ENCOURAGING GENIUS

Evening Star, Issue 18142, 5 December 1922, Page 6

ENCOURAGING GENIUS

.SCHOOLS FOB SUPERNORMAL. In some schools individual tuition is now helping m a small degree to foster the requirements of supernormal pupils (says (Major-general Sir Patrick Delhi 1 , in a •Nineteenth Century’ article on ‘The Quest of the Embryonic Genius’). But it does not meet tiio needs adequately. With fears for health, some parents retard the higher education of their bright and clever “precocious” children, and so rob them of the very incentive required to bring out their mental powers. The result is failure to maintain the reputation of an earlier age. Supernormal children are likely to he quite as healthy ns ordinary children. Goddard, however, dilfereuHates between thoroughly healthy, genuinely gifted children ami those in whom exceptional brilliance is associated with nervousness. Hu indicates that tho latter need much care. The British nation has been giveu a high proportion of tho real geniuses of the world. In tho experimental tests ot the 1,700,000 recruits raised for the Great

War in the United States England was on lop of the list, showing a superiority of intelligence in 19.7 per cent., as compared with Scotland 15 and Germany 8.3. Norway and Ireland, adds Sir Patrick Hehir, were equal with 4.1. Poland was a bad last with 0.5. The table showing inferiority of intelligence also speaks highly for the British race. England was highest in tho racial list with only 8.7 per cent., Scotland was fourth with 13.6, Italy had 63.4, and Poland 69.9. The wiso educator of supernormal children in secondary schools will note the special leanings of his pupils, and he will guide their talents along those channels. Milton, to bring out special talents in his pupils, “ would try all their peculiar gifts of nature, and_if there were any secret excellence among them would fetch it out and give it fair opportunities to advance itself by, which could not but mightily redound to the good of the nation.” “It seems to mo be advisable,” says Sir Patrick Hehir, “to provide special classes for supernormal pupils in ordinary schools. Some who seriously consider the question might even be disposed to say special schools. It may be thought that this would tend to engender conceit in those gifted ones, but so far as it has been attempted this has not been the case.” The supernormal should be diagnosed as early as possible, classed separately from the normal and subnormal, and given as much attention as is now given to subnormal children. Mistakes would be made, but even 1 per cent, or less of genius would be an invaluable asset to the nation.

Huxley has said that “ a small percentage of the population is born with that most excellent quality a desire for excellence, or with special aptitudes of some sort or another. It is most important to catch these exceptional people and turn them to account for the good of the nation. If the nation could purchase a potential Watt or Faraday at a cost of £IOO,OOO down, he would be dirt cheap at tho money.” The brain must not be driven under too high and continuous pressure; there must he rest periods. Often in these *' the mind works ip secret in bringing to perfection the ideas and images received by it, with or without the knowledge -of consciousness,”