11

E.— 4

Under the Registration of Births Act the keeper of a home has to notify the local Registrar within forty-eight hours of the fact that a male or female child has been born, and the name and address of the mother, but nothing more. Registration of birth may be completed any time within sixty days of the birth. It is the experience of the responsible officers of the Department that it is during the early months after birth that assistance and supervision are most needed if the infant is separated from its mother, or if the mother finds it difficult for economic reasons to keep her baby. It is considered, therefore, that illegitimate births—or, in fact, all births—should be registered within fourteen days, so that the particulars of illegitimate cases would be available in time for the Welfare Officer to get into communication with the mother before she leaves the inlying home or hospital. If the mother has relatives to go to, or if she is able to keep the baby and care for it, there is no need for the Welfare Officer to interfere in the matter at all; but where the mother has no friends and little money these officers are able to help her not only to find a suitable home for her baby, but also in the matter of advice as to employment, &c., and the steps necessary to procure payment from the father of the child. Since the Act came into force on the Ist April, 1926, the Welfare Officers have investigated all the cases notified, and, with the exception of a few cases that could not be traced, have, wherever necessary, assisted the mother in placing her child. It is too soon yet to expect any great results, but next year it is hoped that information will be available showing what has been accomplished in the direction of reducing the comparatively high death-rate among these unfortunate infants.

No. 3. —SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS, OTEKAIKE. ANNUAL REPORT OF MANAGER. Sir, — I beg to submit herewith my report for the year ended 31st March, 1927 : — On the 31st March, 1927, the number of boys in residence was 190, as against 196 on the Ist April, 1926. During the year fifteen boys were placed at service, thirteen were returned to friends, seven were placed at board, four were transferred to the Boys' Training-farm, Weraroa, three were admitted to a mental hospital, and two were transferred to the Boys' Home, Dunedin, in order to undergo treatment at the public hospital. Thirty-six new pupils were admitted ; one boy who was returned from service during the year was in residence on the 31st March, 1927, and one boy who was on vacation on the Ist April, 1926, returned during the year. In the industrial department the inmates were employed in farm, garden, and orchard work, bootmaking and repairing, coir-mat making, seagrass-furniture making and basketmaking, sawmilling, and domestic work (laundry, kitchen-work, &c.). The average daily number of boys in this group was eighty, with a chronological age of sixteen years and upwards, and an average mental age of eight years. The farm supplied the requirements of the institution in fresh milk, butter, meat, and potatoes. The garden produced an abundant supply of fresh vegetables in addition to a sufficient quantity of fruit for jam, &c. In the boot-shop the boots required by the inmates during the year were made, together with the horse and cow covers required on the farm, and all the repairs necessary to boots, harness, &c., were carried out. In the basket-shop articles of basketware, seagrass furniture, and coir mats to the value of £323 were made for disposal. The sawmill provided building-timber for various works about the institution in addition to fruit-case timber, &c., for disposal locally. There is an attendance of 110 boys at the day school, and the average I.Q. of the school is 0-64. Classification throughout the school is fourfold in character —(1) Physical, (2) manual, (3) musical, (4) mental. 1. Physical. In the school curriculum special importance is given to physical work. The forms of training, as diversified as possible, are as follows : Swedish drill, rhythmic movements, eurythmics, folk and step dancing, organized games and sport. For this work the boys are graded into four groups — senior, intermediate, junior, and infant —according to their physical development, and irrespective of their intelligence quotient and scholastic attainment. The infant squad has the play exercises, rhythmic movements, and eurythmics of the simplest infant public-school classes. The work of each squad increases in difficulty, so that when the child reaches the senior squad he is trained in Swedish drill of Standard VI (public school) grade, step-dancing, difficult rhythmic work, football, &c. 2. Manual. As the subnormal child will be capable of earning his living only by means of manual occupation, hand-training must hold an important place in the curriculum. As many forms of handwork as possible are taught, and the afternoon period is devoted to manual work and to music.