TRAINING RETARDATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 19

TRAINING RETARDATES.

A NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. VALUE OF AFTER-CARE WORK. The problems of the mentally defective and particularly those relating tp retardates in the schools were the subjects of interesting addresses at the annual meeting of the AfterCare Association on Thursday night by Dr T. G. Gray, of the Mental Hospitals Department, and Mr T. B. Strong, Director of Education. Dr Gray said that when he was investigating the treatment of mental deficiency in Great Britain and the United States, it was deeply impressed on him that in those countries there had recently been an intense awakening of public interest in regard to the feebleminded, but the populations of those countries were so large and the awakening so late that present efforts appeared puny in relation to the magnitude of the problem. He had not that pessimistic feeling in regard to New Zealand with its relatively small population. New Zealand and, possibly, Australia seemed to him to be almost the only countries where this problem could be tackled with any prospect of success. But unless they were to drift into the position of the old lands they must deal with the question with energy and courage, and a confidence not shaken by the apparent helplessness of other lands. He felt that they had reached a critical time in regard to social welfare work in its widest manifestations and particularly that side of it which related to the mentally defective. No sensible person could fail to give due value to the application of psychology, criminology, and penology to the problem of the feeble-minded, but he felt that much of what went under those names was sterile and unproductive. He wished to congratulate the association upon the manner of its foundation and its work and aims. He doubted if the people of New Zealand realised the extent and importance of the problem and the responsibilities it entailed. Directly or indirectly, it touched every family and every individual in the country, and if not dealt with here and now it would get out of hand, with the results seen in older lands. They all knew that a board bad been created to deal with the problem of mental deficiency, but all that such a board could do was to organise machinery, exercise a general oversight, and ensure that progress was commensurate with advancing knowledge. The greatest opportunity of advance lay not with the board but with the community. The board realised its limitations and its obligation to depend upon the community for carrying out its duties. From a half to one-third of all mentally defective persons who needed State care could be looked after in the general community if adequate provision was made for their supervision, and it was in this direction that the After-Care As-t sociation would find its greatest opportunity. Dr Gray said he had spent most of his working life among mental patients, whom his own children had been used to regard as the “ sick people.” The average man and woman bad an entirely wrong conception of the manifestations and implications of mental disease and mental deficiency. They had firmly ingrained in them the belief that the victims of these conditions were necessarily likely to be dangerous or antisocial in their tendencies. He suggested that one quite appropriate part" of the work of the association should be to create a much more informed community knowledge on this subject by means of lectures and debates. He assured them that the association’s assistance would be specially welcome to the board, which was in deadly earnest. Nothing of paltry officialdom or red tape would be allowed to stand in the way of harmonious co-operation in this great work, which was of national importance, and should be productive of tremendous good to the community.— (Applause.) . SUB-NORMAL CHILDREN. Mr T. B. Strong, Director of Education, said he would like to emphasise one statement made by Dr Gray. As far as the Education Department was concerned, nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of this important work. He did not care who was in charge of the work as long as it was done properly. It was largely educational in character, and the Education Department would do its best to help Dr Gray' if it was his part to develop the work. Mr Strong then dealt with the problem of the feeble-minded child in the school, and outlined the work done by his department and the boards in establishin" special classes for the instruction e 1 children who were not of normal mental capacity. There were 26 classes in operation in different part of the Dominion, providing for about 400 pupils. The curriculum followed mainly the lines of manual training, although instruction in the ordinary school subjects was not neglected. Experience had shown that handwork was the best means of helping the pupils to develop their powers, and it was surprising to find how cleverly many of the children could use their hands. Most of the work had to be done under supervision, but the training given was the only kind that could fit the pupils for useful occupations after they had left school. The very fact that most of the children needed supervision and sympathetic treatment during their work at school indicated that they were not likely to be able to compete afterwards with their more gifted fellows in the labour market. The special class children could be trained to do useful work if employers could be found who would understand and help them. Mr Strong said he felt sure that such employers could be found, but the position would have to be explained to them, and even so, they could not be expected to be guardians of every movement of their employees. This pointed to the need for a social worker whose sole duty would be to assist the children who had finished their training in the special ’classes to find suitable employment, and when they had found it to give satisfaction in their work and behaviour. The special class teachers not only trained their pupils to do profitable work, but also aimed to cure them of any bad habits they had formed, and to correct any anti-social tendencies. Such work was of immense importance to the community, but it was necessary to supplement it by what might be called ’ after-care work. It was this need that had led to the formation of the Wellington After-Care Association, which, although it had been in operation for a year, had not yet succeeded in gathering sufficient funds to warrant the employment of a paid social worker. The members had done what they could to help the boys and girls who had left the special classes, but the work demanded the full-time services of a carefullyselected officer. Some people might think that the Government itself should undertake the duty, but it must be remembered that there was still much to be done in extending the special class system which was certainly the responsibility of the Education Department. The parent had to look after the interests of the child after he had been trained, and the AfterCare Association was really a band of men and women interested in social work and willing to assist parents in looking after children of a certain type when they reached the, employable stage. Everyone must realise that it was of benefit to the whole community to prevent boys and girls of somewhat deficient mentality from falling into idle habits and becoming eventually unemployable. It was difficult to estimate the number of children who required to be educated in

special classes, but a reliable estimate placed the number in England and Wales as _ 14 per 10,000 of the population. If this proportion were applied to the Dominion it would mean that there were about 1876 cl Idren of sub-normal mentality in the country. These were cdueable by special methods, and it was important that they should be educated. The department was' increasing the number of special classes as rapidly as possible, and he hoped that in all the larger centres of population after-care associations similar to the Wellington Association would be formed to assist parents in watching over the children after they had left school. He hoped, too, that through public generosity and possibly assistance from the Government, the associations would be able to establish their after-care work on a sound foundation. Mr Strong said there were over 1000 “ retarded ” children in the schools of the Dominion who should be in the special classes. A clinic would shortly come into existence under Dr Gray’s department, which would decide whether a child should be placed in a special class. Parents were always consulted before children were placed in special classes, and they were generally pleased to have them so trained, Mr Strong paid a tribute to the work performed by the teachers of special classes, ■ which was frequently of a trying and nerve-wrack-ing nature.-