3

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School for the Deaf. Number oi pupils who returned to the school in February, 1909, after the summer vacation ... ... .. ' .82 Number admitted during the school year ... ... .16 Number who left during or at the end of the school y< ... ... 9 Number remaining on the roll at the close of the school yea r .. ... 89 The cost of the school for the years 1908 and 1909 respectively was as Allows:- 1908. urn X. s. d. £ s. d. Salaries ... ... ... ... ... 2,812 2 8 2,916 2 7 Maintenance of pupils ... ... .... 1,461 3 7 1,513 6 8 Buildings and other works ... .. ... 158 16 2 Maintenance of buildings, and water charges ... 354 16 10 332 15 6 Sundries ... ... ... ... ... 121 9 0 121 19 0 Amount collected from parents by way of maintenance contributions ... ... ... 694 9 8 838 11 0 Sundry other recoveries ... ... ... 24 8 10 6 18 11 Net expenditure on the institution ... ... 4,189 9 9 4,038 14 10 There was an increase of 24-8 per cent, in parental contributions, as against an increase of 8-5 per cent, in the number of pupils under instruction. Jubilee Institute for the Blind. This institution is governed by a Board of Trustees, four of whom are appointed by the Government, and the remaining five elected by the subscribers to the funds of the Institute. As the Institute comes within the scope of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, subsidy at the rate of 245. in the pound is payable by the Government on voluntary subscriptions received by the Board, and 10s. in the pound on the value of bequests. The amount of such subsidy payable to the Board during its last financial year was £1,967. The number of pupils between seven and sixteen years of age for whom the Government paid was 21 at the end of 1908, and 25 at the end of 1909, and the number between sixteen and twenty-one years rose during the year from 8 to 12. The tuition of 2 adults was also paid for. Thus the Government contributed towards the cost of training 39 pupils, the expenditure being £903, as against £705 for the previous year. The amount of contributions by parents and guardians was £215 19s. 3d.; for 1908 it was £154 17s. 3d. Special School for Boys of Feeble Mind. This school is situated at Otekaike, in North Otago, near the Oamarullakataramea Railway. It is not yet fully organized; but additional buildings that are now completed will provide accommodation for a considerably increased number of boys. It is to be borne in mind that Otekaike deals with only those who are capable of being trained in some degree; those more severely afflicted are dealt with by the Mental Hospitals Department. Eventually in all probability it will be found advisable, for economic and other reasons, to provide at Otekaike for both feeble-minded and epileptic young people who are capable of being educated. Although no definite estimate of the number of cases to be dealt with has yet been obtained, there is evidence that, if the matter of protecting the community from the consequences of failure to train children of these characteristics is vigorously taken in hand, a substantial outlay will be necessary. As many of the epileptic and feeble-minded will never be able to successfully face the stress of life, it is necessary that they be provided for in institutions where, under expert supervision, they can by manual employment earn or partly earn the cost of their maintenance. At present there are 31 boys in residence at the Otekaike School. The cost of the school for the year was £4,10:>, made up as follows :— £ s. d. Salaries ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,102 15 4 Maintenance of pupils ... .. f>47 14 11 Maintenance of buildings ... ... ... ... 243 19 7 Farm and stock ... ... ... ... ... ... 612 19 0 Additional buildings, fencing, <fee. ... ... ... 1,602 18 3 Sundries ... ... ... ••■ 180 6 10 Less—Amount collected from parents by way of maintenance contributions ... ... ... 182 2 2 Sundry other recoveries... ... ... ... 105 211 \< t expenditure on the institution ... 4,108 9 7