New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-08
DETECTIVES IN SCHOOLS
SAID TO NUMBER $4,000
DR.. H. H. Goddard, of New Ter.
sey, Recommends Separate
Glasses and Teachers.
WOULD AID NORMAL PUPILS
Large Sums Should Be Spent,
Says Report, to Save Mental
ly Weak from Becoming
Public Nuisances.
| WOULD AID NORMAL PUPILS

There are fifteen thousand children OF
weak mentality in the public schools Oh
New York. great proportion OF whom
reach high school merely because they
are not permitted 10 remain more imam
two years i'm any one grade, pelhg pro-
NOTED regardless of fitness, according "
DR.. H. n. Goddard. director Of Psychology
cal Research. New Jersey Training
School for Feeble Minded Boys and GIFTS
In his interim report to the committee
on School Inquiry of the Board oil Esu-
mate and Apportionme2.. ne further de-
clares. speaking of 'ungraded ciaSses'
that 1--WE can III afford not to eXpend
large sums for the sake OF SAVING THESE
children from becoming public nuisances'
For many OF these children the very pest
thing is 10 60 to work where they can be
trained by their parents or persons who
arc willing TO take charge OF them; II ~
folly to keep them In school. year OF
two after they arc ready FOR that WORK
Dr. Goddard maintains that three great
facts interfere with adequate care OF such
pupils-lnability Of the grade teacher 10
know a. defective when she sees one
bride of the teacher and principal leading
70 conceaIment OF such children and the
fact that mental faint often IS compi-
Gated with physical defect. lie ADDS;
I'VE have found in the classes I'M
beetles, and also a large numper ot
morons defective children OF the mental
e. Of a normal child Of from eight TO
twelve years.. Bookwork is largely
wasted unon these children. but teachers
and nrincipals try it because II is the
tradition Of the system, or because the
parents insist
DIR. Goddard reports that some delect-
i've children can be taught readihs anu
writing numbers TO such an extent tha'
they can make intelligent use OF tne'i
knowledge. while others merely perio''ii
"parrot work" through good memory, put
arc unable to understand what they are
doing In the first case. he says. they
should be kept in school, while IN the iat-
ter all time devoted 10 them Is wasted
IN the case Of mentally deficient chiidtch
nearly all the teachers and principals
agree that they are institutional cases
and do not belong in public schools
"I, is most unfortunate" he adds, "that
the one city institution for that purpose
should have such reputation that the
solution Of segregation is difficult ana
often impossible / am not expressing
an opinion as TO the character OF t"at
institution. but parents are opposed 10
sending their children to Randalfs ISL
and. They tell the most disquieung
stories OF the treatment that their chill
dren have received.
Two solutions have been proposed
permanent segregation and surgical ster-
iiiZaton. In the present condition OF SO
ciety neither Is applicable TO any consld-
cradle proportion OF these hfteen thou-
sand children. Their parents VIII not CON
sent. The great majority must live their
lives in the environment In which they
were born. a great majority OF them VIII
become parents and the problem Will in
crease for us until such time as we are
driven TO drastic measures
4 separate school Is DR.. GODDARD 5 snS
gestion for such children. with Letch-
worth Village as n training school Tor
their teachers and principals. BookWork
Is absolutely useless, he continues anu
instead OF their work being haif manual
il should be all manual and vocational
as studies of the type of mind possessed
bv these detectives show that they are
incapable of dealing with distractions,
and that everything is abstract with
them that does not concern those Things
that enter into their daily life and en-
pcrience."
DR.. Goddard insists the present teachers
i'm ungraded classes are inadequately
trained and az a rule have little under
standing Of manual work. In speaking or
the suggestion Of separate home schools
for defective children. he says:
"In addition 10 what II Will do for these
children and for society. We must not FOR
get the value OF the work 70 the children
in the normal grades. The regular classes
are relieved OF the burden OF these de-
fective children and the teachers are able
TO do vastly more effective work.
lie suggests the appointment or SUI
perintendent OF schools and classes for
detectives, the appointment OF four as
sistant inspectors of ungraded classes
and five or more psychologists and physl-
clans. to determine what children shall
be placed In these classes.
Dr. Goddard says that before his re-
port was prepared one hundred and
twenty-five classes were visited