DEAF CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18293, 9 July 1921, Page 6

DEAF CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Sir, —The Education Department has had its attention drawn to the fact that there are in Now Zealand children who havo had the misfortune to become deaf at an early age, and who, in consequence of lack of special teaching and training, havo been greatly hindered in mental development. Attached is a circular sent all Education Boards drawing (heir attention to section 129 of the Act, which requires cases of the kind to bo reported to the Education Department. The remarks made by the Director of the School for the Deaf. Sumner, would, it is thought, bo of special interest to your readers. —I am, etc., •Fs'O. Cauuulky, Director of Education.

The Education Department will be glad if you will make the following as widely known ns possible:

Every parent, teacher of a school (either public or private), constable, or officer of a charitable or kindred institution who is aware of the place of residence (either temporary or permanent) of a blind, deaf, feeble-minded, or epilctic child, and the householder iu whose house any such child resides, snail send notification of the fact to the Minister, giving the name, ago, and address of the child : and if any such person neglects or fails to comply with this prevision, such person Shall on conviction thereof bo liable fo a fine not exceedingly £l. or in the case of a second or subsequent offence, whether relating to the same or another child, not exceeding £5 (section 129).

The Education Department has been informed that a girl of the ago of 12! years, who is described as being totally deaf, has been attending a public school for the past seven years. The deafness is evidently acquired as the child is able to speak. There is no record of the date on which the deafness commenced, but as it is stated that the child speaks in a whispering undertone, there is strong evidence that she has keen deaf for u considerable time. Notwithstanding this no notification of the child’s condition reached the department until recently.

In referring to the above ease the Director of the School for the Deaf, Sumner, savs: —

I have repeatedly pointer! out that in cases of acquroc] deafness no lime should bo lost. Before this girl's hearing had entirely disappeared it would have been much easier for her to learn lip-reading than will now he the ease, more especially as she has defective sight, and it would have been infinitely more likeiy that she would hreome proficient in the art than is row the ease. In almost all eases of aerptirrd deafness, unless lip-reading is speedily resorted to, a highly morbid and gloomy condition of mind is set up, which has a most deterimental effect on future progress, and this eon only prevented by restoring tbo deaf person by mesons of lip-reading to social intercourse. Fducatioually this child has been at a standstill. if not actually ret.rograd'np. during all the time that she has been too deal to benefit by tlm instruction at the public school. For this reason alone the ease should have been reported earlier, yvhen slio would have been heifer fitted to profit by the instruction given here, a half-den? person learning lip-reading much more easily than a stone deaf one. Tt is veilknown that children becoming deaf before the age of nine rears usually become quite dumb in a year or lefs. and that in eases where children beeofnc completely deaf later than this, the speech rap’dlv deteriorates even if not completely lost. Wo have had r-o many cases of a similar character «W. I.think it time some- special action or effort were taken to prevent their recurrence.