E.—l

XVI

The Government expenditure on "private" schools (Table X.) is rather larger for 1892 than for 1891, the increase being accounted for by the growth of the schools.

TABLE X.—Government Expenditure on Private Schools, 1892.

The Auckland Industrial School for Boys at Kohimarama has—from some cause or causes not exactly known —been dwindling for some years. The Costley Institute was intended to relieve this school of the care of its most promising inmates, and is accomplishing its purpose (see separate paper, E.-3a). The number of commitments to the school of late years has been very small. The capitation cost of a very small school is necessarily very high, and from that point of view is obnoxious to adverse criticism. On all grounds it has been deemed expedient to close the school, the few inmates that could not be suitably disposed of in Auckland being transferred to Burnham. The institution is not, however, abolished; the manager of the Auckland Girls' Industrial School has been made manager also of the boys' school, and is therefore the legal guardian of the Kohimarama inmates now at service, or boarded out, or licensed to their friends. Some additional information with respect to industrial schools will be found in a separate paper (E.-3). Deaf-mute Institution. The number of pupils at the Sumner school at the end of 1891 was 50; by the end of 1892 it had declined to 46. The expenditure for 1892 —£3,447 —is less by £172 than that of the preceding year ; the contributions made by parents— £493 —exceed those of 1891 by £169. A change has been made in the management, in conformity with the recommendation of a Commission, after inquiry held last November. A steward and matron have been appointed, and the housekeeping expenses are directly defrayed by the Education Department; and the arrangement under which, according to the agreement made with him in England, the Director received a capitation payment for the board of the pupils has been cancelled. The items of the expenditure for 1892 are : Salaries, £1,259 ; board of pupils, £1,520; rent, £399; travelling, £33; Commissions of Inquiry, £75 ; sundries, £161. (See Paper E.-4.) The Blind. As stated in last year's report, the blind pupils formerly sent to Melbourne and Sydney have been recalled. Nine of them, with eleven other pupils, have been maintained at the Jubilee Institution for the Blind in Auckland. One pupil having left in 1892, the number at the end of the year was 19. For necessitous cases approved by the Government the Education Department pays at the rate of £25 a year each, recovering a part of the cost from the parents if possible. The outlay on this account was made during the first part of 1892 from the Charitable Aid vote, as in former years, but from the Ist April, 1892, it is borne on the Education estimates. Without taking into account the sums paid as subsidy under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act (£1,655), the Jubilee Institution received from the Charitable Aid vote and the Education Department in 1892 grants amounting to £442 Is. 7d. Sundry travelling expenses defrayed by Government are not included here. University and Colleges. The report (E.-5) of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand shows that the number of graduates by examination is now 373, and that the degrees

School. Payments. Recoveries. Net Expenditure by Government. St. Mary's, Ponsonby (Auckland) St. Joseph's, Wellington St. Mary's, Nelson £ s. a. 606 6 0 108 18 7 1,735 6 10 £ s. a. 67 5 4 17 3 7 205 8 11 £ s. d. 539 0 8 91 15 0 1,529 17 11 Totals 2,450 11 5 289 17 10 2,160 13 7