FEEBLE MINDED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 3 June 1924, Page 2

FEEBLE MINDED.

EDUCATIONISTS' VIEWS.

(BY TBLEGKAPH— PPWSft ASSOCIATION WELLINGTON, June 2. llie establishment of special schools tor the care and training of feebleminded children so that they may be prepared to perform useful work in the community was advocated by witnesses before the Detectives Inquiry Committee to-day.

Mr N. R McKenzie, inspector of schools, Wellington, and l ate of British L-olumoia, said that from 1921 to 1923 ha was in constant touch with special classes for defectives on the other side Qt the Pacific. Idiots and imbeciles were rot admitted to these classes, but were subjects for custodial institutions. Only higher grade defectives were admitted Money spent on these was a profitably investment. Owing to lack of W sight and self-restraint, every feebleminded person was a potential criminal a menace to the community. Suitable educa,t,on might make them useful 5f mbeiV f, th& »ld«strial W orld for as 6 «-S , hmo? kind of work as well a* normal persons if properly supervised- in fact they of ten developed manual skill of a high order. In igg twenty-one pupils left the Vancouver v orf S d n, ly °"c was a failw« at ?b?v W |c $ dV v*nt into shops, where to %TcZZt ] nes 7 nP ng from 3Os l^fnV? 3 Pi er wee s k, and boys mostly who ad6S ,a" d farm work- Several who were working at piece work were earning more than the usual wage 'One gir earned £6 10, per w*ek. L the United Sfrtes between two and three £»r oent^of the population were del fective mentally. Defectives increased twice, as rapidly as the general pt>puhUion and their children were usually defective. Mr McKenzie suggested th£ segregation of sublets in industrSl colonies. The real danger began wE?n primary schooling ended. He ma de a stmng p fa ior the establishment of classes all over the country f, jt tne trainmt? of feeble-minded .hilWn'who really feeble in mind, the authorities Sit ST Pete T pposed to the id« «iat they could be restored to normal-