FEEBLE-MINDED GIRLS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 939, 5 October 1910, Page 5

FEEBLE-MINDED GIRLS.

; ,;; IS- A:;TRAINING INSTITDTiON"; ; ; : >fr ' ;'lh' a' feport,'. : .,furriishedi to the tion 'Depai'tment, the;principal'of;;the .special school;fbr. boys^-at ptekaike':(Mri'. ,G. : ';Benstead)'- 'deals;interestingly; with the necessity'for;an institution fortHe ,'training.p£.fe'eble-mihded. girls;>';,'-; : 4i:''. : ; The;.'provision\pf such ,an"institution, ; says' Mr.A-Benstead, ; is,y to";'; his . jmin'd,; even more -importarit tHah providing ;for ; tHe;;boys. ; . : :■:"■• r ;"" '" .;''-.;'.; ~; ,s"Probably,'.'i;he saysj.-. "some, pebplb '.will -say that'tbp much hibney is 'alreadybeihg;. spent on .the educatibir.of' feeble- .. minded 'children ;'• but -1 v may'A'point."but, 'that' ,: it, is entirely false .economy .tp-de-, lay,, providing -for 'the'-'segregation' I '.' of, ' feeble-minded. girls, ;inasmuch, as; delay : means ,a;;.cpntinuous inbrease :ih. the numbera,';.as .has;Already,.been.-pointed, out;;;Nd'bne"who'looks-the question:'bf: race',betterment squarely.■'-.'in ,tho .face; can I .' for; one', moment condemn .tHe- ex'penditure:riecessary(to equip -an: instifcu-;' tion ; 'for;,the; accommodation -of! feeble'-; minded'girls,,-.; The "climate.-of.Otekaike'' is an ideal.one,;the grounds are most , suitable, and jthe. cost of, administration .would'-bb, considerably ..reduced; by 'extending our wprk';sb as- to provide, for the 'training of .feeble-minded;girls' also. ..'; ''That .provision should be; made "for: the; reception .of all; feeble-minded children ~where, parents.,,: are;.'.not";.:-.wealthy enough.'to provide .the special :traihingv •or where' they: have ■■ insufficient' time to '.deyoteto^uchichildretij'may^eurged—'. ;' '"(1); For the ;child's sakeU; i (a) On account; of. the;'difficulty, of obtaining sufficieht'.exercis'e.an the fresh air., (b); 'The', impossibility,; of ''.obtaining'.- home' training, so;.as to.'divert'; their {energies from 'mischievous.habits. . (c)- ;The; im-. possibility "of securing 'adequate prbtec■tipn fromj unkindness : and injury. There 'are'^asds l ''6n'.:rMord';.of,p^f. : feeble-minded children who have tied' their.children .up in a.room or left'them locked' lip-indoors 'all 'day without-'a ;fire,;while they (the,parents);;have been •put to .work;';; In' bther.Vcases they' have . been turned' out of', doors all, day■ long, : to ruri about without any supervision at all;.;; ; ';;; ; -;-':,:■;.:<'-;.;..'.:" ';'"';."'..",;''•;: '.','(2) For. the sake'of the parents and friends, -.(a) Because of the. constant worry and'anxiety.inseparable from the care of a feeble-minded child under .'the 'ordinary conditions of honie life,. and the, difficulty, ■ under such 'conditions,, of -keeping the child from' harm.;'(b) Because .of .the;interference -with the training' of the other children; belonging 'to the family." .. ' '■-~ ' '■• ■• ,--'