attend regularly. Of course parents can keep over or under age children away altogether, but while attending school there should be no distinction. For the information of the board I have prepared the attached tables: AUCKLAND. Under "the school attendance act, 1894," first two years.-Notices served on parents. During 1887 to 1892 all notices were served personally and the parents warned verbally at time of service. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS IN NEW ZEALAND.1 Early in the history of New Zealand it was recognized that much of the future welfare of the colony depended on the proper care and moral training of children whose parents were of debauched or vicious habits; and in 1867 an act was passed under which "homes for neglected and criminal children" were established, and to such homes children were committed under certain provisions. Experience proved that the name "neglected and criminal" child was a serious bar to inmates being found suitable places when they arrived at an age to go to work, and when the present act was passed, in 1882, the name was altered to "Industrial School," and under this name the present institutions are worked. The principal provisions of the act of 1882 are: That the minister for education, who controls the department, is able to establish new schools, or to subsidize private schools (provided no child is sent to such school unless it belongs to the same religious denomination), appoint officers, etc. Children are committed to an industrial school on conviction by a stipendiary magistrate, if he is satisfied that such child (1) has no means of subsistence (in this case the maintenance is paid by the charitable aid board of the district in which the child lives, and the rate is 6s. 6d. a week); (2) is found begging or receiving alms, or being in any public place or street for the purpose of begging or receiving alms; (3) is found wandering about or frequenting any street, thoroughfare, or hotel or public place of resort, or sleeping in the open air, or not having any visible means of subsistence, or not having any home or any settled place of abode; (4) is residing in a brothel or associating with or dwelling with any person known or reputed to be a prostitute or habitual drunkard, or with any person convicted of vagrancy under any act or ordinance now or hereafter in force. (5) A parent may have his child committed if he proves to the satisfaction of the stipendiary magistrate that he is not able to control the child, and gives security for the maintenance of such child. A judge or magistrate may order a child who has been convicted of any offense to be sent to an industrial school, either at the expiration of a sentence of imprisonment or in lieu thereof; or, if not convicted, a child may be admitted to an industrial school by agreement between the manager of the school and the parent as to cost of maintenance and education. The governor may, if he thinks fit, order any person under the age of 18 who has been sentenced to imprisonment to be sent to an industrial school, either in lieu of or after serving his term of imprisonment. When the child is committed the manager of the school becomes the guardian and the parent ceases to have any legal control. This guardianship lasts until the inmate is 21 years of age, unless he is previously discharged by the governor. The governor has power to transfer the guardianship to some other person. This is done in cases where the person to whom the inmate has been boarded, or by whom he has been employed, takes so much interest in the inmate as to wish to act in loco parentis. The age at which inmates are discharged varies, according to the character of the inmate. The earliest age is 17 for boys, 18 for girls. If the moral fiber is weak the inmate may not be released from control until the age limit-21 years-is reached. The whole cost of the schools is provided by the Government, but whenever a parent is able to pay for the support of his child he is made to do so, and, as already stated, the "charitable aid boards” pay the cost of maintaining all children committed as "indigent" out of the rates, at a cost of 6s. 6d. a week. Ample provision is made for the inspection of the schools, and all members of the legislature, judges, and justices of the peace can at any time visit the schools. The religious instruction of inmates in the Government schools is provided for, and the ministers of the various churches have access for that purpose. The system of boarding out children has been found to give such satisfactory 1 The office is indebted for the following paper to Mr. Mark Cohen, editor of the Evening Star, Dunedin, New Zealand. results that an amendment in the act has been passed this year enabling the minister to board out children until they have attained the age of 14 years, or until they have passed the fourth standard of education in a State school. Previous to this the limit of the age to which foster parents could be paid for boarding children was 12. When children are committed to an industrial school, if they are under 12 years of age, they are boarded out with persons who are known to be respectable and fit to undertake the duties of foster parents. For this a sum of 6 shillings a week is paid, except in the case of infants, when the payment is 7 shillings a week for the first year. Should children who are committed be deemed too unruly to be placed in foster homes, they are kept in residence and attend the day school attached to the industrial school, which is conducted on the same lines as the public schools, until they have passed the fourth standard or have attained the age of 14 years. Passing the fourth standard, or on attaining the age of 14, they are then "licensed out" to service with such persons as are desirous of employing them. The children receive a wage varying from £5 a year to 2s. 6d. a week for a start. If they get on well they receive an annual increase of 6d. a week. Wages are paid by the employers to the manager of the school the child belongs to. The money is then banked and a separate account kept for each inmate; interest is added yearly. These earnings of inmates are the property of the Crown, but are always paid over to past inmates if of good character and required for such a purpose as commends itself to the minister. Some inmates earn £40 and £50, and in many cases lads have bought sections of land on which they have settled; others buy horses and drays or express carts; others again start in some business. Girls generally receive their earnings when about to get married or wishing to start in business of some kind. Should an employer wish to return an inmate, the manager arranges for his or her return to the school, where employment is found until there is another place obtained. It has been found very satisfactory to allow inmates, on attaining the age of 16 or 17 and being of good character, to receive their own wages. This privilege is much valued by the inmates, as it enables them to feel a little less dependent on their employer for pocket money and such little trifles as they may require. It has also been useful to managers, as they could hold it out as an inducement to good behavior; and managers could also form an opinion as to the manner in which inmates would spend their money if discharged. A pleasing feature in the boarding out is the strong attachment that is often to be seen between foster parent and child. This not seldom results in the legal adoption of the inmate, while in many other cases the foster home becomes in reality a home where the inmate, when grown up, is looked on as one of the family. In favor of the residential system it may be said that the discipline, method, and training are of the utmost advantage in regulating unbalanced minds, correcting wayward dispositions, and, particularly, in turning out well-trained lads for farm work and girls for domestic duties. A proper combination of these two systems has led to most satisfactory results, and throughout New Zealand are hundreds of most respectable citizens, well repaying the State the cost of their maintenance, thankful for the foresight of the representatives of the country which enabled them to be taken from homes of poverty, degradation, or vice to be educated and brought up in a manner to befit them to take their place with any of their fellows. Attached is a statement of the number of children in the industrial schools in the colony, with other interesting particulars: CHAPTER VI. EDUCATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE. Articles on education in central Europe published in previous Reports of the Commissioner of Education. Comparison of the schools of Germany, France, and the United States, with diagrams. 1888-89 32 1888-89 53 Brief statement of the school system in Prussia. Proportion of population in elementary, secondary, and higher institutions Industrial and technical education in central Europe.. Statistical summary of school population, teachers, and expenditures for schools in! the civilized world |