School for Educationally Subnormal Junior Boys
- Author:
EARLE L. DAVISON, F.L.S., M.Coll.S.S.T. ^
Headmaster, Special (Junior Boys) School, Hillsborough, Sheffield We have in our school about 100 boys, whose Intelligence Quotients range from 50 to 70 and who are aged 7 to 11 years. They are sent to us at all ages as they are ” classified ” from the ordinary schools. We pass them on to a senior boys’ school, where they stay until they are 16.
Although our building is in a large city, we are not far from its ” golden frame ” and, we feel, we are within easy reach of a very varied environment?? of which we try to make full use, as will be seen later.
Our first aim, like that of a good home, is the character training of each boy. We try to provide suitable opportunities to enable every single boy to grow into a happy, healthy and useful lad, giving him a ” conscious awareness ” of what is required of him to prepare for a full life of useful service for other people. As these boys are educationally subnormal, it is our special endeavour to try to train each to be active, self-reliant and to make him feel that he can succeed; while, at the same time, he is practised in careful use of material and time and he is taught also to make good use of his spare time. As ours is a Junior (Primary) school, we try especially to utilize or, if necessary, revive natural observation and lively curiosity and to develop certain necessary skills. Every single boy is studied in detail, his characteristics and details noted, looking for what is good and particularly his possibilities ; treatment being made accordingly and work set to suit him. Simultaneously, he is taught to fit himself in with the other boys and grown-up persons with whom he comes in contact.
We try to make the building bright and attractive in every part at all times to arrest attention: the instruction that is imparted is so formulated as to arouse interest: while what each boy does in and out of school, now and later, we make our concern to show he puts into practice what he has learned. We think of our curriculum in terms of experience rather than knowledge to be acquired, and we encourage each boy to attain gradually to that control and orderly management of his energies, impulses and emotions which, we feel, is the essence of intellectual discipline. Our school, more particularly than others, is not a community ” set apart ” ; although of course we realize that the adjustment of these backward boys reacts more slowly. We do all in our power to keep hopeful and to strengthen our determination to succeed, and we attempt to imbue each boy with the spirit to do his best at all times.
We have tried to establish a code of good conduct, to form useful habits and to develop personality. Realizing that behaviour is influenced by the school ” tone ” we have as the keynote, self-discipline. And the discipline is taught through example and the interest of the boy in his tasks, also by being honest with every boy (particularly those with whom it is difficult to be so) and by trusting each boy and letting him feel that he is expected to discipline himself. The useful habits are personal and those of social adjustment, including safety training. The last named, we feel, is vital, as it is essential that accident prevention with these boys must become habitual and cover all the common causes:? fire, traffic, misuse of tools, etc.
Religious instruction is of a wide and practical kind. The instruction is based upon everyday experiences : Nature, well-known customs, Holy days, the Bible (particularly the New Testament), the Great Church throughout the world, suitable characters, incidents, etc. Corporate Worship is taken daily with hymns and prayers selected with regard to joy of living, Nature, praise and conduct worthy as example (not child’s sin and inborn wickedness). Appropriate music and readings accompany and the wireless service is taken. Observation of development of commendable personality is noted (in writing) and attention is drawn to this with the individual concerned and, where desirable, before others. An attempt is made to eliminate undesirable traits of character by carefully substituting better traits and by stimulating conscious effort to happy adjustment. We try to let each boy experience success in achieving useful ends and by giving him real purpose all the while for his life in and out of school, both now and later. We encourage frequently, and restrain only when absolutely necessary. We attempt to make each boy feel that each of us is interested in him. We call him by his Christian name, let him talk, listen to him and allow him to develop his individuality. We realize that character training cannot be taught, it can only be caught; it cannot be tested but it shows results; it develops unconsciously but we can consciously try to develop it.
Our methods vary from time to time, as found necessary and desirable. The interest of the boy decides. We find out what each is capable of learning, how best he can learn it and then let him proceed to do so. We teach through natural activities such as Play, Sense impressions (seeing illustrations, hearing stories, touching the real things, etc.) and Activity. A large part of the curriculum is centred round units of work, based on the capacity of the class, the interests of the class and the needs of the community, utilizing the child’s motives.
The intellectual needs of our boys are based on their experiences?they explore the people and materials of their environment?these arouse problems to try to solve and instruction grows out of them. The boys are curious about where they live, we find, when we select dynamic topics and follow these through to other parts of the country, and other parts of the world and ” backwards ” in time. We utilize real experience of the real world, the ” here and now” of concrete contacts until the child is capable of reaching beyond.
” Treasures are to be found everywhere, on the hilltops, in the valleys and in the nooks and corners of towns?but it is only those who search for them who find them.’’’’
Each teacher finds out what his boys are interested in?most boys are curious about themselves, people generally, their coverings (clothes and homes), their immediate environment (natural and artificial, also mechanical) and their links with the greater world, also present-day events and, to a lesser extent, ” links with the past “. We develop these through projects from time to time; these are not over-ambitious and embrace various aspects of the curriculum. They also link together occasionally groups and even classes. Observation is cultivated at all times and in all sorts of ways. Curiosity is stimulated and searching is encouraged after what is not known or not understood. Visual and auditory aids are used frequently. We find immense value from using the episcope and cine and we have recently tried the film-strip. The gramophone and wireless are very useful and even the sound-projector at times. By these means we try to bring alive or give a breath of reality to what would otherwise be far from either of these states to these boys.
As the boys progress through the school, we find we can allocate some of the work in suitably graded assignments. Even some of the younger ones are settling to this method in dealing with some of the skills.
Health training looms large in our school?health of body and of mind. These boys need hygienic habits. The work must be practical and each boy must feel the need of his training. We have regular inspections of hands, nails, ears, hair, etc., in interesting and helpful ways. Cleanliness is not regarded as a fetish but as a necessity after dirty work or play. Training in neatness and tidiness is done so as to lead each to take a pride in his own appearance. Some of the health habits are: correct breathing, the need for fresh air and sunlight, the value of outdoor exercise and ventilation indoors, satisfactory and sufficient rest, care of eyes, ears and teeth, wholesome food (e.g. school milk and midday meal), correct eating and clothing (cleanliness and tidiness?repairing damage, such as sewing on buttons and darning holes), neat, clean and tidy appearance of surroundings at school and, we hope, home. Although our building is only a single-storey one, we feel it is very essential training for our boys to have fire drill. This is taken in progressive stages but still kept very simple, trying to inculcate the self-discipline necessary should an emergency ever occur to any of them either at school or elsewhere.
There are certain health practices which it is extremely useful for these boys to know but which we cannot see at school if they are carried out at home. These include helpfulness at home, correct sleeping, teeth cleaning, simple cooking?but these we try to ” get across ” at suitable opportunities and our camps last summer provided chances for practical teaching of many of these. Bodily activity is necessary for youngsters and for ours we feel this must be allowed for frequently. There is a fair amount of movement about the class? room, and the school and physical education follows along natural lines. Games, remedial exercises and preliminary training attempt to lead to correct breathing, chest expansion, correct growing of the various limbs, balancing, skipping and catching. Healthy general exercise is aimed at rather than specialized development. We are trying to teach every boy to swim (unless there is a very good reason why he should not learn). Rhythmic work, with and without music, appeals to them and we use this a good deal.
The first-aid treatment of common accidents to self and others is taught to accustom the boys to overcoming repugnance at the sight of blood, to encourage them to attend correctly to simple cuts, burns, etc.
Sex topics are taught as they arise?and they do arise (some of them saw a calf, born while at the summer camp, and this resulted in many questions concerning the differences between male and female creatures, etc.). Physiological facts and conventions of human society are discussed naturally. Individual boys observed to have sex problems or worries are dealt with separately.
Health training is linked wherever possible with other work, not only in school, but also out of school. A healthy use of own spare time is encouraged. A Wolf Cub Pack has been formed at school and the Cubs are taken and advised to join with other Cubs (and later Scouts). Boys not only tell us but bring along examples of their spare-time activities. Some of these they have exchanged with other similar boys, even as far away as New Zealand; this has not only encouraged them, but made them pleased with their efforts and results. Social Training, or training in living together, now and after school, is part of the general school method rather than instruction. We are trying to introduce gradually self-government to train the boys to feel that each helps to direct the social life about him. All lessons provide for this training but special attention is drawn to it in the following directions:
Games, both outdoor and indoor ; natural play is directed so that there is harmonious occupation. Reasonable quietness, no interference, honest competition and abiding by decisions, particularly results, are insisted upon always.
Library. Although many of these boys cannot yet read and take a long while before they can do so, many library books are procured and the whole issue and utilization of these provide valuable social training.
Leisure. We feel that training and suggestion for active and healthy use of spare time is most beneficial to the boys.
Social studies are not attempted with these junior boys but some projects are undertaken which elicit social procedure in various ways, showing how we human beings live together in groups. Some of our local studies show how people have developed or are modifying natural surroundings.
Re-creation, or appreciation, periods are special times for this social training. The boys are taught to listen to good reading of suitable extracts and they learn to recite some of these. Listening to and joining in with suitable music are also encouraged. As previously mentioned, visual aids are found to be very helpful. The social value of silent reading is being attempted with the few who really do acquire this skill.
Thrift training is taught always and in all ways, more by example than precept; teaching the careful use of all materials, time, money and other people’s property.
Our boys ” learn by doing” a good deal. Activity is a method, not an isolated subject. There is copious oral work which includes narration, description, discussion, conversation, spontaneous and prepared dramatization, puppetry and miming. The boys’ natural collecting propensities are used in various ways. ” Art and Craft ” are stimulated in as many ways as possible, and the expressions studied and developed along individual lines, much illustration, design and making being performed in connection with all sorts of aspects of the work. Any individual or group, with a special ” flair develops this as far as possible, even to the extent of allowing the work to overlap from one class to another, if required.
To meet the needs of everyday life, now and in their future, these boys will require a minimum essential of certain Skills. These will chiefly consist of what is usually known as the ” 3 R’s The instruction is individual, the boys being regrouped from their age-classification to an ability group for Language and again for Arithmetic. In the former, spoken work comes first and an attempt is made to stimulate in each boy the desire to read. We try to discover what is handicapping him, such as innate deficiency, non-literary home background or unfavourable emotional attitude. We use oral exercises of many kinds, and also a variety of material is provided to create situations which demand the use of language. The Language work is carefully graded, linking oral, reading, spelling, writing, miming and dramatic work. It would take too long to explain in detail our methods and matter in teaching the Skills. The Arithmetic is, to put it briefly, ” Arithmetic in Action ” ; there is always practical everyday foundation for the exercises and the calculations are kept within the boys’ own ordinary experiences. Diagnostic tests are set periodically and all the work is individual, although the boys co-operate rather than compete by working in groups. Oral and mental exercises and games are used throughout, as also are the practical weights and measures. Arithmetic is linked with the boy, his own life and events and also with projects, specially started or as found necessary. “Telling the time” is a Wolf Cub test and therefore not thought of as “hard lessons”. In similar ways, Skills are acquired by stimulating and maintaining interests until achievement is possible.
The school is organized, as is usual in schools of this kind, in classes of 20 and the boys are placed in these according to their chronological ages. As explained above, they are regrouped for the Skills, but it is clearly understood that any boy who progresses beyond his group is promoted to the next above and any who retrogress are demoted. At the same time, careful observation is made for any emotional effects. It may be of special interest to note that one boy improved so much that recently he was transferred back to a normal school. The Head and Class Teachers meet regularly to discuss individual boys and also different aspects of the work. Each has a copy of what we call ” Suggestions for the guidance of the Staff”, and after meetings we add to this after deciding developments in any particular way. For instance, when the Curtis Report was published we selected the portions applicable to our work and after comparing our views incorporated the suitable statements. The work is planned under the headings: Training, Interests, Activities and Skills. Each is subdivided. The Training covers character, social and health training, each with various aspects. The Interests include project, centre of interest, visits, incentives. The Activities cover oral, written,art and modelling, each with various aspects. The Skills are subdivided into the different Language and Number work. A record is made each week of what has been done. Very full notes are kept regarding each boy under the same headings, except that of course the sub-headings need to be different in some cases for the compilation of information for the reports. One of these is sent to the parents of each boy at Christmas and summer, with a special note of suggestions concerning good traits to be encouraged and bad habits to be discouraged. Once a year before going into the next age-group, a summary is made under similar headings in the Progress Record book which covers the whole of a boy’s Special Educational career. The time-table is approximately thus: assembly for corporate worship and brief instruction of religious or character training type, Language groups, milk drinking and break, open period, Arithmetic groups, washing (practical hygiene is carried out by individuals in whatever form is necessary and whenever necessary), Lunch, Wolf Cub practices and Free Play, Activities (Outdoor, Expression, etc.), break, Social, Re-creation. Adjustments are made between teachers for Physical Education, Music and use of Wireless and Visual Aids to avoid clashing. This time-table is elastic and flexible, and adjustments are made from time to time for individuals, groups and classes when required.
Reading matter appertaining to our work is collected for the use of all the Staff. In the Head Teacher’s room is kept a copy of each of the standard works and also new publications relating to surveys of the problems and methods, characterstudy and training, time-table and general principles, methods, subjects and lessons, project and local work, educational recording of the school child together with the issues of helpful periodicals such as: The Special Schools Journal, Mental Health, Parents of Backward Children Journal, School Nature Study, etc. In the Staff room suitable books are collected for lessons use, for example, The Children’s Encyclopaedia, religious, health and games books, and also books on varied activities including outdoor work. Copious supplies of suitable illustrations of all kinds are obtained and used for wall decoration, episcope projection, and individual purposes, and these are stored in the Staff room for common use. Specimens and materials, such as those relating to stages in the development of the manufacture of pottery, and also living creatures of many kinds, are obtained for use. These are exhibited on one of the exhibition tables, either in the hall for all in the school, or in any one of the classrooms.
Arising out of our work at school, we took during last Whitsuntide holiday a small party of the boys for a ramble in Derbyshire. We were away for nearly a week and stayed at Youth Hostels. This experience was, we felt, most valuable, in many ways; so much so that we immediately planned a further development for a part of the summer holiday. This time we took, a much larger party camping at Castleton: the senior boys had one week and the juniors had another. We got to know those boys then and they got to know us, each to the advantage of the other, as would never have been possible in the ordinary school life. By our various activities we are going further than the boys, for we are reaching their parents. These come along in most encouraging numbers to talk to us, at the outings, at celebrations, upon invitation after each report, at frequent calls, and we are learning more about our ” problems ” and their lives. We and they, from the remarks which we hear, are finding this connection most beneficial. Our Staff is a most willing team and all pull together. By this means our difficulties are surmounted and to counterbalance what is called subnormal in the boys we must surely describe as supernormal the enthusiasm and team spirit of the Staff. The cheerfulness, hard work and co-operation of every one is what is improving the life, appearance and future for each of the boys who is sent here.
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