Backwardness in School
- Author:
Barons,
Headmaster, Woodlands Park Junior School, Tottenham. Blackie & Son Ltd. 3/6.
In accordance with economic theory, the growth of demand invariably is followed by a corresponding growth in the available supply. Too often indeed it leads to oversupply and slump. Fortunately that point has not yet been reached in the output of literature published on the ” Backward Child”. The subject has so many aspects that any attempt to deal at all comprehensively with the diagnosis and treatment of indicative symptoms has resulted in some excellent, but also, for the average teacher and parent, rather expensive volumes.
Often, too, in the available literature there is assumed a groundwork of terms and conception unfamiliar to those whose experience has not yielded the opportunity for any investigation into the causes of this not uncommon state of affairs, although they may have been grappling blindly for some time with the distressing sequelae. For this reason, apart from others, Mr. Barons’ recent book ” Backwardness in School” should receive an enthusiastic welcome from all who come into contact with children. This is not merely a book for the’teacher and educationalist; intelligent parents with an interest in the progress of their children will find in it a good deal in the way of guidance in forming some idea of the healthy relationship which should obtain between progress and ability, without an understanding of which many a ” maladjusted ” child is produced without any undue pressure from school.
A commendable feature of this book and one which will be noted especially by those whose interest in children is not confined to their response to any one particular school subject, is the way in which the author draws upon his shrewd observations of children at work and at play, in order … “to frame Units of Activity round children’s likes so that work on them could proceed in school But further, and as a warning to those whose interest in ‘Projects’ may outrun that of the child, … “It is essential wisely tp guide the choice of a child, for it should not be assumed that a child’s likes, or even his dislikes are forever fixed and constant The author demonstrates, as so many more technical books fail to do, the innumerable opportunities which are at hand, both for parents and for teachers, for collecting from day to day facts which are prerequisite for any study. He points out, too, that such a collection is often likely to prove of greater value in so far as the child is unaware that he is being observed.
Observations in themselves, however, are comparatively valueless unless they are collated and integrated, so that their relative importance is appreciated and the necessary pointers obtained from them towards the major factors in and a possible solution to the problem. Here again this little book can justifiably claim advantage over many more pretentious which stop at isolation of the symptoms with little attempt at a synthesis into the commoner syndromes. The complexity of causes and the no less complexity of symptoms and results are presented not from one but from a number of aspects. It is not an exhaustive study of the problem of Backwardness?the author would be the last to suggest it?but it does undoubtedly give, so far as one short and simply written volume could, a comprehensive view of a difficult subject. For those who find themselves more particularly interested in, or ignorant of any one side of the problem there is appended a useful bibliography. M. I. D.
Disclaimer
The historical material in this project falls into one of three categories for clearances and permissions:
Material currently under copyright, made available with a Creative Commons license chosen by the publisher.
Material that is in the public domain
Material identified by the Welcome Trust as an Orphan Work, made available with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
While we are in the process of adding metadata to the articles, please check the article at its original source for specific copyrights.