The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-01-27
THE HAsKIN LETTER
EDUCATING THE DEAF
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

The United States leads the en-
tire world In the work of educatin;
the deaf. Practically all OF the dear
people in the United States are self
supporting and their lives very close
ly resemble those of normal individ-
uals. A careful estimate places the
proportion OF self-supporting deaf
persons in this country at fully 95
per cent, and most Of the remaining
5 per cent are girls living in their
own home who have no need for
lself-support. A deaf beggar is ale
most Invariably a fake. The facili-
ties for aiding the deaf in this coun-
try are so well developed that few,
indeed, OF the present generation are
not well equipped for self-support.
One reason for this most salts
factory condition is the early rec
iognition Of the fact that the deaf
child had as good right to educa-
ton az hearing. child and was
therefore entitled to attend school
equipped to give him this instruc-
ton without being in any way a re-
cipient of charity. Even the residen-
tial schools for the deaf are classedI
as educational, rather than as char-
table institutions, and are main
tanned chiefly at public expense.
These schools deve.oped from the
apparent need of having the deaf
child continuously in an environment
tending to lessen his disability. The
objection to the child being board
ed by the state is met by the fact
that better economic results are OBJ
i-tained by grouping sufficient mum
| Der of children SO that all can re-
ceive the special instruction de-
handed, than would be possible ii
teachers were sent to instruct chill
dren individually or in small groups.
under conditions which do not help
the children outside of study hours.
The industrial or vocational work,
which is so great feature Of the
education of the deaf can better be
acquired where equipment is pro-
vided for a larger number of stu
dents that would be possible for
a small group.
Nine new schools for the deaf
were opened in the United States
last year. Two of these-the Ari-
iona school. which is part Of the
University Of Arizon, and the Austine
Institute of Brattleboro, Vermont.
are public residential schools provid-
| ing for free education for the deaf
children of the states and support
ed by public funds. All but four
of the states in the union are now
supplied with these residential
schools The four states unsupplied,
Delaware, New Hampshire. Nevada
and Wyomimng do not ignore their
duty to their deaf children. but ar
range for their education in other
states.
Nearly 10000 pupils are now be-
ing educated in the ga residential
public schools for the deaf in this
country. The constitute SO per cent
dren in the country. The number
OF day schools for the deaf is larger
than that of the residential schools,
but their pupils number less than
1900, or IS per cent of the whole,
indicating that the trend of public
opinion is toward the residential
schools. The day schools are most
successful in large cities where the
number Of deaf children is sufficient
to warrant the providing OF num-
her of specially qualified teachers.
They permit the child 10 reside in
his own home in an environment OF
hearing persons, which may or may
not be help to him, according to
the qualifications Of his family.
| Not all of the states have vet
passed compulsory education laws
| for deaf children. although these
lshould have greater provision made
for them than hearing children. The
Legislature of Indiana passed what Is
Regarded as a model law Of this kind
at It last session. 1t extends the
compulsory period Of education for
deaf children to 10 years, from the
lage Of Z to 10 years and designates
the state school for the deaf as the
place OF instruction. Any person or
parent having deaf child in charge
who shall refuse to send him to
school or permit his employment be-
tween the ages of and 1S years OF
1age without certificate Of discharge
shall be guilty OF misdemeanor and
liable to fine. Provision is made
\ for the travelling expenses of deaf
children to the state school and Sc
we're penalties are imposed upon at
tendance officers who neglect their
duty towards them.
| Much difference of opinion has
prevailed regarding the best meth
DDS of instructing the deaf. but these
have now become practically har-
monized The manual system and
sign language were first used. 1t
was then discovered that the term
deaf and dumb" which had been
applied to those without hearing
was misnomer. as deaf persons are
as likely to have normal vocal or
l gans as hearing person. wide
spread agitation in favor Of teach
ling the deaf to speak brought about
an oral method OF instruction in
which deaf CHILDREN were taught as
nearly as possible by the same meth
DDS as hearing children. lip reading
being substituted for the sound OF
the voice. For time the oral