LEFT-HANDED CHILDREN.

Shannon News, 23 October 1928, Page 2

LEFT-HANDED CHILDREN.

LARGE PROPORTION IN LEVIN SCHOOL.

EFFECT' ON STUDIES

The causes-and effects of left-handed-ness in children have long been the subject of study, by, scientists and: educationalists, and, interest, in the subject has been revived by a statement cabled from London last week of the opinions of, a. prominent authority on ttie brain and its functions, Dr. H., Rurnsey, of Guy's Hospital. ' '.lt is dangerous,'' he says, "to force a naturally left-, handed, child to become right-handed, ; because it overloads the left side of the brain." ,Dr. Rumsey says that the brain controls the hands diagonally and also that the left side of the brain controls speech. Nature makes some 'children left-handed to give the Speech centre extra room. Sometimes lefthanders, when forced to be righthanded develop stammering, which ceases when they "are allowed -to follow their instinct.

The matter has been mentioned,, in Parliament, when the'Minister for Education promised to have investigations made as to the conditions in New Zealand schools. .".- " '"■■';.

Apropos of-the subject I the following interesting report was made to the Levin District High 'S'cjipol Committoje en Monday night by the Headmaster (Mr R. J/ Foss) in his monthly statement:—

Much interest has recently been disclosed in the relationship existing between "sstn'i|stra,ls" (left-handed pupiTs) and the speech training and writing courses. An investigation shows that, the number of sinistrals in the school is about 50 per .cent above normal. Of these there ig not one recorded ,a.s a stammerer, the school policy being- not one of forcing to become "idextrals," It is found that 28 per cent of the sinistrals are marked down in writing, while 34 per r cent of them have earned pass' ma'i'ks. and the balance, 88 per cent, are classified as "good." It is a notable coincidence that, in the reading group of. subjects, •3S per cent of sinistrals have earned marks" above the "pass" stage (one also top of a large class), 34 per cent are marked "pass," and 28 per cent are marked down. In the writing group of low-marked sinistrals there are some who find writing in any form an extremely difficult task.

The Chairman (Mr A. W. Hutchings) said he took it that the policy of the school was not to interfere in the natural disposition of the child in the use of its hands. Mi- Foss said that in the infant department they endeavoured to find out whether the children were naturally left-handed, but after that they did not force them to become right-hand-ed.

The Chairman said lie had read a little about the subject, and there was a relation between the development of the child and the use.of its hands. The Headmaster's report was interesting from that point* .of vieV.