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New premises at Wadestown were acquired for use as a girls' hostel in Wellington, replacing the former premises in Tinakori Road, which had not at any time been entirely suitable for the purpose and which lacked adequate ground space for recreational activities. The new hostel for business girls at the Girls' Training Centre at Burwood was officially opened by the Hon. Miss Howard and is now in full occupation. Alterations and renovations have been carried out or commenced at the Auckland Boys' Hostel, Palmerston North Receiving Home, Wellington Boys' Home, and Dunedin Boys' Home. Despite the difficulty, during the present man-power shortage, of maintaining full staffs at all the Branch's institutions, it has been possible to meet the demands on them for the accommodation of children. These demands have remained fairly constant throughout the year. The inadequate number of satisfactory foster-homes offering is no doubt partly responsible for this position, one which would not be expected to accompany a general decrease in recent years in the numbers of children under the control of the Branch. The following are extracts from the reports of the Manager, Boys' Training Centre, Levin, and the Principal, Girls' Training Centre, Burwood : (a) Levin: — An up-to-date trade training wing is now nearing completion, the work being done by the boys under the supervision of the carpentry instructor and the technical instructor. When completed, this unit will enable us to give a sound training in all branches of carpentry and cabinetmaking, thus forming a very valuable pre-apprentice training section, besides giving those trainees who will not follow on with the trade the ability to use tools correctly. The tone at the Centre during the year has been very high, and the very pleasing spirit of co-operation between the staff and boys is responsible for this. No opportunity is lost to impress on the trainees the fact that the Centre is not just a group of buildings in pleasing surroundings, but it represents the combined efforts of all who come within its scope so to fit each new boy that he will be better able to return to the community. Accommodation at the senior section has been fully taxed throughout the year, but there was a pleasjng decline in admissions from the lower-age groups : Roll, 30th March, 1947 .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 Admissions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 Discharges .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 62 Roll, 30th March, 1948 .. .. .. .. .. .. 52 The boys at the senior section all attend at their own Church in Levin on Sundays, and the policy of permitting this to be unsupervised has proved highly successful. The various ministers visit fairly frequently, and keep in touch with boys of their own denomination. I can again report a high standard of health among the trainees, and the complete absence of any epidemic or serious illness. New boys on admission are usually kept working in the villa for the first month, after which they decide for themselves whether they will join the farm or trade section, and the free choice has always been such that we have been able to maint?in an equitable distribution of labour at the Centre. The farm is just sufficiently big to enable all types of farm-work to be demonstrated, and also to keep the senior section and the Hokio section adequately supplied with meat, milk, eggs, and vegetables. (b) Burwood It is of paramount importance in the rehabilitation of unsettled maladjusted girls that the atmosphere and spirit which surrounds them during their training period should be friendly, helpful, and stable. So many of the girls who are admitted to this Centre have known strain and insecurity in their homes, and have often been insufficiently loved and cared for, to have developed healthy attitudes towards life. Out of the 69 girls living in the Centre, 42 come from broken homes—that is, the parents are either separated or divorced or live together in disharmony. Twelve girls come from homes where either one or both parents are dead. This year a Girls' Council has been formed, which is composed of elected representatives from each of the four houses. It meets weekly to discuss matters of interest to the girls and arranges the sports programmes and social evenings, &c. Besides providing a good training in democratic methods, it is playing an important part in creating a good atmosphere in the Centre. One of the most important- events during the year was the opening of the Business Girls' Hostel.

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