Impressions
- Author:
Edna F. Munro (New Zealand)
During a recent tour through England and Scotland, I had the honour and pleasure of investigating (a) the means Education Authorities are adopting to provide suitable education for those children defined by the Education Act as defective; (b) the work of Local Mental Welfare Associations. I propose to make a few remarks, of necessity impressions only, first about (a) and then about (b).
For the large urban area, with its population of over 50,000, the problem becomes comparatively simple: the special school is well known to all, especially in those districts where its nature is well advertised by a large notice- board ” X Road School for the Mentally Defective.” Surely such a board is unnecessary!
These schools are well equipped and staffed with enthusiastic teachers, who realise that the main purpose of education is “to enable the person to adapt himself to the world in which he has to live,” and that adaptation is assisted when individual teaching methods are employed, for then the child is given a chance to give external form to his ego and to realise the necessity of subserviency to the common good.
The curriculum is so arranged that half of the time is spent in manual and the remainder in physical and scholastic occupations. There is still too much ” sitting still,” and ” sitting still ” does not teach one how to live! Will not the special school again be in the vanguard of reform?
That the educational value of rhythmic movement and dramatization is far reaching was ably illustrated in a residential school, where we were enter- tained by selections from a revue, especially written to suit school require- ments, by a member of the staff. The artistic costumes were designed and made by the elder girls from school-dyed calico and muslin, and every child had a part. All the work in that school was excellent; disciplinary problems were few and ” inferiority complexes ” unknown.
In all the schools the manual work is of a surprisingly high standard; its main object is to help in releasing the creative spirit of the child but it serves later as a basis for vocational training. The elder girls study cookery, dress- making and housewifery, while the elder boys learn wood and metalwork, as well as acquiring considerable skill in tailoring and boot repairing. A few progressive education committees, realising that in the study of housewifery there is inestimable value in giving the girls a period of ” living in,” have attached to the cookery, laundry and dress-making departments a suite of rooms, simply and artistically furnished : here two teachers always live and, for short periods, as many girls as can be conveniently accommodated. The extension of such a scheme has much to commend it, especially in con- gested areas where opportunities for good home training are necessarily limited. The most up-to-date school buildings I saw are those of the open-air, “aeroplane” type, built to accommodate the mentally and physically “invalid,” including semi-deafs and myopes, in separate departments. The playing fields are large, ample provision is made for the keeping of pets, and for train- ing in that much neglected, though highly important subject, gardening. The old scholars’ clubs pleased me greatly: these are held two or three evenings weekly and afford opportunities not only for social activities but for the making and mending of clothes, boot repairing, etc.
On the method of tackling the problem in the small urban area it is not my intention to comment. The ” Report of the Mental Deficiency Com- mittee ” has awakened the interest of all, and the next twelve months should witness many interesting developments.
In only one rural area did I see any attempt at solving the problem and that was in Westmorland, a very hilly, sparsely populated district. Here an energetic committee, with a genuine interest in the welfare of its youth, ascer- tained the extent of their problem and sought for its solution the co-operation of all concerned. A specially gifted teacher, with extensive knowledge of modern educational methods, was given a further period of training and placed in charge of the scheme. Her general method of procedure is to forecast, by the aid of tests, the probable mental age of the child in his school-leaving year and then to plan such a syllabus that the maximum amount of work is covered. This has been done with most of the dull and backward, as well as with the mentally defective children. I visited many schools and saw many children under ” treatment “?all were happy and making excellent progress.
And now I should like to make a sweeping statement?of all societies of social importance to the community, none are more worthy of generous sup- port than the Local Mental Welfare Associations.
That every child has a right to such education and training as is con- ducive to the maximum happiness of the individual, combined with the maximum service to the State, all thinking people will agree and yet it is only since the establishment of mental welfare associations that any form of educa- tion and training has been provided for those children, known as “ineducable,” many of whom are the results of our existing social system, and who are nec- essarily excluded from our special schools as being incapable of benefiting from the instruction there given. These children can never be self-supporting, but their burden on the community can be considerably lessened and their own happiness augmented by training in an Occupation Centre.
The scheme of work in an occupation centre is simple but varied, the i0rmation of good habits and the development of muscular control being the main aims of the people in charge. I visited many centres: the happiness of the children and the educational value of their occupations reflected great credit on those responsible, while a visit to many of the homes revealed the mtense gratitude of the parents, and the willingness to co-operate, even at great personal sacrifice. Suitable premises are very difficult to obtain, and valiant workers frequently use any available hall, making the best of their resources. One looks forward to the day when, the social importance of this work being realised, open-air buildings in delightful gardens and playing fields will be provided. Does anyone want to be a fairy-godmother?
But the activities of mental welfare associations are by no means restricted to the provision of occupation centres?when required they provide guardians, assist in finding institutional accommodation, undertake the supervision and visitation of mentally or physically defective children and adults outside institu- tions, as well as endeavour to find suitable employment. Indeed, much valuable work is done in finding suitable ” jobs ” for those children who have left the special schools, and in the provision of ” Employment Centres,” where the older defectives may do such manual work as the making of rugs, toys, shell-flowers, and the covering of chairs and stools with sea-grass. The child is remunerated, and an endeavour is made to find a ” sale ” for the articles.
To all people I met on my tour, which was a most happy one, I owe a deep debt of gratitude: they showed me the true meaning of social service.
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