E.—l

ten ; 98 were above fifteen, and 54 below live. The average attendance for the fourth quarter of the year was 1,932, and for the whole year 2,045. These numbers indicate a slight decline. The number of Government pupils at the boarding-schools was 62 in December, and there were 97 other pupils attending the schools : at St. Stephen's, Parnell, 16 Government pupils and 27 others ; at Te Aute, 10 Government pupils and 53 others ; at Hukarere, 20 Government pupils and 17 others ; and at St. Joseph's, Napier, 16 Government pupils. The Native school inspection report (E.-2) contains copious information with respect to all the schools. The department continues to receive most important assistance from Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Booth, who act as District Superintendents; and thanks are due to Mr. Hammond, Kegistrar of the Native Land Court, Auckland, and to Captain Preece, for many services rendered. Deaf-mute Institution. The school at Sumner, where the mutes are taught to speak, and to read from the lips the speech of others, had 42 pupils at the end of the year —the same number as at the end of 1887. The total expenditure was £3,253 ss. Bd., and the amount contributed by the parents of the pupils was £253 11s. The expenditure was made up as follows : Salaries, £1,135 ss. lOd. ; board, £1,272 6s. lid.; rent, £575; travelling, £151 3s. Bd.; sundries, £119 9s. 3d. The report is printed as a separate paper (E.-3). It is proposed to remove the school to the neighbourhood of Riccarton, where a site of ten or eleven acres has been acquired by the Government for the purpose, and a sum of money will be put upon this year's estimates for the erection of a suitable building. The Blind. The number of blind children is still, happily, too small to justify the establishment of a school in New Zealand for their special instruction. All cases brought under the 3iotice of the Government receive attention from the Colonial Secretary's Department, which now partly or wholly maintains thirteen pupils in the asylums of Australia —ten in Melbourne and three in Sj'dney. Industrial Schools. The management of the Industrial Schools has been now for ten years in the hands of the Education Department. In 1880 the number of children committed to the schools was 241, and in 1885 (the year in which the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act was passed) the number committed was 340, the average number of committals for the six years included between the two dates being 298-5. During this,period the number of children depending on the schools for their maintenance increased from 572 to 1,116. During the last four years the maximum of committals has been less than the minimum for the preceding six years, the numbers being (in order of date) 238, 228, 190, and 169. The effect of such a continuous reduction in the number of committals is beginning to appear in the form of a reduction in the number of children depending on the schools for maintenance. From 1,116 in 1885 this number rose to 1,129 in 1886, and to 1,158 in 1887, and, having reached this maximum, has declined in the two succeeding years to 1,106 and 1,054. The whole number of "inmates," including those who are out at service or licensed on probation to their friends, increased from 807 in 1880 to 1,566 in 1885, and has since declined to 1,525. The year 1889 began with 1,554 inmates on the school-rolls, 1,106 of them being dependent for maintenance (605 in the schools and 501 boarded out). During the year 169 were admitted to the schools, and 198 were discharged, the roll-number being thus reduced to 1,525, of whom 1,054 are dependent for maintenance (600 in the schools and 454 boarded out). The number " discharged " (198) included—l 7 (12 boys and 5 girls) transferred to the Costley Institute ; 6 who attained the age of twenty-one "years; 1 who was married during the year; 1 who was adopted; and 6 children who died. The number of deaths

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