The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1911-07-14
TRUANCY IN THE
SCHOOL CHILDREN
Pupils Should Be Graded Accord.
ing 10 Their Unborn Capac-
ity Says Prominent
Educator.

too low 10 rthelr mental capaclt,
is responsible for such of the tru
ancy and Ineorigibility, ac
cOrding TO Henry H. Goddard, o.
the school for feeble the minded
yineland, \. j., a speaker at on,
of the section meetings of the
National Association today. Tn,
speaker said that studies at the
vineland institution have shown
that sixty-five per cent of the fee
blemindness is hereditary. The
speaker discussed particularly the
Binet Measuring Scale for Intelli-
gencegence which has received of
fetal sanction by the New Jersey
legislature. Mr.. Goddard said. in
part:
The Binet Scale is a method OF
marvellous accuracy and of great
practical value and can be applied
to help as solve some of our prob
lens and make our school system
more efficient.
We are beginning 10 recognize
that many of our difficulties in
school are the result of difference
in Unborn capacity rather than in
Unborn wickedness Ii is therefore
necessary to have some method of
measuring that Unborn capacity.
The Research Department Of
the New Jersey training school
Tor Feeble minded children has
carried out a systematic testing
OF an entire school population Of
two thousand children. using this
method. The results amount 20 al
most a mathematical proof Of the
accuracy of the Binet Method. II
shows that there are four per cent
of children who are precociOus or
better in mentality than the aver
age child, seventy eight per cent
sre normal. fifteen per cent are
backward and three per cent sire
feeble minded.
The ration propably holds at
most universally -
We should have schools OF.
special classes Of these Preeocious
children in order that The natural
advantage with which they are
born. should not BE- lost and that
they should net learn bad ways
and bad habits from being in the
classes that 20 SO much slower
than they are able 10 20.
The fifteen per cent shat are
merely backward should be in
special classes too. that they may
be- coached and helped along and
enabled 20 get through as much
Of the school work as Is absolute
In Necessary 20 make them useful
The three per cent that are feeble
minded should be In colonies Of
institutions where they are cared
Tor and enabled 20 b. happy and
partially useful as long as they
i've. but Of this is impossible. they
must D. cared for In special class
= In public schools where they
are u0t asfed 20 learn -eading
writing. arithmetic. but an taught
~ o. these things with their hand
which they can 10 and the doing
Of which makes them happy. They
must never marry. because the
studies % the Vineland Institution
have shown that S. per cent Of
-he feeble mindedness is heredi-
tsry. Therefore. If these children
grow up and marry they simply
rerpefuate the race Of feeble mind
- persons.
In this study % che entire
school population. tested by the
Binet method. j; Is shown that
sane children arr in classes that
are a way shead Of the mental
capacity Of the children that are
in classes that are one year ahead
u them 70 three years. In other
eases children are behind what
they ought 10 be from one TO three
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