HANDS AND BRAIN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5396, 6 March 1929, Page 3

HANDS AND BRAIN.

TEACHING RETABDATES.

PRACTICAL ENGLISH METHODS.

Splendid results are being obtained in Great Britain in the education of. retardate and mentajly-dfefective children, according to Mr J- A. Valentine, ex-chief inspector of schools in Tara-i naki, who with his wife has returned to New Zealand after an extended tour abroad.

“My interest in education is ijtill keen, and though I have retired from the service of the Education Department 1 cannot let my enthusiasm for the work flag,” said Mr Valentine in an interview at Auckland. “As & consequence, during my visit to Grqat Britain I took the opportunity of investigating educational methods, and submitted a number of reports to. the Director of. Education in New Zealand. They were short reports, but should prove helpful.” Infant room methods and work among mentaliy-defectivq children were the phases of primary school life which claimed most of Mr Valentine’s attention. In England' the mentally-defective child is taught t.o exercise and develop intelligence mainly by means of. handiwork, such as leather work and cookery. <* In Birmingham Mr Valentine saw a. ■class of. backward girls preparing a lunch for children of the schobl who did not’gehome for the midday meal. The girls went shopping, selected the fish and other foodstuffs for the meal, and then returned to school, where they prepared and c,ooked the lunch. It was all done under expert super-, vision, and. the result was most pleasing. The lunch was excellent in. every respect. “Many of, the girls were backward and undeveloped when admitted to the institution,” said Mr Valentine, “and had' they net been given special attention they would almost certainly have been idle and adrift in later life. Courses in domestic science gave them the chance to become usejful members of the community.- Undei guidance they will have a g,ood chance in life-

“The children taught in these special schools for retardates are selected by medical officers of both sexes. These officers have been specially trained, and by means of intelligence tests they ascertain the mentality of children in the ordinary schools. Mentally-dejfective children are drafted off to these social institutions, which are found in all tM main centres. They are compelled to remain at such 4schobls until 14 years of age, and sometimes till 16, according to their respective; rates of progress.” Much attention had been, paid to Infant work, said Mr Valentine, many teac.hers specialising in this direction. The whole aim of English primary school teachers was to prepare children for the scholarship examination, which they wej’c expected to- pass at 11 years of. age. At that, age the bright pupils were transferred, the best cif them going to a secondary school, and the average to the central school. The central schools, seemed to inept conditions best; but could not be applied directly to. New Zealand, 1 owing to the scattered nature of many of. our schools. These central schools were not like our junior high schools, although the functions served were somewhat similar.

“1 cou]d talk for hours about edur cation,” said Mr “but in a short interview T can give cinly a sketchy outline of. what is being done. 1 don’t think New Zealand need be ashamed of the methods employed in her schools, although, of, epurse, there is always room for improvepient. There is, still one big problem which they have not solved in. the Old Country. While there is scope for the brilliant, child, to whom the secondary and central schools; are open, there is not much of a future; for the others. I said to an expert, ‘I would like to know what you do with your hewers of' wood and drawers of water,’ and his reply was that this question was one presenting many difficulties. ‘Up till now,’ admitted the expert, ‘it is a problem which we ’have not solved.’ ”