The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1887. A LAUDABLE INSTITUTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1563, 20 May 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1887. A LAUDABLE INSTITUTION.

Among the papers presented to Parliament this session is the seventh annual report m connection with the educational institution for deaf mutes. Wonderful success has been attained of late years m cultivating the faculties of that particular class of unfortunates, and it is satisfactory to note that New Zealand is not backward m such a humane cause. As is probably known, an institution at Sumner, under the management of Mr Van Asch, has been doing much good work, and from the report we before referred to we cull some particulars which may be of interest. The number of pupils at the school at Sumner is 43. Of this number, one pupil cqmes from South Australia, twenty-four are sent from the South Island, land 18 from the North Island. And, again, of these forty-two New Zealand children, twelve belong to the provincial district of Otago, ten to Canterbury, one to Kelson, one to Westland, ten to Auckland, two to Hawkes' Bay, and six to Wellington. For the year ending March 3r, 1887, parents refunded the amount of 9s 2d towards the expenditure of the institution. During the previous year the amount refunded was 15s 10s; the expenditure being 12s Bd. The director submits a very interesting report regarding the working of the Institution. In it he says : — The year has been characterised by continued individual and concerted action on the part of the teachers to make the instruction and training of the pupils telling and satisfactory. And the result, as evinced by the behaviour and intelligence of the pupils, may be considered good m nearly all cases, fair only m a few, and excellent m some. In the cast of the two or three children m the institution whose mental capacity is much below the average it is impossible to get more than a fair result, but the training should, for all that, not be regarded as of little value to them, for the personal and careful attention which they, with the rest, daily receive has a most humanising effect upon their whole being. Appropriate training sets m vibration the mechanism of such children's torpid minds, strengthens and directs their will, and assuredly saves them from a life-long condition of utter ignorance and melancholy stupor. But for such a process of mental exercise their being trained to perform any kind of bodily labor would be much more difficult, if not altogether hopeless." In referring to one of the cases admitted during the year, he says. "It may deserve a passing notice that this is the fifth case of deafness resulting from illness, between the ages of five to sixteen, that we have been called upon to train m the art* of reading from the lips what others are saying. Can it be that our changeable climate is somewhat severe on the organ of hearing," Ur Prins, the medical officer of the institution, who also submits his report for the year, after speaking with regard to the health of the pupils, speaks m high praise of the system adopted. He says that the pupils are showing satisfactory signs of progress. This is especially the ease as regards the older pupils, where rapid progress amply demonstrates the efficacy of the system of instruouJ? n « rsue^ II J! t0 h * ho P^ that all parents anu "««*«| 8 who have deaf mutes under their chaij? wUI ??• fail to take advantage of this admirable institution, and so do what they can to brighten the lives of the unfortunates committed to their cars.