FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 46, 23 August 1911, Page 2

FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN.

' »<u»..—. Some interesting remarks on tn* subject of feeble-minded children Are made by Mr. G. Bensle&d, Principal of the Otekaike Home for mtch cases Jieaf OnmalMt. He expresses strong approval of the contemplated extension of the scheme to include boys, ahd goes on. to draw attention lo the following facts which have come to his notice during hi« vteits of inspection of ca&es for admissions— • (1) The number of cae*a of feebleminded persons (children and adults) which come to light incidentally, and which go to show that there are a good number of twes of which wo have Mo official record. (2) The number of casw of feeblemindtjd hdulte, ever the ag« of twenty* one years, who cannot be accommodated at Otekaike, and who «» still outside Otekaike. Several I have aeon aiw quite capable (of work tinder direction and supervision, They are a menace to fcocioty, and should be segregated tm soon afl discovered. This quontion of segregation, he a/lda, could be dealt with by means of a farm colcihy. Having pfipßod a Bill lust year which provides for the compulsory r^ii* ficntion of all feeble-minded pei'eoite l school age,' and also for the compulsory education of all afHicted children 'tip to , the age of twetvty»one yeal-B. Mt.' Ben* stead suggests ' that We should gb & step further, and say - thai all the feeble- \ minded persohe over twentyoh© ye*r» of ■age at th* present time who we yet outmd* an institution, and who, from lii» own observation .(Mid .personal^exatnihft« tion, mm> unable Vo* control their own lives, find whoso presence ih the Outside World i« a possible menace to ftttd a probabla source of further pollution of tlie tftce, muet be .segregated,