DEFECTIVE SCHOOL CHILDREN

Southland Times, Issue 17547, 10 January 1914, Page 6

DEFECTIVE SCHOOL CHILDREN

METHODS OF TRAINING DISCUSSED. OBJECTION TO SPECIAL SCHOOLS. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January S. Some pertinent remarks were made at the New Zealand Educational Institute meeting to-day, when a remit suggesting the establishment of special schools in larg* centres for the education of subnormal children was under discussion. Both the Auckland and the North Canlerlnry Institutes had forwarded similar re mi s on the question. A feature of the liscussion was the keen interest shorn in the subject by the lady delegates On account of the limited time availtblo for the consideration of this and other remits, a suggestion was made that ,t .should be allowed to stand over until the July meeting, hut this course was strenuously opposed by Mrs Shrewsbury. Auckland, who said that the Medical Congress was to bo held in February, and i - . was most important that something should be done to enlist the support" cf that body. She moved—“ That the Aickland Institute be deputed to make an endeavour to secure support in briiging the matter before the Governmrtit.” Objection to (be suggestion of Hie scheme of establishing special schools was raked by Mr O. I). Flamank. Dunedin. win s'aid that sending children to these sdiools would brand them as subnormal, and therefore the opposition of parents .vould he roused. His idea was that a sp-cia! teacher should he appointed to tli< staff of large schools to train these defective children. Mr F. T. Evans. North Canterbury, remarked that, although under the Act parents vere liable to punishment if they did lot provide education for their sub'-normsi children, it was hardly possible umUr the present system. “Two pa- cent, of the children attending the Aickland schools are sub-nor-mal,” said Miss Newman. Auckland. “By suh-norma| I mean that they are suffering from tome physical or mental defect, which’imakes it impossible for them to acquire l instruction in t.he ordinary way and i; is necessary that special training shtu*d he given them." If they were to doi anything towards securing the special (training for these children, they shonldhnlist the support of medical men and colhct evidence to hack up their statements. ’* Miss E. Chaplin, 8.A.. North Canterbury. suppoilted Miss Newman. It was finilly agreed to bold over the remit, but it was decided to ask headmasters to sipply the evidence required, and also to the co-operation of the Medical Confess in the matter.