Some Observations on the Effect of Evacuation upon Mentally Defective Children I
- Author:
TANGYE
Headmaster of an L.C.C. Elder Boys’ Special M.D. School
Opinions differ as to whether the expense and effort involved in the evacuation of M.D. children has been worth while, and the question is one of no small importance, for if the answer is in the negative, then the devoted labours of the teachers concerned, involving, for a period of close on two years, the sacrifice of home life and all it stands for, has made nO contribution of value to the national effort. It would indeed be a tragedy if this work were to be finally recorded as “wasted ” because it has been on behalf of children who are mentally defective, for those members of the teaching staffs of evacuated Special Schools who have stayed at the posts allocated to them from the beginning have shown strength of character and cheerfulness, under condi- tions often of great difficulty and discomfort, which cannot be too highly praised. Holiday Camps and mansions, visited on a beautiful summer’s day, have a very different appearance in the midst of a dreary winter.
The party of boys with which these notes are concerned, have been in Holiday Camps at New Romney,Greatstone-on-Sea, Brean Sands, and at Weston-super-Mare, since September 1st, 1939.
Once the difficulties of the early days were over, the number of withdrawals has been comparatively small. For these the chief reasons were as follows: (1) On reaching the age of 14, to return home to find work. (2) To accompany parents to some other ” safe ” area. 1 (3) Attainment of full school leaving age.
Some boys admitted since Christmas, 1940, have been re-evacuated after once returning to London. The majority of these have remained because of the improve- ment in conditions, and because of the parents’ increased realization of the dangers to which they would be exposed at home.
A few boys have absconded from time to time. In some cases this was due to a sudden quarrel with other boys; in others, to anxiety about home as the result of having received no news. The only persistent offender regards absconding simply as a change from ordinary routine, and there are boys who hope, by means of it, to gain the reputation of being daring fellows. Often a change to another camp effects a cure. Children from the better homes hardly ever think of “running home” but nearness to a town, main roads and traffic seems to increase the number of absconders, probably because they intensify homesickness.
Parents can do a great deal to encourage successful adaptation by writing regularly, recording all the little bits of home news likely to be interesting, commenting on camp activities, and giving encouragement to ” stick it out This letter-writing business has also been found to be an important factor in the increased interest displayed in learning to read. The treasured letters from home are carried about in pockets until they fall to pieces. They are continually being displayed to all and sundry and often a particular passage is pointed out for special notice.
Parents’ visits, when announced by letter beforehand, give pleasurable excitement and produce a general smartening up of appearance, usually passing off without any tears or requests to be taken home. On the other hand, visits unannounced and unexpected produce tears and often shock, followed by a general setback in stability. There is a decided improvement in reading generally, as evacuation has given it an ” interest value ” formerly lacking. To be able to read one’s own letters, to look at a newspaper and point out the headlines to admiring smaller boys, to have a library book at bedtime?these are all incentives to progress. In classrooms and on the epidiascope, the regular talks on current news are followed with keen attention, and such things as the names of the various types of plane or ship are recognized when they occur again.
Writing has improved through force of circumstances. Parental requests for letters “in your own handwriting ” cause much heartburning and often produce a determination to improve. The increased effort required is rewarded by the parents’ praise which, in its turn, stimulates still further progress. Conversation has become much more fluent, especially in discussions on the merits of the various types of planes observed. The points of difference, say between fighters and bombers elicit some fairly well informed comments which point to a keen study of detail. Gardening and farming activities also create the need for new words to describe methods and procedure. These differ so radically from the common phrases passing muster at home that only a keen ” interest ” can provide the incentive necessary if the new vocabulary is to be acquired. Aspects of country and seaside life, hitherto unfamiliar, also reveal much latent talent for which previously there was no use.
Calculation is another subject which takes on fresh interest under evacuation conditions. The mysteries of money are often mastered by adding the newly-arrived Postal Order to the balance in the Pocket Money Bank and by the necessity for keeping an accurate record. A War Savings Group has been formed and surplus pocket money is invested in Savings Stamps. This book is often a proud possession of its owner. The cost of clothing is learnt by observing how money for renewals sent by the parents is expended, and the innovation of ” clothes rationing ” gives the opportunity of many nice calculations as to the amount which can be obtained with the first twenty-six coupons and how long the articles in question must be made to last. The arrival of money for boot or tailoring repairs, handed to the Headmaster in return for a receipt to be enclosed in the next letter home, also constitutes a useful lesson in values.
The boys who have been in Camp for a long period have undoubtedly begun to make better use of their limited mental powers. Observation is more accurate and there is a noticeable increase in confidence.
Many boys worry if they receive no regular news from home, as this makes them feel neglected. Small offences against discipline, or outbursts of bad temper, often result. Bullying by bigger boys is under control and is very quickly discovered. The certainty of discovery has led to its reduction, and what little there is of it arises chiefly from the lack of pocket money or parcels from home and the possession of these much desired things by a more fortunate boy. Most of the boys, however, are very generous with their sweets, etc., and readily share with “poor old Bill who hasn’t heard from home for three weeks “. They usually resent, by the use of physical retaliation, unflattering references to their parents on the part of other boys. This is a common form of retort from a smaller lively youngster who normally trusts to dexterity of foot work to absolve him from the dire consequences threatened. Most of the ” hard ” cases get quite sloppily sentimental over pictures of animals or small babies, the absence of which is definitely missed. They are usually made quite happy, however, by helping certain crippled members of the Camp up and down stairs, even carrying them to watch the others at play in order that they may have some share in it.
A sense of humour is a priceless possession?even if primitive in type. These defective boys have a keenly developed sense of fun which is quickly aroused. Their reactions to the films provided for them are very genuine. The villain is booed heartily and when the hero sets out to rescue the victim in distress, the cheers are deafening, whilst ill-treatment of the weak or defenceless calls forth disapproval. In fact the response of the boys to the L.C.C. Educational Films has been astounding. Travel, nature and industrial films, with a few words of commentary from a teacher, are a never-failing source of interest which is not a merely transitory one. The Ministry of Information films pleasantly excite them, make them conscious of our war effort, and cause no loss of sleep !
Delinquency is largely a matter of opportunity. In the vicinity of a country holiday camp there are fewer goods displayed in the shops, and experiments with one of the rare slot machines produce no result, nor have oddments from empty bungalows, etc., much ” glamour value “.
Passing through fields by footpaths, shutting gates after use, being careful not to tread on growing crops, etc., are all country habits which help to cultivate respect for the property of others, whilst work on farms and gardens stimulates interest in things that grow, and boxes with tomatoes, lettuces, radishes, etc., the property of individual boys,’ are carefully tended. Vegetables from garden plots appear on the table, proving the practical value of the labour expended on them.
With regard to premises, small huts or chalets are preferable to larger dormitories. The smaller the unit, the easier it is to match up boys of similar temperaments, whereas in a dormitory, one boy who does not quite ” fit in ” will upset all the others. In the small hut, holding only two or three, it is possible to secure quieter rest and the sharing of common interests.
Some sort of playing field or similar space is, of course, essential. Without this there is too much use of dormitories and too many restrictions have to be placed on ” free ” activities, so necessary for the formation of character.
Boys newly admitted vary in behaviour. Some are quite stolid and unconcerned, whilst others are tearful, especially at bedtime when there is no activity going on to distract their attention. But usually the cure begins with the arrival of the first letter from home. Contact with the staff, too, every day of the week and all the waking hours of each day, helps to make up for the separation from home and parents and to create a stable background.
This evacuation experiment has shown the value of community life for IVf.D. schoolchildren, and it is suggested that a month every year in a camp with the regular school staff should be a normal feature of Special School work after the war. Enuresis Record contributed by W. A. G. Francis, Headmaster of an L.C.C. Elder Boys’ Special M.D. School As the problem of enuresis made itself apparent very quickly in the Camp, the following method was devised to deal with it.
Every morning all bed-wetters are sent to the Camp Commandant by the attendants. A register is kept, and there is praise for the successful, and encourage- ment (or sometimes censure) for those who have failed. Out of a total number of 216 boys in the Camp, the names of about 140 have appeared in the list at some time or other. The first list comprised seventeen boys (all over the age of 11) of whom only two continue to appear at the time of writing; of two who have left, one came off the list after a month, and the other?a low-grade Negro boy?proved to be a persistent case.
During the past half-year there has been an increase in the number of offenders due to the addition of fifty juniors, and the register at present shows twenty-one names. Of these, two 8-year-old boys show a monthly frequency of over 50 per cent, wet beds. Four boys over 11 show a frequency varying from 70 per cent, to 55 per cent. The average frequency of the remaining fifteen is in the neighbourhood of 25 per cent.
The parents of two boys (not brothers) with whom the problem was discussed, stated that at home they had wet beds every night (i.e. 100 per cent, frequency) and were highly delighted to think that there was a chance of cure, indicated by the fact that for the last month one boy had got down to 35 per cent, frequency and the other to 25 per cent.
Of the twenty-one offenders referred to above, five had been brought up in residential institutions.
It is not suggested that from this experience any generalization can be accurately made, but it can be stated that of the whole number of boys received at the Camp, 90 per cent, appeared to have been adequately trained in good personal habits.
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