SUB-NORMALS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 154, 30 June 1926, Page 16

SUB-NORMALS

EDUCATING CHILDREN

VALUABLE WORK IN SYDNEY.

Science never did a more humane thing than when it placed in tho hands of the educationists a method by which they might fit those luckless children born into the world with minds midway between normality and imbecility to take some place, however humble, in life. Ono realises this when one sees what is being done in New South Wales with modern psycho-educational methods, says the "Sydney Morning Herald." There are thousands of people in the world who, while the term imbecile cannot by any extension of its meaning bo applied to them," live on tho borderland of intelligence, where reality is perceived only in blurred, confusing form, and things seem not what they are. In New South Wales it is estimated that 1J per cent, of the school children—or 4500 out of 300,000 —fall into this category. For eighteen mouths now classes have been conducted in various metropolitan schools, where these unfortunate children—in the terminology of American psychologists known as morons—are given individual attention. The classes are restricted ,to about fifteen pupils, and in this way teachers can solve the special difficulties of each child, and find.means whereby: to overcome them. Thus one pupil was unable to master the multiplication .table through the memory of,ear or eye, but when his fingers ' were drawn across figures made of sandpaper, ho understood and remembered that 2.x 2 equals 4. ■ ■ . ■ ■ . Tho difficulties of tho school are manifold, and most of them spring from the parents' ignorance of the tremendous advantage the. training would bo to their boys and girls. Of all the city children whose minds are shrouded in this twilight the authorities have been able to induce only lOi} to enter the. classes, which" have been1 ■ formed at Blackfriars, Glenmore road, Darlington, Smith street, Bpzelle,. Balmain, Plunket street, and Bourko street. Still the work proceeds, and importan research is being carried on to determine the relation between efficiency and delinquency. A somewhat unexpected result will probably crown this inquiry, for the investigators believe they will find that the popular theory that the subnormal child has a tendency to wrongdoing is incorrect. Such a conclusion would be of tremendous value to the educationists and psychologists, and would change our attitude to young criminals and morons. Shortly a' large residential school for the treatment of subnormal children will be opened at GTenfield, and there the authorities hope to do a great deal more than they can attempt at the moment. Now when the child leaves the school he returns to his home—often a slum—where there is little stimulus to remember the things he has been taught so laboriously during the day. Though the deficiency of these children is innate rather than environmental they will benefit considerably by being removed to new surroundings^ and when after-care homes are established on the model of those in vogue abroad they should be more ably assisted in their painful and bewildering ordeal of facing life poorly equipped by Nature. It is believed that Dr. Phillips, of the Teachers' Training College, will be appointed superintendent of tho new home.