25

E.—l

to age and sex, than if one large building only were made use of. During the day the pupils are assembled for meals and for school instruction under the eye of the Director and the lady-assistant. After lessons and meals are OA^er for the day the pupils separate and retire for the night to their different residences. One of these is under the supervision of Mr. and Mrs. Van Asch, the second is presided over by the lady-assistant, and the third is in charge of a trustworthy matron. At the close of last year the number of pupils was 10; it has since increased to 21. Thirteen of these are boys, and 8 are girls: their ages range from six to nineteen years. The following are the provincial districts from which the pupils have been received: Auckland, 4; Hawke's Bay, 1; Wellington, 1; Canterbury, 7 ; Otago, 7 : total, 20. The twenty-first pupil is a deaf-mute girl who has been sent from Melbourne to study under Mr. Van Asch. At the beginning of the year the increasing number of pupils and their varied degrees of attainment rendered necessary the employment of a lady assistant-teacher, whose services are proving to be of great value, not only in connection with the more technical work, but also as regards the assistance she is able to render Mrs. Van Asch in the instruction and training of the girls in domestic economy. As already mentioned, the lady-assistant is in charge of one of the residences. The institution is visited as occasion requires by the medical officer, H. H. Prins, Esq., of Christchurch, who takes much interest in the work of the school. Since it was opened in March, 1880, the institution has been visited once by the Minister, and on eleven different occasions by officers of the Education Department, whose reports have invariably been of a satisfactory character. A separate Parliamentary Paper * contains a copy of the prospectus of the institution, prepared for public information and extensively circulated, and also reports from the Director, the medical officer, the Inspector-General of Schools, and the officer of the Education Department who last visited the school. These reports give full and interesting particulars respecting the institution and Mr. Van Asch's system of instruction. Copies of two letters are also published as showing the opinion of parents regarding the results of the school in the case of their own children. Table No. 8 of the Appendix contains a statement of the expenditure on the institution for the financial year ending 31st March, 1881. The following is an abstract of the statement:— £ s. d. Director and lady-assistant ... ... ... ... ... 611 5 0 Bents, rates, furniture, and repairs ... ... ... ... 428 610 Travelling expenses, advertising, medical attendance, and schoolroom requisites ... ... ... ... ... ... 61 16 6 Maintenance of pupils ... ... ... £407 17 8 Less payments by parents ... ... ... 263 8 8 144 9 0 £1,245 17 4 The sum of £75 paid as compensation is omitted because the payment cannot properly be regarded as a charge against the institution itself. Industrial Schools and Orbhanages. The control of the Industrial Schools at Burnham and Caversham was transferred from the Justice Department to that of Education in April, 1880. These schools Avere established by the Provincial Governments of Canterbury and Otago respectively; and, except so far as the Kohimarama Naval Training School answers the purpose of an industrial school, they are the only institutions of the kind that are under the direct control of the Government and maintained by special votes of the General Assembly. A number of other institutions for the reception, education, and training of orphan, neglected, and destitute children, in various parts of the colony, are maintained or largely subsidised out of the vote for charitable institutions which is administered by the Colonial Secretary. These institutions have recently been placed under the inspection of the Education Department, but their affairs are administered by local bodies or managers.

*

Appendix to the Journals o£ the House of Representatives, 1331, E,~ 8> 4—E. 1.