Teaching the Blind

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6480, 24 September 1892, Page 4

Teaching the Blind

SOME REMARKABLE RESULTS. At the Education Board's meeting at Dunedin mi Monday, the Secretary stated that nearly two years ago he procured from Home elementary bunks for teaching the blind. He got the most recent appliances, and they were supplied to fl teacher in Waikari School, whoro there were two blind children, a brother and sister. The teacher had taken great interest in the matter. The children were in the infant room, and they had made no progress before they got the books. On Wednesday when the Inspector examined the school the blind children hod gone from the infants' room, over the first and second standards into the third standard in the year, and they were submitted to the samo tests as the other , children, the same cards for arithmetic, the same dictation, and the same reading. The result showed that these two children passed in arithmetic, every sum being worked correctly by one of them, and only one incorrectly by tho other. Tho ages of the children were 13 years 9 months and 10 years 7 months, one being slightly above the average age, and the other just about the average age. The Inspector said the cards were given to the children, who worked them by their own process. The Inspector asked, "Now, what is your answer ?" and the children read off the answers correctly iv every case except one. The mental sums were correct. Mr Richardson, who assisted Mr Goyen, told him (the secretary) that, not only were the children's sums correct, but; the boy was the first in his class to get his suras finished. He mentioned this because he thought notice should be taken of it, as it settled the question whether blind children could be taught in the public schools or not. Dr Hislop suggested that the Inspector who examined the school should be asked to write a report on the results of the instruction given by the master of the school, and a copy of the same be sent to the Minister for Education. This was agreed to.