E.—4

4

Further details of the expenditure on industrial schools during the year are contained in Tables II and 12. Payments by Charitable Aid Boards for mainten- 1910. 1911. - ance of children who came into Government . " schools owing to indigence (included in the total sum recovered) .. .. .. £9,336 19 6 £10,681 5 4 Number of children at the end of the year belonging to Government schools who were so paid for .. 678 713 Number maintained at the expense of Charitable Aid Boards at private industrial schools . . 98 106 The amount paid by the Charitable Aid Boards on account of children sent to the private industrial schools as indigent is not stated here, as the managers of these schools make their claims upon the Boards without reference to the Education Department. At the end of the year the amount in the Post Office Savings-bank held in trust in the names of inmates and former inmates of industrial schools was £29,769 10s. 9d., the Government schools accounts having £26,228 18s. lid. to credit, and the private (Roman Catholic) schools £3,540 11s. 10d. The total sums withdrawn from these accounts during the year were £2,753 9s. sd. and £433 Is. respectively. These moneys represent the earnings of boys and girls in situations away from the schools, or of those in residence under training, whose services are worth more than the cost of their maintenance. According to law it is at the discretion of the Minister of Education whether payment (with interest) is eventually made to these young people or not. In practice they do receive payment where there is evidence that the applicant's record after the control of the school has ceased has been good, and that ne has a proper investment for the money. In exercise of his discretion the Minister may order forfeiture of the money where a former inmate proves his unworthiness to receive it. In such a case the amount is credited to the Public Account. The following figures are taken from Tables 12 and 13 : — £ s. d. Government expenditure on private industrial schools . . 1,036 0 0 Government expenditure on special cases at other institutions . . 87 0 0 Infant-life Protection. At the end of the year the number of foster-homes licensed under the Infants Act was 738, and the number of children maintained in them for the whole or part of the year was 1,183, of whom 454 were under one year old. The total number of deaths was 13, equal to TO9 per cent. The report of the Secretary for Education gives detailed information as regards the various phases of the work. The expenditure for the year, amounting to £1,156 3s. Id., is accounted for as follows : — £ s. d. Salaries of Visiting Nurses and local representatives . . . . .. 791 15 1 Travelling-expenses of District Agents, Visiting Nurses, and local representatives . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 224 6 7 Payments to foster-parents for board of infants . . . . . . 92 5 3 Medical attendance .. . . .. . . .. . . 9 10 Office expenses (including rent) and sundries . . .. . . 67 7 8 Less recoveries .. .. .. . . .. 28 12 6 School for the Deaf. Number of pupils who returned to the school in February, 1911, after the summer vacation .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 91 Number admitted during the school year . . .. .. . . . . 11 Number who left during or at the end of the school year . . . . . . 5 Number remaining on the roll after the close of the school year .. 97