THE FEEBLE MINDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17295, 20 October 1919, Page 8

THE FEEBLE MINDED.

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

NEED FOR SEGREGATION.

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES.

. —SPECIAL REPOBTEB.J

WELLINGTON, Saturday.

In the report of the Education Department there is some reference to the education and care of feeble-minded children.

The report states that the need for controlling and, in the majority of cases, for segregating all feeble-minded children is of the utmost importance if the physical and mental standards of the race are to be preserved, and also for the protection of society generally. In fact, the ordinary community holds no place for the feeble-minded child. The parents, as a rule, are utterly incapable of providing for such children, who can neither derive benefit from attendance at the public school nor can associate with the normal children of the neighbourhood. In the majority of cases it is essential, for the sake of the mother and the other children of the family, that feeble-minded children should be removed to an institution where they can be dealt with by officers specially adapted for this purpose.

The need for the segregation of girls at this type, more especially of those who have reached the age of puberty, is of very great Importance. Of the cases already examined, a great many are unfitted, on account of their low mentality, for admission to special schools, although in certain urgent cases admission has been arranged in the absence of any other means of dealing with them. Simple Instruction Given. The inmates of schools for feebleminded children are given a very simple course of instruction suited to their limited intelligence. Instruction is largely of a manual character, since these children are able to advance very slightly m the arts of reading, writing, and counting. The object of the instruction is to quicken the intelligence and dexterity of the children, so that later on they may bo able to take part in some simple occupation and help to some extent in supporting themselves, and also find some interest in occupations suitable to their limited capacities. Only in very exceptional cases, if in any, can it be expected that any feebleminded children can be brought up to a standard approximating to that of even the less-efficient members of the ordinary community. It has been found that those who most closely approach the ordinary standard of, intelligence and capacity run greater risks and are subject to greater dangers than those with a very low grade of intelligence. Position Misunderstood. It should be definitely known« that- all statements relating to the alleged curing of feeble-minded children or to their replacement in ordinary schools under ordinary instructions, or to their becoming able to take their place in the ordinary community, are really the result of a misunderstanding* of the types of cases to which progress such as the above refers. The improvement / referred to in such statements has been accomplished not in the case of feeble-minded children, but in the case of merely backward children, who make unduly slow progress "under the ordinary methods of school instruction. There are many children of this type in New Zealand, but they are not placed in schools for the feeble-minded.

The available provision for feebleminded children of an improvable type is not by any means sufficient to enable the Department to accommodate all the children offering. Steps are now being taken, however, to prepare the property known as the Boys' Training Farm, Nelson, for the reception of feeble-minded boys under 14 years of age, while the special school at Otekaike will be retained as* an institution for elder boys who are capable of earning at least part of their living either on the farm or garden or in the workshop. Heed for Classification. The segregation of the younger boys from the older cases is an important step in the matter of classification, and should facilitate the matter of training so far as the younger boys are concerned. When the report was presented to Parliament on Friday Messrs. Poland, Anderson, and others urged the necessity for further action in regard to the instruction of backward or mentallydeficient children. Unless they were taught from a very early age, much time would be wasted. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) asked what was being done with the Burnham site. The buildings were falling into decay. He asked could not defective girls be placed there. 'Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) said there were only two Government schools for backward children, and both of them were in the South Island. The North Island mothers, in consequence, seldom saw their children in these institutions, besides which the children themselves had to make long journeys from places as far distant as the Waikato. Scheme Being Prepared. Mr. Massey said the girls had all been removed from Otekaike and placed in a school at Richmond. A general scheme in connection with this question was being drawn up now, and legislation would be introduced next session dealing with the whole question. So far nothing was being done with the ground at Burnham.