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1919 NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: CHILDREN'S WELFARE AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-4, 1918.]

Presentee!, to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. I.—EXTRACT FROM THE FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER OE EDUOATION (AMPLIFIED IN DETAILS).

CHILDREN'S WELFARE. Special Schools Branch, including Children's Welfare. The Special Schools Branch of the Education Department deals with an extensive field of social work which is of vital importance to the community. The functions- of the branch include provision (1) for all destitute, uncontrollable, or delinquent children and juvenile offenders committed by the Courts or admitted by private arrangement under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act to receiving-homes, probation homes, training-farms, and industrial schools ; (2) for the maintenance and. supervision of all children who have lost both parents or the surviving parent as a result of the recent influenza epidemic ; (3) for investigation regarding the conduct, characteristics, and home conditions generally of delinquent and uncontrollable children and juvenile offenders who are brought before the Courts in each of the four centres of population, and for supervision of children admitted to probation ; (4) for the supervision of all infants under the age of six years who are maintained for -payment apart from their parents or guardians, or adopted with premium ; and (5) for the education and care of deaf, blind, or feeble-minded children over the age of six years. The following figures show the number of children under the control of the branch at the 31st December, 1918 :— Industrial schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,140 Juvenile probation . . . . .. .. .. .. .. 249 Infant-life protection .. .. .. .. .. .. <S(3O Special schools — Deaf .. .. .. •• .. •• •■ ..104 Feeble-minded .. .. .. .. .. 144 Total .. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 4,497

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