SUB-NORMAL CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15503, 9 January 1914, Page 8

SUB-NORMAL CHILDREN

QUESTION OF TRAINS • SPECIAL SCHOOLS BDGffl^ " V".!? OPINION OF THE TEACEEEfS< ; Some pertinent remarks were m«j • . % New Zealand Educational ZS **• * yesterday, when a remit st:^**" 1 * establishment Specialfasfsjlarge centres for the education »*. normal children was under * "** : > Both the Auckland and North Ca S iolU ' - 1 Institutes had forwarded '- 1 the question. * re «ltaxai ■■■•. A feature of the discussion w M th. .. ' ■'■ ; ' On account of the limited time «-i' --V" able for the consideration of this and na " ■ remit*, the suggestion was made ft?? '■ : ' should be allowed to stand over Jtl " July meeting, but this course t " strenuously opposed by Mia ShrewsbS fe (Auckland], who said that the Medical gress was to be held in Februan- Jft I was most important that something 22 • 1 be done to enlist the support of that bojf' 1 She moved "That the Auckland Instate . ? should be deputed to make an endeavor to secure this support, in bringing Z "' matter before the Government." :, ■

An objecti - to the suggested scheme of - j establishing special schools was raised bv " ; '' i Mr. 0. 1). Flamank (Dunedin), who said - that sending children to these school* , : would brand them as sub-normal and : V ' therefore, the opposition of parents wool,} '-" ' be roused. His idea was that a special ' teacher should be appointed to th« staffs % of the large schools to train these defective-'- '*% children. ' '■;* Mr. F. T. Evans (North Canterbury) 1 remarked that, though under the Act --- --, parents wore liable to punishment if they'lK'B did not provide education for their sub, \ '" normal children, it was hardly possibla - Xunder the present system. ' v I "Two per cent, of the children attend- -' / ing the Auckland schools are *üb-noraal,'' ■'-"'?) said Miss .Newman (Auckland). "By"' . sub-normal I mean that they are suffering from some physical or mental defect wjiict-;.. ?' : £, makes it impossible 'for them to acquire - instruction in the ordinary way, and necea- * /' sary that special training should be gives ; : them." If they were to do anytnhjg towards securing this special training for . "■ these children, they should enlist the sup-''. ':'■■■% port of the medical men, and collect evidence to back up their statements. Miss E. Chaplin, B-A. (Worth Canter, .' 8 bury), supported her confrere. **^^^H It was finally agreed to hold over this' 1 remit, but it was decided to ask head- " ; masters to supply the evidence required, , 6 and also to ask the co-operation of tijs ' Medical Congress in the matter. a , - [|