Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-04
DR.. GLADYS lpE
On the Special School Problem

On the Special School Problem
ttTHE PLACE of the special school in
L the public school system is much
larger than would appear on the surface
according to DR.. Gladys Ide, director of the
newly organized department Of special
schools of Philadelphia.
"Just as the function, of the medical ex-
aminer and adviser has come to be regarded
as of first Importance in the public schools,
said Doctor Ide, $50 will the position OF
the psychologist be as firmly established In
time, hope.
ut is my hope ultimately to establish a
system of psychological examinations of all
pupils entering the public schools, so that
it may be possible to classify them properly
As it now stands there are many pupils
entering the public schools who, careful
examination would show, are in need OF
special training.
"By special training I do not mean to
infer that all pupils so trained are backward
or below par There are some who are
entitled to be classed as special pupils ny
virtue of the fact that they are much
AZ n matter Of record the school code has
proyided a special school for bright pupils
In the state but the money has never been
available with which to put 1t into opera
ton.
There are many classes Of pupils to be
considered. There is the feeble minded
rmpil, the incorrigible or disciplinary pupil
the backward one, the one who Is lnordl-
uately bashful or difident. the one hana'
capped by lack of knowledge OF Ehgllsn, :,
whether he be of foreign parentage or a
native: the crippled child, whose mind Is
nerfectiv normal and whose locomotion only
l. affected and the one whose mental proc
eSses are weakened by physical defects.
Pupils Are Not Equal
"Tbe purpose of public education is to
moLo schooling eauaLto all But all educa :
tion is not equal. T Some children have q
natural heritage. which places them beyond
others at the start. while otheIs are eorro
snondingly held back by bad start.
..The result il that some pupils have
those oxtra qualities that enable them to- e.
aboad-initiative. energy, gameness; while
otbnrs lacking these same qualities, never
nrogress to any extent. That IL the reason
rrbT many can never raise themselves after.
ward above the line OF poverty OF the leV"i
Of mediocrity, while others seem W poun'
over ali obstacles with comparative ease
..rho closest analogy / can use for this
..o+or,ent il the race horse. Two horses
~ ali outward appearances, may look to b'
oonolly fast. have the same attractive itpes
The same impressive form. and yet when II
| comes to a grueling finish the one taiters
and falls behind, while the other pGts tort'
hiS rival Perhaps an even more happ'
iW,strotion may be furnished by the sigh
nnce saw of two horses drawing \lader
nrooons. trying to make a slippery crossing
| " the winter time. The conditions wer,
ahont equal for both horses and both, tc
ali appearances. were equally capable o.
Making the effort. But, while one pulled
himself together and crossed, the other
couldn't start at all. 1t was just cleai
| test of gameness.
| 'It is just this extra quality that some
| .i,oes means the difference between success
and failure in after life and 1t Is one q
tbe noints that the special schools will try
| W .'Trhere are two other classes Of pupils
! .hot are extremely interesting and for WHOM
nonar proyision has never been made. On
| t. the genius child. the child who excel
| L. one or two branches Of study, who pro
aresses to an extraordinary degree in them
| nnbiIe falling utterly to do anything will
| bis other studies. All efforts to develOl
this child in other fields apparently fail aut
| tbe result is by the average system tn
cb;ld who might become a wonder in SOM
line of endeavor is discouraged and get
nowhere Provision should be made for tha
| child and an effort made to develop tn
special qualities which he has, as the rea
genius is hard to find and shoulG be en-
couraged.
"Another pupil often met with is tn
! 'Bolshevik' type. mean BY that q chill,