E.—6a.

1881. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AND ORPHANAGES (PAPERS RELATING TO). [In continuation of H.-1k, 1880.]

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

No. 1. MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION. A beief account of the state of the Industrial Schools, the Orphanages, and the Naval Training School, is contained in the Fourth Annual Report of the Minister of Education,* where will be found a summary statement of the names, objects, localities, &c, of the several institutions; the number of children connected with them; their income and expenditure; and other statistical information. Puller particulars respecting them are supplied in reports from the local Managers, and from officers of the department by whom the institutions have been visited, and I recommend that these documents be printed.t The Caversham, the Burnham, and the Kohimarama Schools are under the direct control of the Education Department, which is, in a large measure, responsible for their efficient conduct. The other institutions are under local management, and in regard to them the department has simply the power of inspection and of asking for reports and returns. The oldest of the industrial schools is that of Caversham, which was established in January, 1869. From the outset this school has been under efficient management. The amount of good that has been accomplished through its instrumentality is incalculable, and at the present time it is in almost every resnect all that could be desired. The Burnham School was established in 1873, and has been under the* present master and matron for about fifteen months. Since they took charge, many marked improvements have been effected by them, and there is reason to expect that under their management the school will soon attain a degree of efficiency and success equal to that of Caversham. The Kohimarama Naval Training School was established in December, 1874. I refer to special reports to show the steps that have been taken to promote the greater efficiency of this institution. As soon as possible after receiving charge of the schools, the officers of the department took steps to gain a thorough acquaintance with all of them by personal inspection, and by means of returns which the Managers were required to furnish. At the close of last year, forms of return were sent out asking for information respecting the following matters: —The number and names of the committed and non-committed children, with very full particulars concerning each of them; the income and expenditure for the year; the names, official positions, and salaries of the members of the staff at the end of the year; an account of the moneys received from, or due bj', parents or guardians under agreements or Magistrates' orders ; the number of inmates under school instruction; &c. As the registers kept by some of the Managers did not contain all the information asked for, the returns obtained respecting the children were not so complete in some instances as they are expected to be in future. A schedule of particulars respecting each child is now supplied by the police or relieving officer to the head of the institution to which the child is committed or admitted, and thus records of a uniform and complete character can be kept. A copy of the schedule will be found in Enclosure B to this memorandum. After entering the particulars in his books the master of the school transmits the schedule to the Education Department for record. Recoveby of Monet feom Paeents. The returns that were obtained showed that in only a small number of instances had maintenance orders been made against the parents of children committed to the Industrial and the Naval Training Schools; and that, even when such orders had been made, the necessary steps had not always been taken to recover payment. By the direction of the Hon. the Minister of Defence, the services of the Police Department have been made available for the more vigorous enforcement of the provisions of

* See Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1881, 8.-1., pp. 25-30. f See Nos. 3 ef seqq. in this paper, E.-6A.

I—E. 6a.