First Year Out
- Author:
Margaret Halden.
Illustrations by Barbara Flynn. Thos. Nelson & Sons Ltd. 6s.
Hearty congratulations to all those responsible for the production of this book ! The publishers could scarcely expect that it would have a large sale or a long run, especially with the sub-title, ” Diary of a Special School Teacher “, emblazoned on the wrapper, but then this firm has a reputation for wide professional interests. The illustrator has certainly caught the spirit of the author. One wishes Barbara Flynn had given us more of her work, for she has talent. The frontispiece, ” The Playroomis a clever impressionist drawing that conveys in a remarkable way emotions, action, noise and atmosphere, even the mood of the shivering teacher on duty, turning her back on the horde of wild young creatures while she stolidly drinks her cup of cocoa ! The author, Margaret Halden, has enshrined in these few chapters a memorial to all the courageous people who in the blackest days of this war worked, indeed sometimes slaved, in most ill-adapted buildings in out of the way places, with the minimum of equipment and the maximum of inconvenience, to keep safe and happy?as well as to teach?groups of very difficult children. Their work was never in the limelight. It was always hard to find helpers, and spells of inadequate staffing were frequent occurrences. This type of work is difficult under the best conditions. Yet these two young people, the author and her friend the illustrator, having joined the staff of this school and hostel for evacuated mentally defective children, were sustained not only by their lively sense of humour but by their abounding interest in humanity. This is shown in the delightful wordpictures of the children, but even more in the brilliant though sometimes devastating character sketches of the staff?and of the visitors ! That any people at all could be found to put up with the conditions described is .
tribute to the profession. Miss Halden and her had vigour and personality and intellectual resource tn served them in good stead in such circumstances, so tn? > as far as we know, they did not ” get the sack and/ were carried out on stretchers as had been the fatewe some of the others ! Behind the sardonic humour can trace a real sympathy with these children, hail capped not only by lack of intelligence but so often a’ by the effect of slum conditions. We suspect that t teachers were rather the better for their experien ‘ developing in the course of events considerable una standing of the children’s needs.
Let us hope that if the recommendations of the Report are carried out, many more such courageous a gifted young people will be forthcoming to help handicapped of all types, but that for them the way v . be made happier and easier by adequate training 3 better conditions of service. E.L.S.R
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