E.—4.

1903. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: SCHOOL FOR DEAF-MUTES. [In continuation of E.-4, 1902.]

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

No. 1. BXTKAOT PEOM THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL EePOKT OF THE MINISTEB OF EDUCATION. The Director's report (E.-4.), amongst other remarks of an interesting character, calls attention to the fact, which is not generally understood, that persons of defective intellect cannot be treated in the institution. Training on the articulation method, by which the pupils are taught both to speak and to understand the speech of others, cannot be imparted to any individual who is not in possession of unimpaired mental capacity. Disappointment would be saved in many cases if this cardinal rule could be brought into general recognition. Another point that deserves public attention is that young persons of abnormally dull hearing, especially if they show signs of losing or ceasing to make use of whatever power of speech they may have acquired, may receive great and lasting benefit from a course of training at the school. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon parents that in the case of the deaf want of speech means want of thought, and consequently want of power to take part in the duties of life. The new building is approaching completion, and will be ready for the reception of the pupils after the midsummer vacation. Four boys and 1 girl left the school during the year, and 11 boys and 5 girls were admitted. At the end of the year the number in residence was 35 boys and 25 girls, 7 boys and 4 girls more than at the end of 1901. The expenditure on the institution for the year 1902 was : Salaries of Director and teachers, £1,506 Bs. Id.; steward, matron, and servants, £537 45.; rent, £140; housekeeping, £871 16s. 5d.; travelling-expenses (including transit of pupils), £211 os. Bd.; school material and material for technical instruction, £12 3s. 10d.; general maintenance of buildings and furniture, £30 Bs. lid. ; clothing, £13 Bs. Bd. ; medical attendance and medicine, £40 6s. 3d. ; watersupply, £36 25.; sanitation, £16 17s. 6d. ; boarding-out of pupils, £137 2s. 6d. ■ extension of water-service, installation of fire-alarm system, &c, £226 15s. Id. ; new buildings, £609 12s. Bd.; sundries, £101 35.: total expenditure, £4,490 9s. 7d. Deducting recoveries, parents' contributions, £225 6s. 3d., the net expenditure was £4,265 3s. 4d. The amount expended in 1901 was £3,097 os. lid. . . Two deaf-mute children who, from having received partial training on the manual or sign system, were ineligible for admission to our own institution were maintained in the Victorian School for the Deaf, at a cost of £100 10s.; and one was under a private teacher in Auckland, to whom a fee of £20 was paid by the Department.