The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-23
w. C. Hutchinson, Blind Teach
er, Tells of Advantages.
Save State Money and Prevent
Pupils Running Eyes.
MISS GRAHAM SPEAKS HERE
Kansas AuthOr.Teacher Con-
demns School System.
Bright Students Retarded and
Dull Ones Pushed On.

Y
|
| There is possibility that children
of the public schools of Kansas who
are afflicted with poor eyesight may
be withdrawn from the regular
schools of the state and placed in spe-
cial schools for the blind. This move
would not only include the few totally
| blind students for the state but would
take in hundreds who are handicapped
| by poor eyes. The children who are
| handicapped in their work by poor or
defective eyesight and those who are
| in danger of losing their eyes thru
| overwork forced upon them by the
teachers. who attempt to make them
keep up with the normal children
would also be included in this class
lthat may be asked to attend special
school for the blind and for children
| of poor eyesight.
| Defective eyesight among the Kan
sas school children is one of the most
costly conditions for which the Kan
sas taxpayer is assessed, says w. c.
| Hutchinson, of the State School for
the Blind at Kansas City. who address
normal institute this morning.
| Children of the state who suffer
! from poor eyesight are a true drain
on the public purse, if they are
taught by the methods of the public
schools" he stated. while in remov-
| ing these children from the schools
and placing them in special courses.
the financial drain is lessened and the
| efficiency of the children themselves
| is increased"
| Teachers Favor Plan.
This was the plea advanced this
| morning by W. c. Hutchinson. who
is himself blind. to the teachers of the
conference. His plan for removing
afflicted children from the public
schools was received with great favor
| operation of the body will probably be
| promised before the close, of the in
stitute, according to several attend
| ants.
Mr.. Hutchinson was formerly prin-
| cipal of the Hutchinson high school
until last winter when he was stricken
blind as a result of an explosion in
| the chemistry department of the
| school in which he was inStructing 9.
class. He entered the school for the
blind and is at present touring the
state to secure the cooperation of
school officials in sending afflicted
children to the school for special in
struction.
Mediocrity is the watchword and
the motto of the present days schools
/ according to Effie Graham, Kansas
author and school teacher of Kansas,
who addressed the Shawnee county
professional normal institute now in
session at the manual training school
To retard the abnormal and to hurry
| the subnormal child has been the ain.
of the schools of Kansas as well
those of the country, according to her
| morning talk.
Average Child the Ideal.
1.-The present day school," Miss Ora
| ham asserted. "crushes the abnormal
spark of mentality early in the school
ing of a bright child. The average
child is the ideal and the ruler of the
school. Every student in an institu-
| ton is measured by the capability of
this fictitious average person AS a
result of the false standard of work
erected in and about these normal
pupils, genius and cleverness Is
checked and hampered.
1T is the dream of modern educa-
tors to overthrow this standard of av-
erage work and to supplant divisional
training for the normal sub-normal
and abnormal pupils of the Kansas
school. Each class will be divided
into the three classes and special
work will be offered to each division"
This was the plan suggested and adj
yocated this morning by Miss Ora
ham. She has declared open warfare
on the cut and dried methods of
| teaching and predicts a day of "pro
gressive schooling when special stu
dents will receive special training and
when mediocrity will be the enemy
of the school teacher.
Institute Is Popular.
The fourth day of the institute
proved more popular than any of the
previous classes. More than 225 per-
sons attended the lecture of the school
while more than $50 persons had en-
rolled for the complete course. Teach
| ers of the county attending the meet
ing have pronounced it one of the
most successful undertakings ever
staged by the county school authori-
ties
Glasses in elementary education
were conducted at the regular hours
by H B, Wilson, of the city schools
Agricultural work was continued dur
ing the morning under the direction of
c. r. Phipps, of Emporia> Miss
Amanda Weber continued her work in
the musical department of the insti-
tute. Food. conservation was carried
further sby the classes under Miss
Louise Caldwell. of Manhattan To-
night special Fairgrounds work in
Guiding work in story telling will be
staged the state house grounds by
Miss Lulu Mckee and Miss Clara
Johnson, both of Topeka.
L. T. Hussey, state fire marshal, will
lecture tonight on fire prevention and