SUB-NORMAL CHILDREN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 8, 9 January 1914, Page 9

SUB-NORMAL CHILDREN.

QUESTION Or SPECIAL SCHOOXS.

DISCUSSION" AMONG TEACHERS,

A brief but inti-rcftinK diwussion on I a proposal that special schools should be ; provided for sub-normal children took place in the rlnsinp st-a:jps of the annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday. A resolution afTirimni the principle was moved by Miss" K. Shrewsbury (Auckland I. who also asked that the secretary of the Auckland Institute" should 'be instructed to communicate With the medical conference to be held in this city in February, with a view to securing ihoir co-operation in bringing the matter before the Government. jlr 0. D. KU-mank I l>unedin I remarked th-.it if :hey branded children as sub-normal by placing them in special «hoo!= they would have the parents doirn on them. It would, -be thaosht, be far bettor to attach to each ordinary sohool an extra .teacher, who wowld take these children and train them. He suggested that :he question should be deferred for diecuseion a: the July meeting in Wellington, even if they coukl not get 'the far -<t the Medical Conference Mr F. T. Evans (North Canterbury) pointed out -Hat the Act made it the duty nf parents to provide training for defective children. In hie own 6<.ihool there were three or four such children, who came from pood homrs and whose parents, were rjim-e willing to pay for thrir training. Mi?s M. S. Xewman I Auckland) contended that it would be useless to bring the mater before the Government without evidence. They had worked out the proportion of sub-normal children in Auckland, and found that it was about two per een:. Those children should ie placed in an environment different from that nf other scholars, because snoml facilities were necessary in rcgkrd to building, pardens. teachers, etc., etc. When the Education Commission came to the consideration of the proposal they refused to receive it favourably. The speaker strongly supported sppeial schools. Mr T. Patterson. M.A- (Otago) remarked thai parents of sub-normal children would be inclined to think that the sorting out of their children for treatment as sub-normal was a reflection on themselves. They would prefer that these children should not bo separated from other scholars for their training. He suggested an amendment asking that departments should be provided in the schools in large centres for the purpot*. Lieut.-Colc.nel Macdonald suited that the question was too wide to be considered in the short while remainm-; at their disposal. It should be deferred for consideration at the special meeting of the Institute in July. Mr. Flamank: What w meant by cubDornraJ' , children 1 The mover (Mfee Shrewsbury} said @&i the word had 'been employed in the •mder ser*e to embrace children who were me.ntaUy. morally, or physically

*S£ , J!i«id«t (Mr. T. V. HVriU. M.A.I : Tnu do not meaTt simply children who are a Uttfe <lull in fearninf?

Miss Shrewsbury: Ko. It was finally affreeJ that the Auckland Distric: Institute be asked 'to communicate with the Medical Con-ference to be held in AucMand in February asting for r-n-operatimi in bringing the ma/her before the Government, fuller discussion by the institute to be left over until July.