DEAF-MUTE INSTITUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 6727, 8 October 1885, Page 1

DEAF-MUTE INSTITUTION.

New Zealand has every reason to be proud of her educational ftirtitations, and amoflgßf these, in public jp&mtkra, the Deaf and Dumb Institution should hold a high place. Opened at Sumner:in Canterbury onJttarcK. 1, i 1880, with ten pupils, the number of inmates has shown a steady .increase, and the labors of the skilful director, Mr G: Vjbr Asch, and his wife hayebeen-Attended with marked snccesa The system of instruction is that known as "the articulation system," by which deaf intitea are trained to the use, of organs of speech, and learn both to speak—in the ordinary sense of the , word—and to understand from the motion of the lips the speech of others. The use of finger signs or other conventions employed as substitutes for speech is strictly excluded. The coarse of instruction includes readingand writingin the first instance, followed by English composition, arithmetic, geography, history, drawing, elementary science, etc. The girls are also' instructed in sewing, knitting, and other. useful accomplishments. ,' Thirty-six pupils—twenty boys and sixteen girls-—are at present in attendance, being all- Resident boarders, under the watchful care of Mr and Mrs Von Asch and their assistants. The pupils occupy four separate buildings, situated at convenient distances from one another. There is ( also a detached school-house, with an ample playground and abundant facilities for recreation purposes. This arrangement is, considered to be in several respects .better: adapted to the purposes of such an institution than one large building in which all the pupils could be accommodated, since the separate residences afford means of classifying the pupils according to sex and age. The locality, it is hardly necessary to say, is salubrious, and this is attested by the general good health of the children. The Minister of Education in his annual report remarks that " the "ability and zeal of the director are " deserving of high commendation, and " the results of his labors are sur- " prising and gratifying. He has been " well seconded in his efforts to pro- " mote the welfare and comfort of the " pupils by Mrs Von Asch and his "assistants." The director's report, dated June 20, together with those of the medical officer and the Inspeotor- • General, were printed in a separate Parliamentary paper, and contain interesting information as to the working of the Institution. Mr Von Asch describes three instances in which boys deprived of the sense.of hearing at a more or less early age would have gradually grown dumb, as well as, deaf but, for the trainings to which' fiiey I have been subjected. "In their case," he says-, "the articulation method acts " as a staying or conservative power on "that portion of, speech whjchthey " acquired in a natural way, while lip- " reading is aggressive with reference "to language which is new, abstruse, "and artificial to them." The North Island pupils were last Christmas accompanied to their homes by the director and his wife, who were thus enabled, to confer with the parents,, on matters affecting their children's education and general welfare. ."It,was pleasing," says Mr Von AscH t < *' to " find how "much spirit of industry and "helpfulness in the home circle was "exhibited by niany of them, and how " much use all of them made pf their "power of speech so far as their " knowledge of language would permit" The medical officer, Dr Prins, reports to the Minister of Education that the institution at Sumner continues to be admirably managed; the work carried on in an orderly and satisfactory manner; and the various rooms in the buildings models of neatness and cleanliness. The doctor directs the attention of the Government to the requirement, strongly urged by the director, of more accommodation, not only with the object of affording room for new pupils, but also with the view of. training the older inmates of the institution in various branches of industry. " The Deaf and Dumb "Asylum at Sumner has been," he says, " not only a credit, but a great "boon to the Colony, and it would "be a great misfortune were its usefulness to be in any way marred "through the want of proper facili"ties." The Inspector-General (Mr Habens). concludes a report, generally technical in character, by observing: "The care and kindness with which "the children are treated are emi-„ " nently satisfactory, and.the director's' " ability is so well known that I need "not add any testimony of mine." The total expenditure on the inst£~. tution for the financial year ended March 31st.last was £2,372 lis lid, of which only £859 was for salaries.. The charge made by the Government for the board and education of each pupil is £lO a year; but in a number of instances pupils are admitted free, or at reduced rates, in order that no child, capable of receiving benefit may be excluded.*

This institution, which is paving so material a blessing to a much afflicted classs, owes its origin to a member of the much-abused Continuous Ministry, the Hon. Mr Rolleston, whoia 1878, when Sir George Grey was in office, moved and induced the House to assent to a resolution—" That the time "has come when the Colonial Govern"ment should establish an asylum for "deaf and dumb within the Colony, "and thai provision should be made "for the same during the present " session of Parliament" The then Government were ; rather cold on the

proposition. Mr Stout, the only Minister who expressed a distinct opinion, acknowledged that Mr RollesTON waa entitled to'great credit for bringing the matter forward, but he averred that there were various difficulties in the way of carrying out such a scheme successfully. He undertook, however, that if the motion were carried the Government would communicate with the AgentGeneral with regard to bringing out to the Colony a properly-trained person, and obtaining some statistics showing what the cost of such an institution would be. This was the course Eventually adopted ) and Sir Julius Vogel, who was Agent-General at the time, interested himself very warmly in the matter, the result being that the services of Mr Yon Asch, a distinguished expert in the quite modern "articulation, method" of instruct ing the deaf ' and dumb were secured, and the institution at Sum»ejr'was established and opened for the reception of inmates early in 1880, within eighteen months ■of the resolution being adopted in the House. It is one of the few redeeming points in the conduct of affairs by the Grey Administration that they were instrumental fit establishing the institution; 1 hut to Mr Rolleston the honor of the initiation is due, and, in the long and by no means undistinguished political career of the honorable gentleman, this admirable provision for the deaf and dumb may be regarded as his very best work.