B.—l

XXV

In the case of private schools, managers not residing at the schools are required to inspect the institution at least once a week, and to make themselves fully conversant with the details of management and acquainted with each inmate. The medical officer of a school has wide powers. He has the right to visit at any time, but there must be a monthly inspection. He is responsible that the physical well-being of inmates is attended to, and that the rules of sanitation are observed. The punishment-book is to be regularly produced to him. Managers are enjoined to co-operate with medical officers. Inmates are, throughout the year, to have at least one warm bath weekly. Underclothing is to be changed weekly. Closets are to be readily accessible to dormitories. Bedding is to be comfortable in all respects. Provision is to be made for the safety of inmates in case of fire. An Official Visitors' book is to be kept. Directions are given to insure that the food is in all respects satisfactory, and that it is sufficiently varied. Pull provision is made for the proper clothing of inmates. Industrial training is to be thorough and regular for all inmates of suitable age, and female inmates are to receive domestic training. The attention of inmates is to be directed to rural life, and they are to be taught dairy-work, poultry-keeping, gardening, &c. Military drill, swimming, and life-saving are to be taught. Proper provision is to be made for inmates' recreation, and libraries are to be provided. Thorough classification is to be maintained. Facilities for religious training are to be given. Careful supervision over inmates is enjoined. Each dormitory must be under the supervision of an officer. Lights are to be shown in dormitories. Managers are to visit dormitories at least once nightly. Inmates licensed out are to be regularly visited, and complaints of licensed inmates are to be promptly attended to. An inmate who absconds or damages property may be fined. Inmates who through misconduct frequently return to the schools may be required to contribute from their accumulated earnings towards the cost of their maintenance at the schools. Inmates who for special reasons cannot be licensed out may be remunerated for their services at the schools. Monetary rewards and badges for good conduct may be given. A certain relaxation of the regulations formerly in force relating to corporal punishment has been made, though, as the maximum amount of punishment has been more carefully defined, the effect is not to make any very great difference. The punishments in industrial schools and in reformatories have been differentiated ; in the latter they are the more severe. As a rule the punishments to be inflicted will be such as may be lawfully inflicted by schoolmasters. Managers may inflict the punishment or may depute officers to do so in their presence. In general the officer reporting the offence is not to be the one to inflict punishment. A cane or leather strap is to be the instrument for punishing boys, and a strap for girls; twelve strokes to be maximum. Under careful restrictions, and for grave offences, male inmates may be birched on the bare breech, but the birch must be approved by the medical officer; the maximum of strokes is twelve. Both males and females may be put in cells for a maximum of ten hours in industrial schools and a week in reformatories. Under proper restrictions, dietary discipline may be used. Badges of degradation may be used only with the approval of the Minister. A register of punishments is to be kept, and a copy is to be sent to the Education Department monthly. The regulations relating to inmates who are licensed to reside away from the schools are founded on the practice of the past nineteen years. For the first time, however, it is recognised that a foster-parent may administer corporal chastisement to boarded-out children. Provision is made for limiting the amount of work which a foster-parent may cause a boarded-out child to do. Of the 160 inmates who during the year 1902 ceased to be under the control of the schools, 98 were discharged by warrant, 32 attained twenty-one years of age, 10 were transferred to the Costley Training Institution, 3 were married, and 17 died. The number of deaths (17) was very high. The medical certificates show that of the 5 inmates who were in residence at the time of death, 2 died of pneumonia, 1 of diabetes, 1 of paralysis, and 1 of diarrhoea complicated with hernia. Six boarded-out children died—of measles 4, spina bifida 1, and abscess psoas 1 respectively. One child died in a lunatic asylum from epilepsy, 1, who was at service, died of cerebral tumour, and there were 4 deaths in hospital— 1 from phthisis, 1 from tubercular meningitis, 1 from cardiac disease, and 1 from the effects of an accident in the bootmaker's shop at the Burnham School. The number of admissions during the year (244) shows an increase of 47 over the number for 1901. Of these 43 were sent from Dunedin, 46 from Wellington, 52 from Auckland, and 18 from Christchurch. Of the remaining 85 children, no one town or country district sent more than 12 to the schools. From information taken from t?ie Magistrates' orders it is found that the religious denominations in which the children who were admitted are to be brought up are: Church of England, 115; Roman Catholic, 85; Presbyterian, 29; Methodist, 11 ; Baptist, 1; Church of Christ, 1; Protestant, 1 ; Plymouth Brethren, 1.

iv.— E. 1.