session I, E-03

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1900. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-3, 1899.]

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

No. 1. EXTRACT FROM THE TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. At the end of 1899 there were on the books of all the industrial schools 1,668 inmates, or 114 more than at the end of the previous year-—namely, 57 more on the books of the Government schools, and 57 more on those of the private industrial schools. Although all these 1,668 are legally classed as " inmates of industrial schools," only 590 were actually resident in the schools. There were 417 boarded out, 21 in various corrective institutions, and 5 in orphan homes: that is, there were 1,033 who were dependent on the State for* maintenance. The remaining 635 were still under control and supervision, although they were not dependent on the schools for maintenance ; these were accounted for as follows : Licensed to reside with friends, 138 ; at service, 453 ; in hospital, 7 ; in lunatic asylum, 2 ; in the Costley Training Institution, on probation, 1; in the Auckland Blind Asylum, 1 ; in the Sumner Deaf-mute Institute, 1; in other institutions without payment, 7 ; in gaol, 4; absent without leave, 21 (11 from the schools, and 10 from service). Of those thus absent without leave, 11 were included in the number missing on the 31st December, 1898. Out of the total number of 1,668 " inmates," 560 belonged to private industrial schools, and 1,108 were on the books of the three Government industrial schools—viz., Auckland, 89; Burnham, 524; Caversham, 495. Of those belonging to private schools (560), 390 were in residence at the institutions, 9 were boarded out, 69 were with friends, and 81 at service. The number in residence at the Government industrial schools was 200 (Auckland, 9 ; Burnham, 104 ; Caversham, 87); the number boarded out was 408 (Auckland, 44 ; Burnham, 158; Caversham, 206); there were 69 with friends, and 'M 2 were at service.

TABLE T.—Inmates, 1898 and 1899.

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Boarded oui Residence. At Service, &c. Totals. I I I n m q g CO 6 P CO c~. a; 6 CD p a3 to a t—I 03 CS d CO a n «■ s g « £ a q a CO 35 GO 6 Q iS p CO iH p rovernment Schools — Auckland Burnham Caversham 'rivate Sohools — St. Mary's, Auckland St. Joseph's, Wellington St. Mary's, Nelson St. Vincent de Paul's, South Dunedin 41 171 191 2 3 6 3 15 18 2 44 158 206 3 6 11 92 78 78 64 245 5 12 9 18 2 9 104 87 96 51 229 14 27 233 207 15 21 64 9 29 14 7 37 3 "b 36 262 202 29 28 101 3 79 496 476 95 88 315 5 10 28 19 30 89 524 495 125 82 336 17 13 16 21 12 6 9 Totals .. 15 417 573 48 31 590 567 99 5 661 120 6 1,668 414 18 1,554

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Want of parental control (c) might often be lessened by bringing home to parents their responsibilities towards their children. It is not therefore desirable to diminish the burden of maintenance, or to take away from parents the duty of control, so long as there is any reason to hope that the evil will cure itself without depriving the child of its natural guardianship. For the most part the course of juvenile delinquency passes through the following stages: — (1.) The acquiring of nomadic habits, exhibited in truancy and vagrancy; (2.) Petty thefts and other isolated offences against property; (3.) More serious and habitual offences against property and offences against the person. These stages correspond to successive periods of physical and moral development, that may be described as —the period of childhood, eight or nine to thirteen or fourteen; the period of growth towards maturity, thirteen or fourteen to sixteen; and the period of maturity, fifteen or sixteen to twentyfive.

In the great majority of cases young criminals begin by becoming accustomed to a nomadic life, and the greatest blow to juvenile delinquency would be dealt by stopping this at the outset. Too much emphasis cannot be laid on the necessity for preventing children from acquiring the nomadic habit. Day industrial schools (or truant schools) would afford a good means of stopping incipient nomadism, without lessening the responsibility of parents. A greater stringency of the compulsory clauses of the School Attendance Act, and a substantial increase of the fines for irregular attendance and habitual truancy, would bring home to parents the duty that, through weakness or neglect, they too often overlook, and the danger their children are running. The truant schools should be staffed more fully, and with adult teachers only. Children whose school attendance was unsatisfactory could be committed to a truant school instead of being committed to an industrial school, or could be sent to a truant school even when committed to an industrial school, as a first attempt towards improvement. The parent would thus still have the onus of maintaining and controlling his child thrown upon him, and the lesson learnt would often be sufficient. Sometimes distaste for school or for any mental effort affords the first incentive to truancy; the instruction in these schools should therefore be shaped as far as possible so as to overcome that objection on the part of the child. If marked improvement were shown, a child could be sent back after a short time to the ordinary public school. It should be distinctly understood that the teacher of the truant school has duties and powers out of school hours, as well as in. It would be his duty to visit the homes, to ascertain the cause of absence, and to report at once any truancy or irregularity of attendance. Children for whom this remedy proved insufficient could be committed, as now, to an industrial school. There is no doubt that the establishment of truant schools would result in a saving to the country, as we should thereby prevent many from taking the first step on the road to crime. If contributions from parents of children committed to industrial schools were more strictly required and enforced, so that negligent or weak parents could not hope to be relieved of the burden of maintenance on account of their neglect or inability to exercise due control, then the warning given by the milder measure of committal to a truant school would be more likely to be effective (cases of pure destitution are, of course, not here referred to). The key-note of the most recent and intelligent methods of dealing with juvenile delinquents is classification, and the classification should be as complete as circumstances allow, beginning before any criminal signs have appeared. We have, therefore, the distinction between the orphanage and the industrial school, between the industrial school and the reformatory, and between the reformatory and the prison or the rescue-home. For the orphanage we have substituted the boarding-out system. The industrial schools, which would probably be most successful if separate institutions were provided for the two sexes, should contain those who need firm control and systematic treatment but who cannot be

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It is now eighteen years since the Industrial Schools Act was passed, and there is no doubt that by means of the powers granted therein an immense amount of good has been done for the "children of the State," and therefore for the State itself. But the time seems to have arrived when the working of the Act and other questions connected with the care of orphan, destitute, neglected, and criminal children may be passed under review. The ideas set forth by Mr. Douglas Morrison ("Juvenile Delinquency"), and by other writers, have changed many of the opinions formerly current in regard to these matters; but in this colony these ideas require some modification in view of the almost entire absence of a hereditarjr criminal class, and in view of other circumstances in respect of which New Zealand happily differs from older countries. Children that come under the care of the State may be roughly classified as— (1.) Those who are orphans or those who are simply destitute, without any other abnormal characteristics. The duty of the State towards these appears to be that it shall take the place of a parent, and accordingly put them as far as possible in the same circumstances as those in which they would have been placed if they had had parents capable of bringing them up in a normal manner. Boarding-out to carefully chosen foster-parents, under due restrictions, seems at once the most natural and most satisfactory method of dealing with these cases. (2.) Those that exhibit various degrees of juvenile delinquency, including, of course, those who, being orphan or destitute or both, have not escaped a perceptible taint of evil. And it may be remarked here that the destitute child is mo*e frequently than not of this class. Unfortunately juvenile delinquency has not shown a marked decrease of late years in any civilised country, but in most countries it has, on the contrary, increased. I. Its causes are to some extent the same as those that operate in the case of adult crime, and the problem cannot be attacked as a wdiole without dealing with the conditions that produce crime in modern society. The chief external causes of juvenile crime are, — (a.) The stress of the struggle of life; (b.) Bad hygienic surroundings, and consequent inferior physique; (c.) The temptations that result from overcrowding, and from the greater facilities for committing petty thefts with impunity that exist in towns as compared with the country. General considerations and the statistics of our industrial schools alike tend to show that causes (a) and (6) are far less operative in New Zealand than in older countries ; but (c) is an important factor, inasmuch as the tendency to flock into the towns from the country is not unknown as a feature of the life of these young countries. 11. The more immediate causes of juvenile depravity are, — (d.) Inherited low physical and moral nature; (c.) Weakness and want of control on part of parents, commonly producing as its fruit absence of self-control on the part of children; (/.) The neglect and bad example of parents. The causes we have principally to deal with are therefore (c), (d), (c), (f). Of these causes (c), and therefore also (b) and (d), would be partly met— (1.) By any remedy that so ameliorated the economic condition of the rural population that they would not be tempted to forsake the comparative wholesomeness of the country for the temptations and vicissitudes of the towns (this is the form in which the case is stated by Morrison : in New Zealand the great loneliness of country life in remote places, the absence of opportunities for reasonable recreation, the greater attractiveness of town life, and to some extent, perhaps, also the too exclusively bookish training given in our public schools are causes of the influx into the towns that actually takes place). (2.) By removing back into the country those who are in danger of succumbing to the temptations and vicissitudes of the towns,

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described as criminal or criminally disposed. The reformatories should contain those who are viciously uncontrollable, or are criminally disposed, or who are actually criminals too young for prison treatment. These must be separate for the two sexes. It has been suggested that children (vagrant, uncontrollable, &c.) who have been convicted of any indictable offence might be committed to an industrial school up to the age of fourteen; but that no one should be detained as a resident inmate of an industrial school after the age of fifteen, except for brief periods, as when being transferred from one employer to another, unless he or she be physically unfit for work. Any one between the ages of ten and eighteen convicted of an indictable offence should be committed to a reformatory, with or without a previous sentence of imprisonment; notwithstanding this, children under twelve convicted of indictable offences, but not previously convicted, might be sent to an industrial school, unless it should appear that they had already become habitual criminal offenders. All children or young persons committed to industrial schools or reformatories should be under control until the age of twenty-one, unless discharged earlier. Inmates of reformatories might within the first six months be transferred to industrial schools, and inmates of industrial schools might at any time be transferred to reformatories. These precautions would be necessary in order to secure a classification based upon character, for the order of committal is by no means a reliable index of the character of the inmate. Inmates of prisons under eighteen years of age might be transferred to reformatories. In both industrial schools and reformatories there should be further classification ; in the former the classification may be on the basis of age, and need not amount to complete separation. The classification in a reformatory should be thorough; there should be at least three classes, and promotion from class to class and early release should depend on good conduct and diligence in learning a trade. The lowest class would be governed by rules which resemble prison rules, but the educative purpose of the institution should even there be the most prominent. The planning of the building would be an important point, so as to fit in with the classification. The training in both industrial schools and reformatories should be really industrial; a boy or a girl should be so taught that a taste for manual employment should be acquired, and a trade properly learnt, or the learning of it properly begun. Several trades should be taught, and each reformatory should be to a large extent self-supporting. Farming and other country occupations may be looked upon as the most important of all " trades " for children of this class. And, reverting to the causes of all the evils we are attacking, effort should constantly be made to direct the attention of inmates towards a country life, except in cases where there was an obvious unfitness for such a life. To give concrete form to these ideas, one might suggest for New Zealand some such scheme as the following :— (1.) Day industrial or truant schools—to begin with, one in each of the four large towns; (2.) Two industrial schools— (a) For boys, with 50 to 100 acres of good land; (b) for girls; (3.) Two reformatories — (a) For boys; (6) for girls; and (4.) That trades (including agriculture) should be taught; (5.) That fuller supervision should be exercised over boarded-out children and inmates licensed out to friends or employers; and (6.) That receiving-homes should be established in places at a distance from the industrial schools. It is on these lines that the Government has been proceeding during the past year. When the changes are completed, there will be a reformatory for boys at Burnham; a reformatory for girls near Christchurch; an industrial school for girls at Caversham; an industrial school for boys in the south of the North Island; an auxiliary industrial school for girls and young boys at Auckland; receiving-homes for girls and young boys at Wellington and Christchurch.

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Up to the present time (July, 1900) the following progress has been made : A suitable property has been bought by the Grovernment at Mount Albert, near Auckland; the Auckland Industrial School has been transferred there, and is in full working order. A house, with nine acres of land, has been taken on a ten years' lease, with the right of purchase, at Burwood, near Christchurch ■(" Te Oranga Home "); the necessary alterations have been effected, the staff has been appointed, and.the home will be opened very shortly. All the girls have been removed from Burnham, to which boys needing a larger degree of control have been sent from Caversham. The " industrial-school boys " proper at Burnham occupy the quarters formerly assigned to the girls, and are kept as distinct as possible from the "reformatory boys." The " industrial-school boys" from Burnham and Caversham will be transferred to the new industrial school as soon as it is ready. An official correspondent has been appointed for the purpose of looking after industrial-school inmates boarded out and industrialschool girls licensed to service in the Wellington District. There were already official correspondents at Christchurch and Dunedin, and the manager of the Auckland Industrial School performs these duties in addition to her other duties. The Visiting Officer of industrial-school inmates having found the work too heavy to allow him to see the inmates frequently enough, a second Visiting Officer has been appointed to visit inmates boarded out or licensed to friends or employers in various parts of the colony. Negotiations for the receiving-homes at Wellington and Christchurch are almost completed, and the homes will be opened shortly. These homes are intended for the temporary accommodation of children committed to industrial schools (not of reformatory cases), and of industrial-school girls who have left the service of one employer and are waiting for another situation. One important purpose to be served by these receiving-homes is that children may be boarded out or licensed out to service in the districts to which they belong without having to be transferred (except in reformatory cases) from one part of the colony to the other. Technical instructors have been appointed at Burnham, and the same course will be followed, as occasion arises, at the other main institutions. Except where it is shown that an inmate boarded out is receiving a due amount of industrial training, it is proposed to remove him, at the age of twelve or thirteen, for two years to the institution to which he belongs, in order that he may be properly taught a trade. These remarks apply to Grovernment industrial schools (including reformatories). It is, however, desirable that the organization of the private schools should be modified, if necessary, so that they may fall into line with the general scheme, and be controlled by the same general regulations. It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulty in accomplishing this. The principle of punishing the parent for the consequences of his neglect to exercise due control over his children is recognised in the Young Persons Protection Bill. The same principle might, with advantage, be extended to cases in which want of parental control brings a child within the Industrial Schools Act or any other similar Act— e.g., Eeformatory Act—that may be passed. During the year 1899 113 inmates passed out of the control of the schools, namely: Discharged, 79; having reached the age of twenty-one years, 17; by transfer to the Costley Training Institution, 8; by marriage, 1; by death, 8. Of the eight deaths three were those of resident inmates—two girls, one from tubercular meningitis, and one from pneumonia, at St. Mary's, Auckland, and one girl at St. Mary's, Nelson, from pneumonia; three were deaths of inmates licensed to parents or friends —viz., one girl from pneumonia, one from pulmonary consumption, and one boy from cardiac disease; two were boys licensed to service—one from pneumonia, the other, from blood-poisoning. Table U gives the fullest details available regarding the character of the parents of children admitted during the year and in respect to the causes of committal. It cannot be regarded as accurate in every detail; more especially as to the causes of committal it should be noted, as remarked in last year's report, that

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the clause under which a child is sent to an industrial school is by no means a reliable index of the child's moral character. The religion of the 227 children admitted during the year was thus described : Church of England, 79 ; Boman Catholic, 86 ; Presbyterian, 48 ; Methodist, 9 ; " Protestant," 4; Salvation Army, 1. Out of the total number, 53 were from Dunedin, 51 from Auckland, 32 from Wellington, and 12 from Christchurch, or 148 in all from the four chief centres of population. Of the smaller towns, Greymouth is rather prominent with 22 committals; the committals from other small towns and country districts are in every case under 10 in number.

TABLE U. —Admissions, classified according to Parents' Circumstances and Character, 1899.

The balance in the Post-Office Savings-Bank on 31st December, 1899, on account of the earnings of inmates on the books of Government industrial schools was ,£11,115 os. 5d., and on account of inmates belonging to private schools £1,411 14s. Id. The amount withdrawn during the year for inmates of Government schools was £625 7s. lid., and for inmates of private schools £27 9s. Table W shows the expenditure on the Government schools, including the cost of inmates boarded out, the salaries of the resident staffs, of the medical officers, of two official correspondents, and of the visiting officer of boarded-out and service inmates ; the table also gives the amounts of the recoveries from Charitable Aid Boards, from parents, from the sale of farm produce, &c.

TABLE W.—Expenditure on Government Schools, 1899.

'recede! it Condi ition of Childrei admitl ;ed in II )0. 43 ft © m P °* o hi 6 3 CS o ■m +4 a o O a b O © £ © © 0X1 _ <a © m 03—1 S Pi o a 3* © g © CD P M o .0 2 fcH 43 - o - U **= © ©<q Total. Fathers, described as Mothers, described as 6 0 to © P a S )ead lick, lunatic, &o. .. Sood Jnknown Dead Good Unknown Bad Good Bad Dead Sick, lunatic, &c. Good Bad Good Unknown Bad Deserter Dead Sick, lunatic, &c. Good Bad Dead Good Bad Deserter 10 5 4 2 8 1 7 1 2 1 8 i "2 i 1 16 2 10 10 i i 5 "i 1 2 5 1 3 2 3 20 2 i 1 1 i 12 12 1 25 5 2 19 4 31 14 3 4 19 1 4 1 5 45 8 6 5 1 Sad" 2 1 2 1 4 2 19 7 5 3 1 3 1 19 "2 )eserter i 1 i i Totals 83 11 60 15 55 2 227

School. Gross Cost of School. Cost of boarding out. (Included in preceding column.) Salaries of School Staff. (Included in first column.) Recoveries. Net Cost. Auckland Burnham Caversham £ s. d. 1,345 17 1 6,871 13 0 7,671 9 8 £ s. d. 688 0 8 2,580 14 9 3,167 2 8 £ s. d. 157 10 7 950 18 7 926 16 2 & b. a. £ s. a. 357 0 1 988 17 0 1,636 15 7 I 5,234 17 5 3,651 8 8 ! 4,020 1 0 Totals .. 15,888 19 9 6,435 18 1 2,035 5 4 5,645 4 4 | 10,243 15 5 ialary and expenses of Visiting Officer Jontingenoies 362 4 3 9 9 1 Total .. £10,615 8 9

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In Table X are shown the payments made by Government on account of inmates in private industrial schools, the recoveries, and the net expenditure by Government. The contributions from Charitable Aid Boards to these schools, being made directly to the managers, are not included in the recoveries shown.

TABLE X.—Government Expenditure on Private Schools (R.C.), 1899.

During 1899, inmates were maintained in four other institutions, and the expenditure on this account was as follows : Mission Home, Jerusalem, Wanganui (Mother Aubert's), £124 165.; St. Mary's, Bichmond, Christchurch, £45 lis. 5d.; Samaritan Home, Christchurch, £3 9s. ; Mount Magdala, Christchurch, £208 os. lid. * —-—^^———

No. 2. ADDITIONAL STATISTICS. "Inmates," 31st December, 1899.

Admitted during 1899.

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School. Payments. Recoveries. Net Expenditure by Government. St. Mary's, Auckland St. Joseph's, Wellington St. Mary's, Nelson St. Vincent de Paul's, Dunedin £ s. d. 1,124 6 0 433 10 0 1,888 15 6 9 19 £ s. d. 33 17 4 61 3 2 333 5 8 £ S. d. 1,090 8 8 372 6 10 1,555 9 10 9 19 Totals 3,455 13 3 428 6 2 3,027 7 1

Go'ernment Sc] lools. :ivat< Schools. .11 Sch( )ols. Inmates. lAuckland.i Burnham. Caversham. St. Mary's, Auckland.| Pa a o t/3 4. o-a 4= St. Mary's, fl § Nelson. f>Pn B. j G. G. I 44' a S ■f4 o 4, P4 6 o o B. I G. B. G. B. G. B. G. o pq w H b "3 o EH A m 1-5 G. In the schools Boarded out With friends At service In hospital In Costley Training Institution In lunatic asylums In Blind Asylum, Auckland In school for deafmutes Under control of refuges or cognate institutions In Ophanage Cot-tage-home, &o. In gaol .. Absent without leave 27 9 17 2 23 2 74 93 38 112 3 30 65 8 66 55 112 11 90 1 32 94 10 78 43 53 51 3 8 20 151 2 46 35 1 78 4 6 6 14 323 234 96 244 5 1 267 183 42 209 2 590 417 138 453 7 1 190 398 66 350 6 1 399 19 72 103 1 1 i 4 s 16 3 *3 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 "l 2 1 1 1 1 2 17 8 1 28 28 24 4 1 4 1 4 5 5 i 2 12 3 ~2 2 2 i 4 20 i 4 21 2 16 2 5 Totals 34 55 334 273 50 75 82 95 932 736 1,668 1,060 190 222 241 17 607 1 89 524] 495 125 1, 168 1, .68

Government Schi iols. Pri Lvate Schools. All Schoi )ls. Admitted as Auckland. Burnham. Caversham. St. Mary's, Auckland. Pa a o St. Mary's, Nelson. ©■-« W \ B. G. B. G B. G. 03 CC o .3 n a ... B. G. G. B. G. 4J o H G. )estitute iegging .. r agrant jiving in disreputable places Incontrollable .ccused or guilty of punishable offences Sy arrangement .. inaer "InfantLife Protection Aot, 1896 " Totals 7 4 5 5 23 14 13 1 11 48 35 83 1 3 2 6 3 2 1 3 8 6 17 "i 8 2 2 2 5 3 9 10 2 4 1 7 1 7 7 7 29 11 43 4 31 4 12 11 60 15 55 6 i 8 2 1 2 1 2 1 19 10 41 23 34 18 17 17 29 8 140 227 11 87 17

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Discharges in 1899.

No. 3. MEDICAL OFFICERS' REPORTS. Auckland. Sir,— Auckland, 4th May, 1900. In reporting on the health of the children belonging to the Auckland Industrial School, I am. glad to say that there has been no serious epidemic during the past year. One death occurred, that of a little girl who died in hospital from memoptysis, the result of lung-disease of long standing. Among the boarded-out children there have not been many cases requiring attention, and in the school the health of the inmates has generally been good. One girl returned for a time in consequence of the occurrence of a severe abscess near the seat of previous disease. She went back to the country, having been greatly relieved by treatment, but will require further operation at an early period. The approaching removal of the school to a new site will, I trust, prove beneficial. I am, &c, A. G. Purchas, M.E.C.S., England, The Secretary for Education, Wellington. Medical Officer.

Canterbury. Sir,— Christchurch, 10th July, 1900. I have the honour to submit the following report on the Burnham Industrial School for 1899 :— There has been no illness of any serious character during the year. The average number of boys attended to at each of my monthly visits has been eighteen, and the average number of girls attended to has been six. Five boys and two girls have been sent to hospital, the only case worth mentioning being E-— G , who had a slight attack of typhoid fever. The school dietary is excellent in both quality and quantity, but the milk-supply might be increased with advantage. The best means to do this would be to grow lucerne with the aid of irrigation, and for this a larger supply from the water-race is required. All the water for the school has to be pumped to a high reservoir by hand-labour, which is rather hard work for the boys. For this purpose, as well as heating the baths and the laundry, I think a steam-boiler is required. Steam-pumps of the pulsometer type are entirely automatic, and require no attention. I wish to testify to a marked improvement in. the general discipline of the school during the past year. I am., &c, The Secretary for Education. W. H. Symes, M.D.

rovi irnmem [S. 'rivi ioo! Is. too] Is. Removed by Auckland. Burnham, Caversham. pa t/3 B ca St. Mary's, Nelson. B. G. B. | G. B. G. B. G. B. G. o n W 3 44 O EH G. Warrant of discharge .. .. 1 3 )eath .. .. .. 'o Costley Institute .. .. 8 leached age of twenty-one years ' larriage .. .. .. j .. .. I f i 9 8~ Totals .. .. \ \- , —_- (l 12 I 15 3 *2 17 6 1 13 12 2 "i 15 16 31 3 2 2 2 2 10 3 1 "l 39 3 8 4 40 5 is l i .. ! 20~ 24 5 5 6 10 5 54 ! i i 59 li / ro 1899 Numbers IF !• !98 a: (OMPARED. Inmates. 1899. 1898. Increase or Decrease. [n the schools .. .. .. Boarded out With friends It service in hospital .. [n lunatic asylum [n gaol [n Blind Asylum, Auckland .. \t Costley Institute .. Jnder control of refuges or cognate institutions.. Orphanage Cottage-home, &c. In school for deaf-mutes Absent without leave 573 414 97 412 3 3 590 417 138 453 7 2 4 1 1 28 5 1 21 + 17 + 3 + 41 + 41 + 4 - 1 + 4 1 3 25 - 2 + 3 + 5 + 1 - 2 23 Totals 1,554 + 114 1,668

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Otago.

Sir,— Dunedin, April, 1900. I have the honour to present you with my annual report regarding the health of the inmates of this school. At this time last year the buildings were being added to, and the improvement in the looks of the girls since their completion is very noticeable. I can only express my hope that the wants of the boys will be soon attended to. As usual when we are not visited by any epidemic, the ailments of the children have been slight, and easily yielding to treatment. One case of scarlet fever cropped up, but every care was taken to strictly isolate the boy, and no other case occurred. I had the same experience in the case of a girl boarded out in one of the suburbs. It was the most malignant case I have seen for years, complicated with diphtheria. The foster-mother isolated herself along with the child, who made a good recovery. The average number of inmates resident throughout the year was eighty—forty-nine boys, thirty-one girls. The general tone of the school is everything that could be desired. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Eobert Burns, F.B.C.S. Ed.

No. 4. EXAMINATION REPORTS. St. Mary's Industrial School, Auckland. Ponsonby Branch (Girls) (examined 20th December, 1899). Presented: Standard V., 6 ; Standard IV., 5; Standard 111., 7 ; Standard 11., 12; Standard 1., 16; Preparatory, 17. Examined in Standards : Standard V., 6 ; Standard IV., 5 ; Standard 111., 7; Standard 11., 11; Standard 1., 16. Passed: Standard V., 6 ; Standard IV., 5 ; Standard 111., 7; Standard 11., 11; Standard 1., 16. Note on the passes in Standards I. and 11. : Quite satisfactory. Class-subjects. —Grammar, satisfactory; history, satisfactory; geography (of Standard II.), good; elementary science, object-lessons, &c, fair; mental arithmetic, moderate. Additional Subjects. —Bepetition and recitation, good ; drill and exercises, not taught; singing, satisfactory; needlework, very good; comprehension of the language of reading-lessons, good. Instruction of Preparatory Class. —Very satisfactory progress has been made in reading, writing, spelling, and very elementary arithmetic. The general tone, order, discipline, and behaviour of the school are very good indeed. John S. Goodwin, Inspector.

Takapuna Branch (Boys) (examined 21st December, 1899). Presented: Standard V., 1; Standard IV., 6 ; Standard 111., 11; Standard 11., 14; Standard 1., 14; Preparatory, 21. Examined in Standards: Standard V., 1; Standard IV., 6; Standard 111., 11; Standard 11., 14; Standard 1., 14. Passed : Standard V., 1; Standard IV., 4; Standard 111., 6 ; Standard 11., 14 ; Standard 1., 14. Note on the passes in Standards I. and II.: Satisfactory. Class-subjects. —Grammar, satisfactory; history, not taught; geography (of Standard II.), good; elementary science, object-lessons, &c, not taught; mental arithmetic, fair. Additional Subjects. —Bepetition and recitation, satisfactory; drill and exercises, not taught; singing, satisfactory; needlework, not taught; comprehension of the language of reading-lessons, very satisfactory. Instruction of Preparatory Classes. —The children are making satisfactory progress in reading, spelling, writing, and elementary arithmetic. The general tone, order, discipline, and behaviour are very good indeed. John S. Goodwin, Inspector.

St. Joseph's Industrial School, Wellington.—Examined 18th and 21st August, 1899. Presented: Above Standard VI., 3; Standard VI., 8; Standard V., 15; Standard IV., 10 Standard 111., 27 ; Standard 11., 29 ; Standard 1., 16; Preparatory, 33. Examined in Standards Standard VI., 8; Standard V., 15; Standard IV., 10; Standard 111., 23; Standard 11., 29 Standard 1., 16. Passed: Standard VI., 8; Standard V., 12 ; Standard IV., 6 ; Standard 111., 20; Standard 11., 21; Standard 1., 16. Instruction of Preparatory Classes. —Two candidates passed Standard VII. In accordance with Mr. Lee's inspection report of the 13th March, our examination was held for the purpose of classification only. T. B. J lnspectorB .

St. Mary's Industrial School, Nelson Boys' School (examined 23rd and 24th October, 1899). Presented: Standard VI., 5; Standard V., 18; Standard IV., 21; Standard 111., 36; Standard 11., 28; Standard 1., 8; Preparatory, 20. Examined in Standards: Standard VI., 5; Standard V., 18; Standard IV., 21; Standard 111., 36; Standard 11., 28; Standard 1., 8. Passed : 2—E. 3.

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Standard VI., 3; Standard V., 10; Standard IV., 21; Standard 111., 23; Standard 11., 24 Standard 1., 8. Note on the passes in Standards I. and 11. : Satisfactory. {'lass-subjects. —Grammar, fair; history, satisfactory; geography (of Standard II.), fair; elementary science, object-lessons, &c. —object-lessons nil, science fair; mental arithmetic fair. Additional Subjects. —Bepetition and recitation, moderate ; drill and exercises, none ; singing, very good ; comprehension of the language of reading-lessons, moderate. Instruction of Preparatory Class. —Satisfactory. The Fourth Standard produced the best results, not a single boy being unequal to the tests applied, the arithmetic being particularly correct. In spelling the Sixth and Fifth did good work, as did also the Fourth in the one book prepared. The writing in Class V. was somewhat rough, but in the other classes satisfactory, as was also the drawing. Object-lessons had not been given to the junior classes, but the elders had acquired a fair knowledge of the science taken up—viz., agricultural chemistry. It is to be regretted that military drill now forms no part of the course of instruction. The vocal music, as heretofore, was of a high order of merit. W. Ladley, Inspector.

Girls' School (examined 4th and sth December, 1899). Presented: Standard VI., 5; Standard V., 9; Standard IV., 16; Standard 111., 10; Standard 11., 10; Standard 1., 9; Preparatory, 21. Examined in Standards : Standard VI., 5 ; Standard V., 9; Standard IV., 16; Standard III"., 10; Standard 11., 10; Standard 1., 9. Passed: Standard VI., 5; Standard V., 7; Standard IV., 12; Standard 111., 9; Standard 11., 10; Standard 1., 9. Note on the passes in Standards I. and 11. : Satisfactory. Class-subjects. —Grammar, inferior; history, good; geography (of Standard'll.), very good ; elementary science, object-lessons, &c, good; mental arithmetic, fair. Additional Subjects. —Bepetition and recitation, good; drill and exercises, good; singing, good; needlework, very good ; comprehension of the language of reading-lessons, inferior. Instruction of Preparatory Class. —Satisfactory. On the whole the children acquitted themselves well this year. Spelling was a strong subject in every class, and, with the exception of Standard V., the same may be said of arithmetic. The reading was satisfactory, but, owing to the low tone in which the girls replied to the questions put to them, great difficulty was experienced in ascertaining the extent of their knowledge of the language of the reading-lessons. The Third Standard class distinguished themselves in dictation, composition, and geography. As usual, the singing and physical drill were exceedingly well done. W. Ladley, Inspector.

Burnham Industrial School.—Examined 15th September, 1899. Presented: Standard V., 1; Standard IV., 18; Standard 111., 21; Standard 11., 7; Standard L, 8; Preparatory, 7. Examined in Standards: Standard V., 1; Standard IV., 18 ; Standard 111., 21; Standard 11., 7; Standard 1., 8.- Passed: Standard IV., 9; Standard 111., 12; Standard 11., 5 ; Standard 1., 7. Class-subjects. —Grammar, inferior; history, fair; geography, good; elementary science, object-lessons, &c, small programme satisfactorily treated; mental arithmetic, Standard 111., good; Standard IV., very limited. Additional Subjects. —Bepetition and recitation, pieces satisfactorily known and mostly well rendered ; drill and exercises, rifle practice by Mr. Buchanan—good; singing, simple airs by lower children only; needlework, not examined; comprehension of the language of readinglessons, mainly commendable. Instruction of Preparatory Class and Promotions in Standards 11. and I. —ln Standards 11. and I. the pupils are, on the whole, fairly entitled to the promotions granted, the estimates made requiring some indulgence in one or two instances only. The pupils below Standard I. are receiving fair instruction in a rudimentary programme. W. J. Anderson, Inspector.

Caversham Industrial School. —Examined 22nd December, 1899. Presented: Standard V., 8; Standard IV., 17; Standard 111., 15; Standard 11., 11; Standard 1., 7 ; Preparatory, 5. Examined in Standards : Standard V., 8 ; StandardlV., 17 ; Standard 111., 15; Standard 11., 11; Standard 1., 7. Passed: Standard IV., 5; Standard 111., 5; Standard 11., 8; Standard 1., 7. Head-teacher's passes in Standards I. and 11. justified. Class-subjects. —Grammar, weak in Standard V.; history, good in Standard V.; geography (of Standard II.), good (Standard V., weak); elementary science and object-lessons, good in Standard 11., fair in Standard V.; mental arithmetic, very weak in Standard V. Additional Subjects. —Becitation, good; drill and exercises, excellent; singing, excellent; needlework, very good ; comprehension of the language of reading-lessons, fair. Instruction of Preparatory Class. —Fair. The tone, order, and discipline of the school and the attention and behaviour of the children are very satisfactory. W. S. Fitzgerald, ) T ,0, E. BICHARDSON,| InS P eCtorS -

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No. 5. Dr. Hislop to the Secretary for Education. Sir,— Forth Street, Dunedin, sth May, 1900. I am now far on in my seventy-ninth year, and I find that the infirmities of old age are more and more unfitting me for service as a member of the Industrial School Board of Advice. I am consequently under the necessity of requesting you to be good enough to place in the hands of the Hon. the Minister this my resignation of the position of a member of the Caversham Industrial School Board of Advice, which I have had the honour to hold for a number of years past. Unless my successor be appointed earlier, I am willing, health and strength permitting, to act until the 2nd of next month. I consider it due to my colleagues, Messrs. Bobin and Miller, and to Mr. and Mrs. Burlinson, to testify that our relationship has been unfailingly satisfactory and pleasant. I have also to acknowledge the courtesy shown me by the Minister and yourself, and also other members of the staff. I have been connected with the Caversham Industrial School for about thirty-two years in various capacities. This long connection, and my certain knowledge of the lifelong benefits which the operations of the School have conferred upon hundreds of young people who have passed through it, now rank high among the many " sunny memories " of a long and busy life. I have, &c, The Secretary, Education Department. John Hislop.

The Secretary for Education to Dr. Hislop.

Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, 22nd May, 1900. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth instant, in which you express your wish to retire from the Board of Advice of the Caversham Industrial School, and am directed by the Minister of Education to say that, although the reasons which you assign for your resignation compel him to give a sympathetic assent to it, he is nevertheless very conscious of the great loss the Department will sustain by your absence from the Board. Mr. Walker has long felt that your knowledge of affairs, your unfailing tact, your great experience in all that relates to the School, and your deep sympathy with the inmates and interest in their welfare have very largely assisted in making the Board the practical support it has been to the Department in the management of the Institution. I beg most respectfully to express to you the sincere regret which the officers of the Department feel at losing this last connection with one for whom they entertain a very deep regard. I have, &c, Dr. J. Hislop, Forth Street, Dunedin. G. Hogben. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (1,775 copies), £7 12s.

Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9oo.

Price 6d.]