BACKWARD CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 225, 17 June 1920, Page 6

BACKWARD CHILDREN

SERIOUS EDUCATIONAL

PROBLEM

SPECIAL CLASSES SUGGESTED

The teaching of backward children vas tho subject of an important discussion at yesterday's sitting of the Council of J .{lunation. A remit dealing with these children had been referred to a committee, and was returned to the council 111 '-.ne following form:— , .. That in the opinion of the council it is urgent that special classes should bo established in all the larger schools for the better education ot children of retarded mental development. . Tho Director of Education (Dr. Anderson) said that he objected to special Bchools for tho education of backward children, since attendance involved a stigma. - Tho Department recognised that special classes wero required for these children. The causes of retardation were many and various, and the children were not necessarily of Bub-normal mental capacity. A child's progress might be slowed by irregular attendance at school, by frequent changes of school, or unsatisfactory home conditions. The special classes ought to exist in every large school, but there wero considerable difficulties especially in the matter of accommodation and stalling. Adequate space was lacking for the ordinary classes in many schoolß. Miss Chaplin, who had brought forward the remit, said she recognised the_ difficulties, but i>he had seen the tragic results of placing these children in the ordinary classes and letting them leave school with insufficient education. Facts had been \ collected regarding a certain number of children who had left school at the age of fourteen years without having got beyond the third standard. An investigation regarding seven boys of thlß type had revealed that after leaving school two boys had inured employment wrapnine! sweets. <'ite boy had been sent to tho Weraroa training farm through the police one had stayed, at home washing dishes and so forth (ho also came under police supervision), one had disappeared after getting into the hands of the police. The seventh boy had a good home, but his parents had tried in vain to apprentice him to a trade, because he lacked the necessary education. ■ . Dr. Anderson: We don't know how much was cause and how much was effect.

Mi6B Chaplin added that if the backward children were classified at an early "siago and put into special classes, they would have a greatly improved chance of making progress. Hut under present conditions they were put into the ordinary classes, where they were misfits. They could not Keep pace with the other children, they learned to hate school, and they left us soon as tho law allowed them to do so. They eventually cost the country far moro than the special classes would havo oost. The experience of other countrios where educational methods wero advanced, had shown that these backward children often possessed capabilities of a very high order in special directions. They wero abnormal, not subnormal. They oould not assimilate the ordinary education, Professor Mncmillan Brown said that the wastage among these children was most serious. He had been told' by 'teachers that they could not givo proper Instruction to the normal and clever children owing to tho presence in the classes of tho backward children.

Miss Brittaln said that the State should, go to root causes in dealing with the backward children. Tho trouble in many cases was malnutrition and bad clothing. The most careful specialised training in tho schools would not overcome these disabilities. Home habits often were wrong, and the pareutß, while willing to help their children, did not know how to proceed. She had found in her own experience that the mental capacity of children could be improved by suggestions as to diet.

Mr. J. Caughloy stated that In merely a small proportion of cases was tho retardation due to lack of mental capacity. About 24,000 children were in Standard 3, and of these 3600 children wero approaching 13 years of agci and would require to stay at Hchool until they were 15 or 16 in order to reach Standard 6. The statistics showed that altogether about 5000 of the Standard 3-children wero backward. It could not ho suggested that all theso children were mentally defective. He considered that this question should be studied by the teacher. Tho investigation of cases very often ■ would disclose the causo of the trouble, and the remedy. Teaching was apt to become merely conventional, and to include matters that wero not essential to education. The backward child might merely have a, mind of an unusual type. Ho . remembered the case of a boy who was utterly unable to pass his standards, and yet w'os a lead-, ing figure in the sports field, where he showed unusual qualities, of leadership and Judgment. Investigation of this problem would not cost money, end would rot involve increase of staff though it might indicate tho need of increase. Hiss Myers remarked that in late years tho community had been saving an increased proportion of the infants horn. This fact might have some bearing upon tho difficulties that the teachers encountered Liter.

Mr. Oaughley suggested that an addition to the remit, providing for an investigation of the cause .of retardation and the remejfcs. He said that most of the retarded children were not backward children at all.

The council referred the,remit back to tho committee for further consideration.