TRUE PHILANTHROPY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1931, Page 18 (Supplement)

TRUE PHILANTHROPY.

A FINE NEW ZEALANDER. Mass Rosina Aulsebrook (formerly of Christchurch, a daughter of the late Mr. John Aulsebrook, founder of the ■well-known biscuit firm) has come_ to England on a visit from South Africa. For some years she has been teaching physically handicapped children, and has come to Europe on “study leave” from, ‘the Transvaal Education Departiment, states the Wellington Post’s London representative. She is accompanied by a little crippled girl, named Elizabeth Playford, whom she has adopted, and who is to remain in England to train as a teacher of the physically handicapped. Elizabeth is described as a remarkable child, 11 years of age. During her travels Miss Aulsebrook will investigate the use of the celluloid limb supports to replace the heavy iron ones. If these prove suited to the South African climatic conditions she will undertake a course in their making. ; Miss Aulsebrook is known to be a great believer in the individual system, and her school —the Hope’Home School at Johannesburg —is run on Dalton lines. Her main object is to train the pupils so that they may become assets to the community instead of liabilities to the State. She has found many of the physically handicapped children mentally more alert than their more fortunate brothers and sisters. They are also very dexterous in all types of 1 handiwork. A South African Commission which investigated the matter of the physically defective child drew attention to the fact that there were 10,000 sub-normal children requiring special education—children who were wasting their time in ordinary schools at present.. The hope has been officially expressed in South Africa that Miss Aulsebrook will 'ba of great assistance when once the Government takes State wide control -with, regard to handicapped children—tha time, apparently, is not far- difitent- fw such. action*.