INTELLIGENCE OF CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24600, 23 June 1945, Page 8

INTELLIGENCE OF CHILDREN

“ BELOW PAR ” SCHOOL PROBLEM

DR. R. WINTERBOURN’S REPORT Figures showing that one-quarter of the children in schools in New Zealand were below par’ in intelligence, being either feeble-minded or having specific disabilities which prevented them “making the grade" in all subjects, were quoted by Dr. R. Winterbourn, senior lecturer in education at Canterbury University College, when he discussed the question of backward children with the Canterbury Education Board yesterday. "We are appalled at the figures,” said Mr W. P. Spencer during the consequent discussion with Dr. Winterbourn, who set out to show that the percentage of feeble-mindedness and intellectual dullness was greater in the country areas than in the cities. Dr. Winterbourn said he was convinced that the results of his researches into backward children were valid, and fitted in with the particular incidence of backwardness in other countries. It appeared that in New Zealand schools about 2.1 per cent, of the children were technically feeble-minded, sufficiently low in intelligence to be labelled feeble-minded. A further 12.5 per cent, could be put in the border zone, dull and definitely below average in intelligence. These figures were taken out in 1941. It was a major education problem. If both groups in schools were taken, 14.8 per cent, of the New Zealand school children were sufficiently low intellectually to create a major problem: they could not adapt themseves to the ordinary class work in an ordinary, normal manner. The special classes in special schools catered for .25 per cent., and the Mental Hospitals Department also ran two institutions for the lower grade of feeble-minded children, catering for a further .67. per cent. That number, under 1 per cent., could not help being backward. Specific Disability . In addition, there was another kind of backward specific disability, the children being normal intellectually, sometimes superior, but having difficulty, lor special reasons, with one or two school subjects, mainly arithmetic and reading. They were a different problem altogether. In the absence of a nation-wide survey, he could not say how many there were; but overseas evidence, compared with one thorough survey in Christchurch, led him to estimate that 6.7 per cent, of the children in schools had specific disability, being at least two classes bplow average in particular subjects. “So 20 per cent, of our children are not able to go through the ordinary class and standard machine at a normal rate,” said Dr, Winterbourn. On the whole, the smaller classes were in the rural schools and the larger in the. schools in urban areas. In the smaller schools (below 24 pupils), the feeble-minded group was 4.7 per cent.; in schools with a 25-70 roll, 3.2 per cent.; in schools with a 71-190 roll, 2.6, per cent.; and in schools with rolls more than 190, 1.4 per cent. That was ,in line with overseas evidence available. The percentage of feeble-minded, border zone and dull cases in the smaller schools was 27.5 per cent, and one of the big problems was that inexperienced teachers were given the toughest jobs. Canterbury’s Figures In New Zealand, practically half the population lived in the country districts, and the problem was a greater one there than in the cities, where it was much easier to cope with by special classes. It was an exceedingly knotty problem. Of the various school districts, Canterbury came out with the lowest proportion of feeble-minded grade pupils (1.7 per cent.), Wellington being next with 1.9, while Southland had 3.3. In the other below-par group, Wellington had the lowest, with 11.4 per cent., and Southland had the highest, with 21,3, Taranaki having 20.9. In providing for these pupils, Canterbury had done the best, 6.6 per cent, being enrolled in special classes. Southland, which had the greatest number of backward children, had the poorest provision in terms of special classes. The figures of provision made in such districts as Southland and Taranaki were understandable, as the main cities were in other districts. He was convinced that part of the reason for the lack of provision for backward children in those districts was due to a lack of a clear-cut departmental policy. It had been .very haphazard in the past—very much an opportunist matter, depending on requests by headmasters. The initial, and real, selection of children for special schools was in the hands of the teachers. An examination of the lists drawn up by headmasters in 1942-43 showed that at least 50 per cent, of the children put on the lists were clear-cut special class cases. That was serious. The supervisor for New Zealand had an impossible job, and if teachers selected just as many as were unsuitable as those who were suitable there was something wrong. Of seven pupils selected in one school, only one was in the dull group and the rest were normal. Suggested Remedies Among the remedies which he had suggested were; where the population warranted them, more special classes were needed; the training of teachers after three years teaching after leaving the training colleges, in special class work; the establishment of a third school for boys and girls who were backward but not delinquent, and a scheme of localised school psychologists covering all schools. Because so many of the backward children were in country schools, the ordinary teacher needed to know a good deal more about their problem, said Dr. Winterbourn. That gave gopd scope for training colleges, where the extension of training two to three years would come before long. The training of backward children should be given a very high priority, because it affected at least a quarter of the school population. Few country children were enrolled at Otekaike and Richmond special schools, where there were mixtures of children merely backward and some merely delinquent. Mr A. E. Lawrence: Any criminals there—children who have been through the Courts? Dr. Winterbourn: Yes. We have a need for a third residential school for both boys and girls who are backward only but not delinquents, and where there will not be complications by their association with others. His expectations (hat two trainees for work among backward children would be appointed in Christchurch soon was mentioned by Dr. Winterbourn. If they proved competent after two years’ training, they would go into the schools. All the work was bound up with vocational guidance in the schools. . _ , Answering questions. Dr. Winterbourn said that attendance at a larger school gpve a child intellectual stimulus He made that answer to a question whether board members could use his arguments in support of the establishment of consolidated schools. Experience was that the tendency to delinquency was reduced in special schools and classes.