MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19029, 3 June 1924, Page 3

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION. WELLINGTON, June 2, The establishment of special schools for the care and training of feeble minded children, so that they may be prepared to perform useful work in the community, was advocated by a witness, before the Defectives Inquiry Committee to-day. Mr. N. R. McKenzie, Inspector of Schools for Wellington and late of British Columbia, said that from 1921 to 1923 he was in constant touch with classes for defectives. On the other side of the Pacific idiots and imbeciles were not admitted to these classes but were subjects for custodial institu-; tions. Only higher grade defectives were admitted. The money spent on these was a profitable investment. Owing to lack of foresight and selfrestraint, every feeble-minded person was a potential criminal, vicious person or pauper, and thus was a menace to the community. Suitable education might make them useful members of the industrial world for they could do some kind of work just as well as normal persons if properly supervised. In fact they often developed manual skill of a high order. In 1921, twentyone pupils left Vancouver masses and only one was a failure at work. Girls > r ent into shops where they received salaries ranging from 30s to £2 10s per week and boys mostly learnt trades and farm work. Several boys who were working at piece work were earning more than the wage. One girl earned £4 10s per week. In the United States between two and three per cent, of the population were defective mentally. The defectives increased twice as rapidly as general population and their children were usually defective. Mr. McKenzie suggested segregation of the subjects in industrial colonies. The real danger began when the primary school ended. He made a strong plea for the establishment of classes all over the country for the training of feeble-minded children who were educated.

In regard to the really feeble in mind the authorities were completely opposed to the idea that they could be restored to normality. Miss W. A. Valentine, specialist in the Sanford revision of the Binet Simon intelligence tests, which she had been applying in New Zealand ■schools, detailed the results of observations in the case of 300 children since last October. One hundred proved not to be feeble-minded, but mentally inefficient or sub-normal. A hundred others were so mentally defective that they could be classed as feeble-minded. Forty of this latter hundred would never be self-support-ing. The remaining 60, with proper training, could be made self-sunnort-ing. Seven per cent, of the children in the Wellington schools were working two years behind the class they should be in for their ages.

Dr. Elizabeth Gunn said the parents who were unwilling to have remedial defects attended to should be compelled to do so. The State should take control. She recommended the establishment of special schools and segregation colonies for both males and females, and for those who gave no mental test at all *'a quick happy exit’* by medical means.