Special Class For Poor Sighted Pupils

Chronicle (Levin), 27 January 1949, Page 9

Special Class For Poor Sighted Pupils

WELLINGTON, Jan. 26. Two rooms at the Te Aro sehool, Wellington, are at present being specially furnished for use by a "sig'ht saving ; * .class. which the Welli^fton Education Board , hopes to have in operation oy -Maroh. The class is for children who 'can see but not well enovugh even wltli -glasses, to * study under normal class foom conditions. , - Conimon in big cities of America, such elasses have also been established in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney and are to be pioneered in New Zealand by the Wellington and Canterbury Education Boards with Government backing. Fluorescent lighting that will vary in strength inversely to variations in the sun's brightness, so as to keep the total intensity of light in the class room consant, is oue of the special faeilities being arranged for the Wellington class. The desks will slope up moTe sharply in front of pupils than standard desks do and text books will be printed in specially large type. Because of the large amount of individual instruction that will be required, the elasses cannot exce'ed 20. The board has already reeeived numerous inquiries from parents outside Wellington who are prepared to pay for their children to board in the city so that they might attend and v it is expected the class will open with a full roll. Dr. W. J. Hope-Robei'tson has advised the board that he is willigg to -act in an advisory capacity in inatters relating to the class. . The board 's chairman, Mr. N. R. Seddon, who outlined the scheme today, said the children would be admitted to tlie- class on Dr. Hope-Robertson's recommendation after examination by hiin and optical experts at the Wellington Public Hospital. Miss J. K. Sutherland, Wellington, htis been appointed as teacher for the class and has already spent a month ahd a half in Australia observing tlie methods used in the sight saving elasses • there.' Through being situated at tlie To Aro school, pupils in the class will experience in some respect, at least the life of a normal large sehool.