The National tribune., 1883-06-28
THE DUMB SPEAKING.
A Noble London Charity---HoW Lip
Reading is Taught.
Special correspondence National Tribune.

appeal to the sympathy and the imagination as
does the School for the Instruction of the Deaf
and Dumb There is awe in the thought of a
class OF human beings shut off from commune
cation with their kind, made, by their own de-
feet, race apart and deprived of quick SYM
pathy with the life of which they form portion
This isolation of the dumb loses something of
its horror under the instruction which gives
them sign language, but the good accom-
pilshed in this way is only partial, because the
signs OF the mute useless until the persons
with whom he is associated are taught to under
stand them. In this oyercrowded age it is
very small part of the world who can spare
time for this, and the companionship of the
mute is in fact, usually limited to the persons
who have strong interest in him. Under oral
instruction the deaf cease to be dumb, and in
becoming able TO speak cease to demand that
the persons with whom they come into rela-
tions shall learn new language. Under oral
instruction the deaf child is enabled to over
come his disadvantage himself and to make no
claim upon the rest of the world. In this way
he receives, at the hand of his teacher. not
only new relation with the whole of the CIV
ilization of which he is part, new power of
quick, complete communication, but, what
must be of even greater moral value he re-
ceiyes new self-dependence. The deaf child
who can speak, no longer depends upon the
philanthropy which may lead speaking persons
to learn the sign language for his benefit he is
independent of effort on their part - far as he
is willing to perfect himself in mastering his
defect-to make himself more perfectly human.
The teachers under the oral system affirm
that no deaf child is dumb who is not an idiot
paralytic and claim that ninety-nine in a
hundred can be taught to speak This is by
no means making the statement that deafness
can be cured. The child born deaf may re-
main so throughout his life, and vet be able to
speak readily and naturally and TO understand
all that Is said TO him. In the words of Mr..
Van Praagh, who has introduced the system of
oral instruction into England, "Speech must
become to deaf children what it is to US hear
ing people; lit must be a part of their exist
enee, and Hp-reading must be practieed to such
an extent that it becomes as the natural pro-
cess of hearing" This is the whole secret of
the work. The deaf child is taught to read the
lips of his teacher and to initiate the teachers
use of the vocal organs. Thus sight takes the
place of hearing for the ehild's understanding
Of anothers speech, and feeling takes the place
of hearing in producing his own speech.
@Deaf and dumb " is misuonner. then; deaf
ness is the primary aftiietion, and dumbness, by
training, may be conquered.
THE LONDON ASSOCIATION
The official report of the London Association
for the Oral Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb
gives the following account of the origin of the
work:
The Association for the Oral instruction of the
Deaf and Dumb owes its origin to the beneyolence
and perseverance of the late Baroness Mayer de
Rothschild, The success which attended the first
Introduction into England Of the German system
teaching by of speech and iipreadiRgl, both
IN the Jews Deaf and Dumb Home which she
founded, of which Honorary Secretary, Mr..
Assur III. Moses. was president and Director,
SIr. Van Praagh, principal, and at the school
connected with it in the Euston Road, was great,
that she determined to extend its blessings to the
afflicted of every race and creed and to establish
Training College for teachers (nale and femalel,
and school in which the deaf and dumb Of all
classes and denominations should be taught to
[ speak.
| 4 committee was formed among the friends
| of the Baroness Rothschild q for the purpose
| of making Mr.. Van Praagh's system more gem
| orally known to the public, and for the purpose
of establishing a school for the teaching of deaf
and dumb children according to this method y
| This was in 1871, and, having secured suitable
| premises, the committee opened their Normal
| School on the 18th of July, 1872"
| This school in Fitzroy Square under the
care of Mr.. Van Praagh, is thus private enter
| prise, unhelped by governmental subsidy, and
dependent for support upon the fees ofthe pupils
aud the contributions of the public. The re-
port says: The committee determined that
admissions of pupils TO the school should in all
| eases involve the payment by their parents OF
guardians of certain fees for their instruction,
regulated by the committee according to the
| circumstances of the case, and the means and
| position of the pupils parents or guardians In
| the majority of cases, however, the said pay.
ment is wholly Inadequate to meet the ex
penses incurred on behalf of each child"
Happily for the school, however, there is
strong interest felt in its welfare among
wealthy philanthropists, so that, although il
| is now under debt of thousand dollars, it il
in no danger of dissolution
| In its administration the school Is different
! at once from ordinary English schools and from
conventional institutions. Il haS-and this is
most unusual IN English sehools-mixed classes
of boys and girls, while it departs from the
methods of institutions in requiring the pupils
| to live at home or TO board IN families under
tho control of the committee. An incidental
advantage of this arrangement is that TicE
and poor children are received on an equa
footing in the classes, while III their homes o.
boarding houses their circumstances ara a
little changed as possible from ordinary home
ways and the children Of stone mason, for IN
stance, being kept in a stone masons family
are bred in the traditions of stone masOns and
are ready to become workmen when then
5chool-lfe is ended whereas, institutioR-chH
dreu, losing the traditions Ofwork during then
institution life, are found reluctant to DegiI
work on returning to home life.
In the school the course Of instruction ha
combined IIp-readlng, speaking, reading, Wrlt
ing, and all the ordinary branches of iRstruc
tion. together with drawing painting, gym
nasties, plain and fancy needlework. The in
struction of the pupils is extended as they con
tinue to advance to the higher classes
1t may be added that the instruction in draw
ing is in connection with the science and ar
department. South Kensington, which annual,
awards prizes to the pupils.
THE COURSE OF STUDY.
Children stay in the school eight years, from
the Kindergarten classes which they enter a
six to tire geometry class, which they leav
at fourteen, when some of them go out into tn
world to earn their own way, and some go int
other schools or prepare for higher education
In this eight years the work of An ordinar.
school. increased by the difficulties under whicl
the children labor is carried on as well as circun
stances permit The first thing necessary is Q
teach the children TO breathe properly and US
their chest in speaking; then to initiate th
positions of the teachers mouth, and TO produc
vibrations such as they feel by touching tn
teachers head, chest, epiglottis, sc. lnstruc
tion in speaking, writing. reading, Ep-reading
is always given simultaneously. The purel,
phonetic system ofspeiling is used. " B-H-t, a
seen on the lips, would always remain to tn
deaf child beauty and never but
The discipline of the school is admirable
and visitor conducted blindfold through th
earlier classes ignorant of the aim of the school
might suppose the children in the later classe
| ordinary school children whose enunciation hai
been somewhat neglected. There are none of tn
hideous noises which in some schools for tn