BACKWARD CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1921, Page 5

BACKWARD CHILDREN.

SLOW PROGRESS AT SCHOOL. KEEKING A REMEDY. INVESTIGATION BY TEACHERS, Last year, for the first time in the history of New Zealand, backward children in the State primary schools were made the subject of investigation. The problem of effectively handling children (officially dubbed “retardates”), whose mental development has been retarded is recognised by educationists as a very complex one, having at its base certain root causes whichj under proper direction, are readily capable of being remedied. The investigation was made under the auspices of the New Zealand Educational Institute, and at a sitting of that body in Wellington the special committee entrusted with the work submitted a comprehensive report on the subjeiet. The committee intimated that 5n order to secure information on which to base a report schedules were sent by the committee to 415 schools of grade 3b and higher. Through the courtesy of chief inspectors in each district, who who were asked to select typical schools, 67 were also sent to schools of grades lower than 3b. Of the total number of schedules forwarded to schools, 191 were- returned—approximately 39 per cent—Auckland returning 44, Taranaki 7, Wanganui 14, Hawke’s Bay 15, Wellington 17, Nelson 8, Canterbury 50, Otago 22, and Southland 14. Some of these returns were valueless, as they were imperfectly filled in. “The fact that even a small .percentage of children in our schools progress at a slow rate,” continued the report, “is of great importance, whether viewed from the individual or from the social viewpoint. The further fact that the causes in the majority of the cases are discoverable and able to be remedied should be sufficient to rouse the keenest interest in the matter.” The committee added that the teachers were asked to record the “accelerates” «(bright children) in their schools as well at? the “retardates.” The figures submitted showed that in the schools classed, roughly, as town schools (roll over ’306), the “retardates* exceeded the “accelerates” in every class, and that there were 1766 more “retardates” than “accelerates” recorded. In the smaller schools the reverse was the case, there being in the aggregate 324 jnore “accelerates” than A SURPRISING RESULT. The result was, stated the committee, somewhat surprising, as it was generally held that with.better staffing, and more regular attendance, the larger schools should show fewer “retardates” and probably more “accelerates” than the smaller types of schools. In the absence of exact figures regarding the "division of the sexes in each school, it was impossible-to make any estimate of whether retardation was greater among boys than among girls. - The report went on to state that in town schools 7 per cent of the children were recorded as being of poor physique, and of these the cause in 61.4 per cent of the cases could be definitely ascribed to ill-health and 5.8 per cent to poverty In country schools the percentage of “retardates” tof poor physique appeared higher, being almost 10 per cent, the cause in 59.1 per cent of the cases being ill-health find.in 0 per cent poverty. As tegards sight and hearing, just over 1.5 per cent of “retard:-:e-i" in town schools showed uncorreuted defects of sight and 1.1 per cent defects of hearing, while in country schools the figures were 2.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. The committee expressed the opinion that non-attendance at i school until seven years of age and there- : abouts was a strong factor in retarda- } tion. As regarfls mentality, the figures submitted showed that in the case of town schools, of a total of 9312 children, 1044 were described as of low intelligence, and 70 as being feeble-minded. In the case of the country schools, of a .total* of 3641 children, 552 were set down as of low intelligence, and 65 as being feebleminded, GETTING AT THE CAUSES. In conclusion, the committee pointed out that, though no correlation had been established between retardation and any one cluse, yet a general opinion might be advanced from the figures obtained that the chief cause of--retardation appeared to be low “intelligence.” Returns from head teachers revealed a striking disagreement as to where the line between the feeble-minded and the ordinary child was to be drawn. The investigation also showed (a) that school progress was only a partial and indirect measure of mental ability or defect; (b) that for a final and precise measurement of intelligence years of age were as inconclusive as they would be for a correct measurement of weight and height; (c) that retardation in school work must be proved by the more refined method of mental tefits, The committee expressed the opinion that the grading of “accelerates,” or children of superior general ability, was as imjortant a problem as the diagnosis of childtan of inferior ability. The committee suggested: (a) That for further inquiry along the line of the moreintensive method of mental tests, the assistance of the principals of the training colleges should be invited; (b) that the investigator in charge should conduct the inquiry over a group of schools near enough to enable him to visit each school and supervise the application of the tests; (c) that the experience and results thus gained be personally communicated to a special committee of each branch of the institute for application of the tests over a wider area. The report was referred back to the committee for further inquiry as to what extent retardation was due to (1) insufficient and poor accommodation; (2) incompetent teaching; (3) excessively large classes.