27

E.—l.

Number of Pupils receiving Free Education at Technical High Schools under Regulations for Free Places.

Financial. The total amount due by the Department to the controlling authorities for the salaries and incidental expenses of all technical classes, including technical high schools, was approximately £125,651, made up as follows : — £ Salaries of full-time teachers and Directors . . . . . . . . 83,672 Capitation for part-time teachers .. .. .. .. .. 16,854 Capitation for student teachers . . . . . . . . . . 2,261 Overtime payments .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,575 Incidental allowances .. .. .. .. .. .. 27,573 College classes capitation . . .. .. .. .. .. 2,720 135,655 Less recoveries from tuition fees . . . . .. .. 10,004 Totals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £125,651 SPECIAL SCHOOLS. State Care oe Dependent and Delinquent Children and Ineant-liee Protection. The Special Schools Branch of the Education Department provides (1) for the maintenance, training, and general upbringing of neglected and homeless and orphan children committed by Courts to the care of the State, for the training of delinquent children and juvenile offenders, for the supervision of all young persons (male and female) placed, on temporary probation by the Courts ; (2) for the supervision of all infants under the age of six years maintained apart from their parents or adopted with premium, for the general supervision of children for whose upkeep pensions are paid under the widows' pensions scheme, and for the investigation of applications for the adoption of children ; and (3) for the education and maintenance of all afflicted children —deaf, blind, feeble-minded, and for children with defective speech. The total number of children under the supervision of the State in 1923 was 4,925, classed under the following headings : — Boarded out, industrial schools, receiving-homes, &c. .. .. .. 3,692 Juvenile probation .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 227 Infant-life protection .. .. . . .. . . .. 684 Deaf children . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 1.06 Feeble-minded children .. .. .. .. .. .. 216 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,925 The number of children committed to the care of the State during the year was 313 ; classified according to reason for committal as follows : Destitution, 134 ; vagrancy, 10 ; associating with disreputable persons, 1 ; not under proper control, 88; uncontrollable (complaint by parents), 6; transferred from gaol, 11; accused or guilty of punishable offences, 46 ; and, in addition, 17 were admitted by private arrangement. Classified according to age at the time of admission the numbers are as follows : Under six months, 40 ; over six months and. under one year, 15 ; from one to five years, 63 ; from five to ten years, 82 ; from ten to fourteen years, 63 ; and over fourteen years, 50.

1922. 1923. Boys. i Girls. Totals. T Boys. Girls. Totals. T . j, .. First year Junior free pupils i a J , 1 ' { becond year f First year Senior free pupils-; Second year [_ Third year 1,213 929 668 532 227 193 92 94 18 13 2,218 1,761 2,142 1,200 420 186 31 1,512 814 275 90 34 1,117 613 239 79 22 2,629 1,427 514 169 56 Totals 3,979 2,725 2,070 4,795