E.—l.

requisites, &c, £37 4s. Bd. ; scholarships, £60 ; inspection, £16 os. 6d. ; other expenses, £5 14s. The school at Te One was inspected|and examined in the month of January of the present year, according to for the Inspection and Examination of Public Schools in New Zealand. 'The-, results generally were fair.; Pittl Island was also visited, but time did not permit inspection or examination. Arrangements were made, however, to have the the Sixth|Standard examined, and the work done was of a very satisfactory nature. Three candidates presented themselves for the examination held in connection with the Chatham Islands Scholarship in January of this year, but none of them gained sufficient marks in the examination to entitle him to the scholarship. It has been decided that for the future the examination regulations respecting Junior National Scholarships shall be substituted for the regulations for Chatham Island Scholarships. The ; first'examination under the new arrangement will take place at the end of the current year. Special Schools : Afflicted and Dependent Children. The Education Act requires that deaf, blind, feeble-minded, and epileptic children between the ages of seven and sixteen years shall be under efficient and suitable instruction. The institutions in New Zealand that exist for the purpose of educating children so afflicted >', are the School for the Deaf at Sumner, the Special School for mentally backward boys at Otekaike, North Otago—both of which are maintained by the Government—and the Jubilee the Blind at Auckland, which is administered by a Board of nine Trustees, four of whom are nominated by the Government, and five by the subscribers to the funds of the Institute. The Trustees are required by law to admit children of the compulsory school age who are nominated by the Minister of Education, payment from Government funds being at the rate of £25 per annum for each child. The . also pays for the tuition of certain adults at the rate of £15 for the first year and £10 for the second, but in these cases makes no allowance for their maintenance. At the end of the year the total number under training in these three institutions was 119, and the net sum expended out of Government funds during the year in connection with them was £18,194 7s. 3d. ; but of this amount £12,560 12s. 2d. represents non-recurring expenditure, £9,401 16s. being accounted for in the purchase of land, buildings, equipment, and other inaugural expenses in connection with the Special School for Boysjit Otekaike ; also a grant of £3,000 was made towards new buildings for the Jubilee Institute for the Blind ; and to complete the contract for laying out the grounds of the School for the Deaf at Sumner a sum of £158 16s. 2d. was paid. It is a matter for satisfaction that the training given in these three schools follows closely the lines upon which the most modern systems in European and American schools are being developed. A question for serious consideration is whether it would not be advisable to extend the period of instruction for these afflicted young people, making it begin at six years and continue to twenty-one years, unless satisfactoryj-'evidence were forthcoming either that the pupil was physically or mentally unfit to pursue the course of instruction, or that he had reached such a standard of efficiency in some art, handicraft, or calling as to enable him to maintain himself without further assistance. School for the Deaf. Roll number when work was resumed after the summer vacation .. .. 82 Pupils admitted later in the year .. . . ■ • • • .. 4 Number who left the institution .. ..... .. .. 2 Deaths .. .. • ■ • • • • • • • • .. 2 Thus the number at the close of the year was 82, of whom 23 had entered during the year. The teaching staff, including the Director, numbers 10, there being 4 female teachers. Another male teacher has been 'appointed as from the commencement of the school year now current. This staff, as compared with that of

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