DRYBURGH SCHOOL

Southland Times, Issue 20834, 24 July 1929, Page 7

DRYBURGH SCHOOL

EXCELLENT RESULTS ACHIEVED. BRIGHTENING AND WIDENING LIVES. One could be envious" of the happy conditions in which the children who attend the Dryburgh Retardate School work to strengthen their minds and bodies. Some time ago, the light and airy little building, which includes a commodious shelter porch and annexes, was built, largely with funds raised by the Little Southlanders, to provide a suitable curriculum for those children who have been retarded by sickness or other causes behind the rest of the children of their own age. With the feeling of inferiority produced by their greater' age, they were unable to make any headway in other schools and the unsympathetic attitude taken up by many of the other children tended to make life a rather unhappy place. When members of the Southland Education Board, headed by their chairman, Mr A. W. Jones, and accompanied by the Senior Inspector (Mr A. McNeil), the board’s architect (Mr J. Gough) and the board’s secretary (Mr R. Brownlie) visited the school yesterday morning the children, some fifteen in number, were enjoying a simple folk-dance in front of their classroom. What was lacking in stiff adherence to the forms of the dance was more than made up for by the interest the children were taking in executing it. There is a preponderance of boys in the class and the ages run from eight or nine up to fourteen or fifteen.

That fact, coupled with the difficulty of some of their dispositions, gives a good idea of the difficulties which Miss M. A. Macdonald had at first to contend with. They were, and are, at different stages, but originally even the oldest could not add the most elementary figures without the use of counters, and they were unable to read or write with the smallest show of proficiency. Now, however, their exercise books, in successive pages, testify to the huge improvement made.

The most gratifying aspect of the whole class was the interest they showed in their work and the general air of happiness surrounding them. There was no trace of selfconsciousness based on anxiety when the visitors entered the room, and as soon as Miss Macdonald told them that the visitors would like to look at their work, the children displayed great vivacity in explaining the different things they had made. Naturally they concentrated most of their attention on the manual work. One boy had a Noah’s Ark, complete with all the animals shaped out of three-ply with a fretwork saw. , Several boys had made wickerwork baskets of different shapes and two are at present working on a wastepaped basket and an afternoon tea tray for the classroom. Some of the girls make little articles out of raffia, and others had splendid aprons with worked designs to show the visitors. One little girl’s offering was a sheet of brown paper with pieces of coloured paper pasted upon it in a design which apparently pleased her very much. Ail these diverse subjects are taught by Miss Macdonald. Three sides of the room are almost completely glassed with windows opening in a way designed to obviate to the greatest extent draughts, windows that come down to a level that will let the children look out on to green grass if they so desire. Wide low tables, with chairs on each side of them and personal drawers for the children, are provided, and there are also commodious lockers and a pantry in the annexe. The children all have their lunch in the classroom. They are taught to set the tables neatly, using the mats they make themselves, and they are taught to clear away and wash up also. If their table manners are as good as the little politenesses shown yesterday, they would be a credit to any table.

The curriculum is divided into three parts—mental, manual and physical. In the first section, the children are taught reading, writing and arithmetic. Several songs were also sung for the benefit of the visitors yesterday and four of the children took great delight in reciting verses for them. In the physical section, they are taught Swedish drill and corrective exercises, as well as folk dances and games. Members of the board expressed themselves later as being amazed at the great results being achieved and the difference effected in the lives of the children. Mr A. W. Jones announced that Mr William Macalister had kindly offered to donate a piano which would be of much use in the classroom. Mr Jones also told the children he himself would donate a prize for the child who showed most progress at the end of the year.