The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-06-18
SPECIAL SCHOOL
For Delinquentand Back
ward Children is
Advocated
BY.NeW YORK TEACHER

Minneapolis, June 16. - Special
classes and special schools for delin-
quent and backward children was the
subject discussed at the National
Conference of Charities anu Correc-
ton at the Minneapolis meeting by
Miss Julia Richman, district superin-
tendent of schools in New York city.
She told Of the growth of a movement
in the public schools of this country
toward the consideration of the indi-
Vidual child as a unit in education
She told how there was first an at
tempt at segregation Of the mentally
defective child, the child of feeble
mind, of vicious morals, into separate
classes where he could have indivi-
dual treatment to suit his peculiar
needs. This movement has developed
now until Miss Richman has succeed
ed In getting the board Of superinten-
dents Of the New York SCHOOLS to se-
gregate practically all Of the subnor-
NAL OF abnormal children, leaving IN
the regular grades just those normal
children who are capable Of doing the
work expected Of children of their re-
spective ages. Practically all chill |
dren more than above the average age |
OF the grade in which they are found |
are taken out and put in special
classes or ungraded classes. Such |
children make remarkable gain wnen |
given individual treatment and IL is
usual when they formally leave school
for work that they are better prepared
to go into the life they must live,
than II they had been kept in the reg
ular grades as was formerly done; at
the SANE time disturbing element
has been removed from the regular
classes and the normal children in the
grades have been able 10 make better
progress and discipline has been i'm
proved
OF 545 cases classified as special
since the establishment Of these
classes. It was found that 27S children
went along regularly, making no ex.
ira progress tthe probability is that
many of them would have been left \
back from regular classes) there
were u children who lost one term
and 255 children who did more than
one grades work in one term; JOG J
gained one grade; 90 gained two e
grades; q gained three grades; l6 r
gained four grades; 6 gained Ave =
grades; gained six grades; one
child gained seven grades; and a
gained nine grades in one year. The e
speaker gave statistics from a report Il
If certain schools In New York TO d
how how children had been kept a
rom drifting into viciousness and $,
rhine by giving them work 1T for I,
hem in the public schools. ri
She expressed herself, however as r
ot being in thorough harmony with nj
ONE Of the theories and practices Of a,
he probation work Of the juvenile Q,
ourt. Miss RichmaD said that she is or
! thorough sympathy with the atti y,
ide OF the juvenile court that would 40
OF send a boy 10 a correctional In. -
.itution while there remained any =,
Ope Of making a good lad Of him by ~
ore personal measures. She then ~, ~
bowed that the effect Of this position vi
D the other boys was exceedingly ',
ad. The speaker maintained that a
by convicted OF a criminal charge Jul
ven though he be paToled should oe
Dt be permitted 10 come back 20 his re
ass at school as though nothing had nc
appened. She proposed a special IN
,haaI 10 taIg 20
the establishment OF public school pr
o. l20 in New York, for that pur. tn
,se. The school has been In opera. Bo
On only sixteen months and without me
'unting those boys at present In the ste
hool who are doing good work, and Its
ho at the end Of the term will be POI
mt back 10 the public schools az tiv
oroughly reformed, the records pie
low that those already cured exceed car
number those committed 10 insti. 10
tiOns. - tbf
DR.. James M. Tate, superintendent is
'hoOl for the Deaf FaiTbault MINI, =
viewed the history OF modern at tIo
mpts to educate deaf persons 10 mn,
ow that almost every state now has no
institution for the education Of 40
e deaf. New York and Pennsyl- ,r,,
mia each has several. There are he,
ty'eight state schools supported in A.,
whole or in part by the state. IL a,t
ois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Cali w w
rnia have day schools in addition So
their state institutions Ohio had 0oi
y schools, but no longer supports gro
EN-. These schools are divided into me
rec classes according 10 the meth SUI
s used in teaching. The first class pnr
es the manual. system of sign Ian. i
age finger spelling and writing pui
e second class uses the oral sys- the
n, teaching the pupils 10 speak and In
understand tho movement OF the the
S. The third class uses the comb. tior
lion OF the first twoN methods. ed
arly all OF these schools are now teri
ting especial emphasis on manual a
lining. As many as sixty-six trades
taught IN the state institutions, M;
in the day schools little or no
ustrial training is given. The A
aker said that owing TO the lim. can
IONS incident TO deafness, the In nee
trial education OF the deaf is an Bla'