Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-14
Will
GAIN EDUCATION
NLOCAL SCHOOL
Miss Gertrude Mason Arrives
This Morning to Teach the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind
TWENTY chill LDREN FOUND
WORTHY OF ADMISSION
instruction Department Plans
to Commence the New
Work Immediately

With the arrival in Honolulu this
morning Of Miss Gertrude Mason. an
experienced teacher who for the past
few years has been engaged in the
instruction of deaf, dumb and blind
children in California, the plans of the
department of public instruction for a
Ieeal school for detectives are COM
plete. AS soon as the children in
Honolulu who have been found worthy
of admission to such an institution are
brought together, actual work will be
eommenced. -,
The board of public instruction has
secured class room in a building in
the rear of the Kaiulani school, Ka-
l;hi. which will accommodate at least
80 pupils. In company with SuDt. T.
H. Gibson, Miss Meson visited the
FS,Iilding : - @~r7:nf .,Sunced it
satisfactory and Made arrangements
for the equipment which will be nee
essary to carry on the work. Accord
ing to statistics which have been COM
piled in the office of the department,
there now are 20 children in Honolulu
who will be admitted to this new insti-
tuition. The school will be one for
the instruction of the deaf, dumb and
blind, and not an institution for the
feeble-minded. -
Prior to Miss Mason's arrival, she
submitted to the local department sew
eral samples of work done by defec-
tives under her tuition in California.
These samples show excellent pro-
gress throushoJlt and Miss Mason's
training, together with the recommen-
dations which she brings, without a
doubt will make the local school a
marked success, as well as a new de-
parture in local educational work =
In the beginning, the work among
the children largely will be along vo-
cational lines. This will include weav-
ing, basket making and other indus
tries. The school is based on the
principle that the community owes
something to- these children in the
way Of some form of education which
the ordinary public schools can not
provide. In the end it will mean that
the defective children of the territory
will not grow up to become public
charges.
The idea of a local school for de-
fectives was launched at a meeting in
1913 of the board of public school
commissioners. at which time Mrs.
Theodore Richards, commissioner
from Oahu, read a report saying that
a blind boy, native of the city, had
asked her to call the attention of the
board to his case. The boy suggested
that he be sent to an institution in
California where he might receive
proper training. 1t was found, how
ever. that there was no appropriation
for such project, but the superin-
tendent stated that a school for the
deaf, dumb and blind might be started
in Honolulu should there be sufficient
detectives to warrant such an action.
The board endeavored to secure a
competent instructor and in the course
of that undertaking suffered many
from teachers who
promised to take the position but who
never put in an appearance Miss
Mason was recommended to the de-
Dartment and her appointment sane
toned by the present board. AS there
is no sDecial appropriation for a
school Of this kind, Miss Mason will
act in the capacity of teacher.