7

E.—4

No. 3.—SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, SUMNER. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR (ABRIDGED). I have the honour to lay before' you my report for the year 1921. The, number of pupils under instruction during the year is shown in the following tabulated statement: — Hoys. Girls. Total. Pupils of 1.920 who returned to the school .. .52 44 96 Admitted during 1921 .. .. .. ..30. 22 52 Total under instruction .. .. .. 82 66 148 Absent .. .. .. .. .. ..1 3 4 Total on roll .. .. .. .. .. ..83 69 152 Left during the year 1921 .. .. .. ..35 15 50 Expected to return in 1922 .. .. .. ..48 54 102 Of the L4B pupils under instruction, 38 attended as day pupils and I 10 as boarders at the school. The, pupils may be classified as under:— Boys. Girls. Totals. Deaf children.. .. .. .. .. ..57 55 112 Lip reading pupils (adults) .. .. .. ..2 7 9 Children witn defective articulation .. .. ...13 4 17 Stammerers . . . . , . . . . . 10 . . 10 Totals .. .. .. ..82 66 148 Special day classes, similar to the special class which was instituted in Wellington in 1920, were opened early in the year at Auckland and at Dunedin, and were staffed by teachers from this school. They are attended by partially deaf children that are unable to profit by the instruction given at the public schools, and also by children who stammer or who have other defects of speech. Most of tho latter attend as part-time pupils. The number of pupils admitted to these classes up to the end of the year was as follows : Wellington, 55 pupils ; Auckland, 40 pupils ; Dunedin, 60 pupils ; In connection with each of these special classes there is an evening class for the adult eleaf, who are given instruction in lip-reading. The number of sue-li that have: attended up to the present is as follows : Wellington, 19 ; Auckland, 27 ; Dunedin, 25. As these' classes for deafened adults are becoming better known they are increasing in size at a rate which tends to become em harassing, there being a limit to the number that can be taken by a, single, teacher in each centre. The lip-readers attending these classes are very enthusiastic, and in each of the three towns mentioned have formed themselves into a club, meeting two or three limes a week for practice, which is the main thing in lip-reading. It woulel be of advantage if a special clay class similar to those already established in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin wen- instituted in Christchurch, In the schools in anel around the latter city are many children whose speech requires correction, and who could attend a special class if centrally situated, but who cannot spare the' time to come to Sumner. (The same applies to the adult deaf of the districts. Meanwhile the general education of many eif these defective' speakers is being seriously retarded for the want of a little skilled treatment. Defective speech is often, of course, a natural accompaniment and result of feeble mentality, but freqeuntly it is not, anel in the latter event it is readily corre'cfable by any teacher who understands the mechanism e>f speech. The necessity of all young teachers receiving as part of their training a thorough knowledge of the mechanism of speech, anel also some practical,experience in the work of speech-correction, is ervident. 1 am afraid that far too little of this special knowledge is possessed by most teachers, though it is pleasing to finel in some' quarters a growing appreciation of its importance. Of the 112 deaf children under instruction, 24 came from the Auckland District, 5 from Taranaki, 7 from Hawke's Bay (inclusive of Gisborne), 17 from Wellington, 5 from Nelson and Marlborough, 26 from Canterbury, 27 from Otago, and 1 from Australia. As I have repeatedly pointed out, nei time shoulel lee lost by parents or by teachers in cases of acquired deafness. Lip-reading is muoh me>re readily learned before deafness becomes total than afterwards. There' is a mistaken notion prevalent that its acquirement is prejudicial to the hearing, but this is entirely erroneous, even though it be held in some cases by medical men who ought to kneiw better, As a, matter of fact, through relieving ear-strain, it is more' likely to be beneficial than otherwise. In almost all cases eif acepiired deafness, unless lip-reading is resorted 'to, a highly morbid anel gloomy state of mind is set up, which has a most detrimental effect on future progress, anel which can only be prevented by restoring the deaf person to social intercourse by means of lip-reading. Hence the promptly reporting of all cases of deafness, either complete or partial, shoulel be regarded as a matteu' of urgency by all responsible porsems, more especially by teachers. There are certain facts about deafness that should be known to all teachers and parents. One of these is that if a, child becomes eleaf at an early age- it will become: quite dumb in a few months time', unless it be properly taught. This applies to children up to the age of eight years. After that age, whore hearing is completely lost, the speech does not, as a, rule, entirely disappear, but has a tendency to become weak and inaudible, and the child exhibits a growing disinclination te> speak at all, which in course' of time renders it almost dumb. If such children are given the benefit of special instruction without any loss of time: their speech will remain natural always. Another fact that shoulel be more generally known is that by the' Education Act of 1914, parents, teachers, and others are bound under a penalty to send notification of cases of deafness among children to the Minister of Education. Parents should get the advice of a specialist at tho very first symptom e>f auditory trouble in their chilclren, No time should be lost in the matter, as prevention is better thiin cure, There are forms eif deafness which, if taken in time, can lie remedied by skilled treat-