THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 80, 6 April 1891, Page 4

THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—A paragraph in your columns of this date (from Dunedin) under the above heading calls tor comment. Dr. Johnson eaid " he envied not the man whose piety was not awakened by gazing on the ruins of lona, or whoee patriotism wae not strengthened by treading the plaine of Marathon," and I think the moral standard of the individual must be very low and the heart exceedingly hard in which the emotions and sympathies are unstirred by the calamitous condition of the unfortunate blind, in their enchained darkness, from which there is no emancipation but through the portals of bhe grave. Therefore, the movement with respect to these unfortunates now taking place in Dunedin has for us intense and peculiar interest.

I find, that while the Committee approve and eulogise the noble course we have taken, they determined not to associate themselves with our Institute, I think this is an impolitic step:

1. Becauee tho matter was initiated in Auckland, but purposely made co broad in its constitution as to embrace the whole of the colony. 2. Because the Committee appointed by the public meeting have worked assiduously to make the institution efficient and farreaching in the scope of its benevolence. 3. In order to the attainment of these ends, information and statistics have been gleanod from the most reliable sources all over the world. 4. Becauae the projected appeal to tho Government by the Dunedin committee for tne necessary apparatus to teach and educate the blind appears to involve (if granted) superfluous expense. 5. Because in grouping the whole of the unfortunates in one institution the system of education as well as the teachers and exponents would be better than that proposed in Dunedin. I am free to admit thab blind children may be taughb in conjunction with sighted ones, and in such casee tho former often outstrip the latter, which prima facie seems incredible ; the fact, however, can be accounted for on the following hypothesis :— (a) The blind have the marvellous power of concentrating tboir energies. While the eye of the sighted often runs away with his faculties, which ought to be riveted on the current theme or lesson, it can never be so in the case of the former. (/;) The sympathy of the sighted is evoked by the condition of the blind, and this love-betjotten kindness and consideration ineensantly oozes forth and crystallises into the ladder by which the ramparts of knowledge are mounted, the difficulties overcome and the victory achieved ; but although these gratifying result? are possible, the process can only be regarded in its tentative state, and the formation of schools expressly for the blind is not only the plan pursued all over the civilised world, but it has the further recommendation of acting as a powerful magnet to draw out from the plethoric exchequer its euper-abundant coin and to make inexpressibly happy those who have determined to bequeath a portion of their eubatance to this laudable object. I sincerely trust that our Dunedin friends will feel the force of these remarks, and with their noble impulses, fired energies and warm hearts, associate themselves with us in our work of faith and labour of love, as normally intended.—l am, etc.,

J ro. Abbott. St. George's Bay Road, Parnoll, April 4th, 1891.