DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5918, 13 February 1880, Page 5

DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION.

It has been definitely decided to establish the Asylum for the deaf and dumb at Sumner, and the prospectus is now issued. The following is the text: —■ “ This Institution will be open for the education and training of deaf mutes on March 1,1880. It is requested that, if at all possible, intending pupils be entered not later than March 10. Tupils will also be received after the midwinter holidays, on a day that will be hereafter announced. “ The objects of the Institution are—(l.) To train young mules (below 12 years of age, and in some oases over that age) to utter articulate sounds, and to read spoken language from tho lips of their teacher. (2.) To employ this acquired power of speech as a means for the instruction of the pupil—first, in the understanding and use of easy language, and in reading and writing; and, at a more advanced stage, in English composition, geography, history, arithmetic, drawing, elementary science, &c. The result of a complete course of instruction, as herein indicated, will in almost all cases bo to enable tho pupil to read with thorough comprehensi n,and to hold oral conversation with relatives, friends, and even strangers. (3.) To impart to the pupils a good moral training, and teach them habits of industry, with a view to the increase of their own happiness, and to their becoming, as far as is consistent with their natural defect, useful members of society. (4.) To render effectual assistance to children who, from fever or other causes, have lost the sense of hearing, and who would in consequence become wholly dumb. ,(5.) Arrangements will be hereafter made, as far as practicable, for affording to boys, before the completion of their course of instruction, an opportunity of learning a trade or of acquiring a practical acquaintance with gardening and farming. Girls will receive thorough instruction in household economy, needlework, &o. “ The pupils will Board with the Director and his wife, and will be under their care and direction. Every pupil on entering should be provided with a supply of clothing sufficient for at least a half year’s wear. Every article should be plainly marked with the owner’s name. Each pupil is also expected to take tho following articles: —Two dessertforks and one spoon, six table napkins, two pairs of twilled sheets, two bath towels, and four hand towels. The charge for board, lodging and education is at the rate of fifty pounds (£SO) per annum, payable to the Director halfyearly in advance. The parents, guardians, or friends of deaf mutes within the Colony who are unable to pay the whole or any portion of the cost of their residence at tho Institution, are invited to communicate with - the Hon the Minister for Education.” The Director of tho Asylum is Mr Yan Asoh, who was specially sent out by Sir J. Vogel to fill the post. In the official correspondence on the subject laid before Parliament, Mr Yan Aech’s attainments are very highly commended, and if any farther guarantee were wanted of his fitness for tho position, the following extract from the report of the Commissioners in England, appointed to select a teacher, should be quite sufficient : —“ Mr Yan Asoh appeared to us.to be quite suitable for the appointment. Ho has a thorough knowledge of the German system; and the results, as witnessed by ourselves on his pupils, are astonishing in the extreme. The testimonials submitted by him show that he has entirely satisfied the parents of the children who have been with him. The pupils we saw, about ten in number, were of various ages, from seven years to seventeen ; and their general behaviour and obvious cheerfulness impressed us no less favourably than their proficiency in articulation and lip-reading. Mr Van Asoh is accustomed to take the whole charge of his pupils, including their board and lodging, and would therefore he suitable for the duties of that nature required by the conditions set forth in the instructions of the Government.” It may be necessary to explain that the German system teaches its pupils to converse by means of articulate sounds, and to understand by lip-reading— i.e., by interpreting the movements of the lips of speakers, to the exclusion of all signs except natural ones. The introduction of this system is of comparatively recent date. It arose through two or three parents of deaf-mutes being wealthy enough to make special provision for their children. “ Mr Yan Asoh, for example,” we quote from the official documents, “came over from Holland specially to teach an afflicted child. He is probably the first gentleman who taught the system in England. It is twenty years since he came over, and he has devoted himself to teaching a few pupils. The more general introduction of the system is probably duo to Mr St. John Ackers, a wealthy country gentleman, whose only child, a little girl, lost her hearing in infancy. Mr and Mrs Ackers travelled all over Europe and through part of America with the object of convincing themselves by observation as to which system would be the best for teaching their child. They arrived at a conclusion in favour of the German system, and first employed an American lady, who, besides teaching the child, trained a teacher specially to succeed to that duty. Mr Ackers was so delighted with the progress his child made that he has thrown himself enthusiastically into the cause of promoting the use of the system. A college for training teachers has been established under the auspices of Mr Ackers and a number of very influential coadjutors. There are also two • or three private schools on the system, and of these Mr Van Asch has one. All the teachers who are being trained at the college are engaged in advance, so that we had no resource there, even supposing we should have been inclined to select a gentleman possessing only a short experience of the system. As we have said, the German system comprises the teaching of articulation and lip-reading. It is a cardinal point with the tsachers on this system that systematised signals must not be used in connection with it. They, in fact, find it very difficult to bring to the use of their system children who have once been educated to a familiar use of systematised signals. By systematised signals are meant arbitrary signals (as opposed to natural ones) to express words or letters, or short sentences. It is unquestionably tho fact that by the German system deaf-mutes may bo enabled to compensate themselves largely for tho loss of hearing and speech. They may be made to speak quite so that there is no difficulty in understanding them ; they may also be made to read from the lips with a facility and correctness that must be seen to be realised, so astonishing is the result. They are brought to read and write with facility,'and their education can be conducted up to limits which cannot be reached under the other system. The degree of excellence to which children attain under this system varies much with their intellectual ability. The advocates of tho system contend that it is applicable to all children not idiots, and that there is no greater disparity in the results under this system than there is under tho other system, in which they maintain that it is equally found that the ability of the afflicted children widely varies. Ontheother hand, the advocates of the systematised-signal system, or, as it is variously called, the French system, or the dactyl system, declare tbat_ the per centaga of children capable of acquiring the German system is very small, and that the French system, and no other, is capable of imparting to such children tho requisite instruction. They call themselves professors of tho combined system — i.e., a system which attempts to combine the teaching of articulation and lip reading with tho teaching of dactylology. Our opinion lies between the two extremes. There can bo no question that the German system is tho most beneficent in its results. It may win for the

afflicted deaf-mutes lives comparatively unembittered by their misfortune. Under this system a deaf-mute may enjoy ail the pleasure of easy and constant interchange of ideas with those with whom lie or s'-e is intimate, may to a minor extent enjoy the same advantage with strangers, and may become advanced in education, not to siy exceptionally intelligent. We doubt if under the other system there can be an approach fu s.-.oh results, and we are convinced that ur.dtr the French system there is a far greater danger than under the German system that deafmutes should shun the society of thes* who are not deaf, and thus, by congregating together, should, in many cases, increase the natural and inevitable disadvantage arising from their affliction. Wo are not quite convinced that the German system is applicable to all children who aro not idiots. As we have said, its professors assert such to ha the case ; but we think there may bo intelligences low in their nature, but above, the level of the idiot, to whom the effort of learning by the German system would be so great that it would be more merciful to use the Trench system to furnish them with the liillo information they are over likely to be able to acquire. But we are strongly of opinion that the number of those who are capable of learning by the German system is very largely in excess of that which flic professors of the combined system arc prepared to admit. The professors of the combined system neglect the cardinal point to which we have referred—namely, !ho exclusion of the systematised signals. They, in fact, tench articulation and lip-reading as a mere accomplishment, devoting half an hour or an hour a day to it; by the German method it is the solo'incilium of communication. The children under the German system think in words • unde? the French, or the combined system, they think in signs. It is not to bo wondered at that under the combined system the result in articulation and lip-reading is so small. Indeed, it seems to us that the followers of the French system have adopted what I hey call the combined system as a means of meeting the growing feeling in favour of the German system. They hops by the compromise to still continue the general uso of the French syalorn. In our opinion, the combination answers no good purpose. The articulation sotaughtis ft mere accomplishment, and the cases are rare, under the combined system, in which it becomes of any use to the learner after his education is completed. To bo of uso, the Gorman system must be tiught most thoroughly in jt s integrity, without any int-rmixiure with the French system. We are not, however, convinced that the French system can altogether be dispensed with for pupils of an unusually low order of intelligence. Jiut each should be kept distinct; and, in mercy and humanitv to the child, the German system should bo used where it can.” It will be seen from the foregoing that the process of education in the case of deaf-mutes is necess irily very slow and gradual, and Mr Yan Asch strongly urges all who ini end to take advantage of the institution to send their patients there at an early age, and n aintrdn them for the full term of eight or ten years.