E.—4

6

Particulars of Expenditure for the Year 1922-23.

i The net expenditure for the year 1921-22 was £11,189. I have, &c, J. Buck, The Director of Education, Wellington. Officer in Charge, Special Schools Branch.

No. 3.—SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, SUMNER. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR (ABRIDGED). Sir, — I have the honour to lay before you my report for the year 1922. The number of pupils under instruction during the year is shown in the following tabulated statement : — Boys. Girls. Total. Pupils of 1921 who returned to the school .. .. .. 47 52 99 Admitted during 1922 .. .. .. .. .. 21 15 36 Under instruction during the year .. .. .. .. 68 67 135 Left during the year .. .. .. .. ..21 19 40 Expected to return in 1923.. .. .. .. ..47 48 95 Of the 135 pupils under instruction, 38 attended as day pupils and 97 as boarders at the school. The pupils may be classified as under : — Boys. Girls. Total. Deaf children (including one adult) .. .. .. ..53 54 107 Lip-reading pupils (adults —part-time pupils) .. .. 4 9 13 Children with defective articulation .. .. .. .. 6 1 7 Stammerers (part-time pupils) .. .. .. .. 5 2 7 Feeble-minded (on trial) .. .. .. .. ..0 1 1 Totals .. .. .. .. ..68 67 135 < Of the 40 pupils who left during the year, 10 were adult deaf persons who had been receiving training in lip-reading ; 8 were children with defective articulation who were returned to various public schools speaking normally, their defective speech having been corrected ; 1 was discharged as being feeble-minded and with normal hearing, though sent to the school as deaf ; 6 were stammerers ; and the remaining 15 were deaf children, of whom 12 had completed their education and 4 were transferred to special day classes in other centres. These classes are carried on at Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin, and are staffed by teachers from Sumner. They are attended by partially deaf children who are unable to profit by the instruction given at public schools, and whom it would otherwise be necessary to send to Sumner ; by children who have lost their hearing after having learned to speak, and whose education must be completed by means of lip-reading ; and also by children who stammer or have other defects of speech. Most of the latter attend as part-time pupils. As yet no special class for the correction of speech-defects has been instituted in Christchurch, but it is to be hoped that one will be inaugurated in the near future, as there are many children in and around Christchurch having speech-defects that cannot be readily corrected at a public school. A comparatively small number of these has been treated at Sumner, but the greater number of them cannot spare the time to go to Sumner, though they could attend a class centrally situated. In connection with each of these special classes there is an evening class for the adult deaf, who are given free instruction in lip-reading. A similar class, conducted voluntarily by two teachers of this school, was started in Christchurch last October, and has been attended by fifty deaf persons in

Stoke. Otekaike. I Richmond. Total. Salaries Advertising Maintenance of buildings .. Maintenance of institutions Additional buildings £ 3 £ 4,397 10 Gr. 55 3,294 70 £ 1,728 7 778 786 39 £ 6,128 17 723 4,081 Or. 58 Gr. 1 167 Travelling-expenses Or. 163 7,716 3,338 10,891 359 Less recoveries 11,250 2,988 Net cost to Department £8,262