HUMAN WASTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1922, Page 9

HUMAN WASTAGE.

PROBLEM OF THE YOUNG, WORK OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS. WIDE SCOPE FOR EXTENSION. The problem of human wastage among the young people of the Dominion was dealt with in a report by Mr. J. Beck, director of the special schools branch of the Education Department, read before the Auckland Welfare of Youth Conference. The system of juvenile, or informal, probation had been the direct means of saving hundreds of youths from deterioration after the committal of probably a first minor offence. It was to be regretted that such,children could not be dealt, with in some other way than by having to appear before the Court. It was considered that the scope of the branch could very well be extended in certain directions: (1) Supervision and care of all illegitimate children, with powers to assist the mothers and to proceed against the fathers of the children; (2) establshment of children’s Courts; (3) supervision of all children under 15 years of age maintained apart from their parents or guardians; (4) State guardianship of all orphan children; (5) assistance to respectable deserted mothers of children; (6) supervision of all private institutions caring for children; (7) regulation of street trading and attendance of children at picture theatres, etc.; (8) general supervision of all children from ten years upward in the matter of selecting amusements, employment, linking up with clubs, bands, gymnasia, etc., and for the purpose of teaching good citizenship and encouraging young people to seek a healthy and clean environment: (9) established of a system by means of which assistance could be granted to mothers for the maintenance of their children in their own homes instead of. as happens under the present system, by the committal of the children to the* State, with the consequent separation of the family and the breaking up of the home. CARE OF THE FEEBLE-MINDED. Regarding the problem of the feebleminded. Mr. Beck said there was need for more than the maintenance of the special schools at Otakaika and Richmond. Especially was the want felt with regard to girls from the age of 15 years upwards, who, owing to their deficiency. and often through lack of supervision at home, were unable to care for theflfcselves. Many of them could be properly supervised in their own homes by local social service organisations, while for others where parental care and supervision were lacking, provision could be made by the establishment of cottage homes, either for their care and teaching during the day. at night time, or for* their permanent care. Many of the children examined for admission to special schools had been found to be of too low mental capacity to justify the department in admitting them. Neither were they, however, bad enough for admission to a mental hospital, and the questidn remained as to what should be done with them. In conclusion. Mr. Bock hoped that a start would be made in Auckland with the establishment of a children s council. A branch -could be founded in eac<i centre on which the department could have representation. BUREAU OF INFORMATION. Mr. J. Caughley, director-general of education, suggested the formation by the conference of a bureau of informa tion with which the Government would co-operate. It would be the policy of the iEdueation Department to encourage the formation of such a bureau. He stated that 1400 illegitimate children were born in the Dominion last year, and the death rate among them was nearly twice as great as among legitimate children Without in any way condoning illegitimacy, it would 'be highly desirable to induce such mothers to’look after their children, thus fostering the maternal instinct and redeeming their previous failing. There were about 1000 orphan children under the care of various agencies, said Mr. Caughley, but in most cases one parent was living. It seemed a peculiar thing that 15s per week should be paid to foster-parents in order to allow the mothers, for example, to take up an occupation. It would be far better to allow orphan children to remain with the parents living and pay them the same sum as at present paid to foster parents for the purpose. Dr Truby King said it seemed a reflection on our civilisation that the death rate among illegitimate children should be double that of legitimate children. The aim should be to keep the mother and child together. If they wanted to ruin the mother let her abandon her child: if they wished to do their best for her they must allow her to nurse it.