E.—ll

2

17. But in the case of poor parents this is free education with board, is it not ?—Yes, for the deaf. Of course that does not include clothing ; the clothing is provided by the parents. 18. How many children are there in the institution who get their board and education entirely f ree ?^_During the year 1887, twenty-three out of forty-two entirely free ; four pay £40 per annum, one £30, one £25, one £20, two £15, two £13, seven £10, one £5. .19. Can you tell us how many pay entirely for their children and how many partly ?—There are, I believe, about six people who pay the full fee. If you notice the expenses quoted in the reports of the institution you will see what the parents have been paying during the last five years, and from those statistics you will be able to form some idea of what number of children get their education free. . ,

20. What is the salary of the headmaster?— The salary of the Director is £600, I believe. 21. And a house found? —And a house found. 22. Are you the only master?—l am the head assistant. There are two other male teachers and one female teacher. 23. That comes to about one teacher for every ten pupils, does it not? —Yes; but the Director, Mr. Van Asch, teaches one-half or two-thirds of the time, with a view, first, to improve the pupils, specially the weaker ones; secondly, to train the assistants. 24. Does not the Director take the pupils when they first come in?— Not necessarily; he does if there is any peculiar point that he wishes to point out to his subordinates. 25. Have you any statistics as to what proportion have partial hearing ? —No. I believe we have now about fourteen children partially deaf. 26. Is there any medical examination ?—Yes. 27. You teach the oral system, I understand, exclusively?-^—Yes. 28. It is rather important that we should know what proportion of them are totally deaf, and what proportion have remains of speech or hearing, in order to enable us to judge as to the value of the remarks you make in regard to their progress afterwards?—lt will take a little time to work out. 29. Would you tell us whether you are or have been yourself accustomed to give the first instruction to pupils ?—Yes. 30. Would you tell us whether the method followed is that which is followed by Mr. Van Praagh ?—I believe it is very similar. 31. Do you confine the teaching of the first year to a mere repetition of consonants and vowels without attaching any words to them, or do you attach definite words and objects to them as early as possible ?—We attach words to them as early as possible, and by the end of the first year the child would be able to give you an idea of some simple action. The child would be able to understand and tise simple verbs —"Iran," " I jump," &c. Such a child would also be able to give a short description of any ordinary object pointed out to it, as " the horse," " That is a horse," " The horse is brown," " The horse has four legs," " The horse can run." 32. And you teach them grammar, I suppose, as they go on?— Yes. 33. And writing as they go on ? —Writing is taught from the very beginning, but composition as they go on. 34. How soon are you able to teach them the Lord's Prayer?— That is a thing we have not attempted, because it is not allowed. 35. You mean that you give no religious instruction?—No religious instruction whatever. 36. It is purely unsectarian ?—Yes. 37. And these children are boarded there for how long? How many years do you keep them generally ?—The institution has only been started now eight years. 38. What is your curriculum of education ?—From eight to ten years. 39. During the whole of that time is no religious instruction given ?—No. 40. None, even of an unsectarian character? —None whatever. 41. The Bible is never read? —No. 42. No moral instruction of any kind, not even the Ten Commandments taught ? —There is nothing whatever done in the way of religious instruction. 43. Do they go home for the holidays?— Yes; they go home for Christmas only, which is our summer. The children of parents quite close to us also go home for a fortnight during winter. 44. Is it the idea of the school that the parents are responsible for the religious instruction of the children ? —lt is entirely a Government institution, and religious instruction is not given in any elementary school. 45. But the ordinary elementary schools are day-schools ? —Yes. 46. And your institution is a boarding-school ?—Yes. 47: Can you give the hours of the instruction day by day followed in the school in a tabular form afterwards ?— Yes.

Year. Number of Children. Payments by Parents. Average Payments by Parents, per Head. 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 j 31 32 36 37 41 £ s. a. 322 5 10 457 3 4 265 12 6 344 7 6 385 15 10 £ 10 14 7 9 9 s. d. 7 11 5 9 7 6 6 2 8 2