8.—3

Sess. 11.—1897. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. [In continuation of E.-3, 1896.]

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

No. 1. EXTRACT FEOM THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL EEPORT OF THE MINISTER OP EDUCATION. The inmates discharged from industrial schools during the year numbered 189, and the new inmates 203, so that the increase in the number on the books is 14 —from 1,545 to 1,559. In Government schools the number declined during the year from 1,094 to 1,087 ; in private schools it rose from 451 to 472. Out of 1,559 "inmates" there were 528 who, though subject to the control of the schools, were independent of them so far as maintenance is concerned, 94 being with their friends on probation for discharge, and 434 at service. The number of inmates dependent on the schools was therefore 1,031. The number dependent at the end of 1895 was 1,023. The dependent inmates at the end of 1896 are accounted for as follows: Residing in the schools, 556 (191 in Government schools, 365 in private schools) ; boarded out, 428 (including 11 from private schools) ; with their friends, 94 (including 24 from private schools); in hospital, 5 (including 2 from private schools); in lunatic asylum, 3 (from private schools); in blind asylum, 1 (from Government school) ; in refuges or similar institutions, 30 (including 2 from private school); absent without leave, 8 (from Government schools). It is worthy of particular notice that, although the inmates of the Government schools number 1,087, only 191 (less than 18 per cent.) were actually detained in the schools. Many of the inmates have never once been on the school premises. Innocent children, nominally " sent to Burnham " by Magistrates' warrant, are really sent temporarily to a boarding-house until a suitable foster-home is found for them, and their outfit prepared; and girls committed because they have begun to lead a flagrantly immoral life, or are in great danger of doing so, are at once sent to a suitable institution. In the Government schools the policy is to board out all children of suitable age and character. The authorities of the private schools do not adopt the boarding-out system.

TABLE T.—Inmates, 1895 and 1896.

I—E. 3.

loan on; les; Icni :e. ler 'ice, i ;o. Toti a>. i 03 Cβ I 1 a I Q s o ID i p I n 8 r c5 o i 2 a 9 E o A rH rovernment Schools — Auckland Burnham Caversham 'rivate Schools — St. Mary's, Auckland St. Joseph's, Wellington St. Mary's, Nelson 39 164 202 12 9 9 30 176 211 10 107 86 *2 10 10 105 76 43 269 174 ' ' i 21 2 26 41 243 195 92 540 462 20 11 16 8: 48! i Y 7 46 64 247 2 6 46 66 253 14 8 61 6 2 5 20 10 66 60 70 315 6 4 11 Gl 81 321 Totals .. 416 21 9 428 560 8 12 556 569 34 28 575 1,545 41 27 1,55!