Evening star., 1938-09-16
Latent Gifts
Of Children
Developed
No Provision Made
For Individual
Youngsters.
By ANGELO PATRI.

By ANGELO PATRl.
DOR some years now We have been
measuring the intelligence Of
children 50 that We might At the teach
Ing Of their needs and abilities. We
found what We had always found, in
practice, that we had some very bright
children, some very dull ones. and
some impossibly defective ones. The
great group could manage well enough
to get along, most Of them doing . bit
better than that.
1nasmuch as children are individual
in their tastes, abilities and tempera-
ments they need to be taught as indi-
viduas. We agree, all Of US. to that.
Some school systems even have courses
OF study to be applied to the individual
child's needs. But as far as can dis
cover, In no school that serves the
general public's children, is there pro-
vision made for the teacher to teach
the individual child. She has been
told she should, but she has been given
conditions that make any such teach
ing impossible. You cannot develop
the latent gifts of 40 to so individual
children in . school day in q formally
equipped classroom. And that Is about
the state Of individual instruction in
the United States of America today.
It Is worse than that. The teacher
has to teach classes. groups Of children.
Her work is usually judged by the
number Of pupils she is able to send
ahead at the end Of the term. She is
not going to be credited with the i'm
provement in any individuals attitude,
or power, or growth. She is measured
even in town where individual instruc-
ton is set as an ideal, in terms Of 4
class average. What happens?
Gradually the work of the classroom
slows down to the speed Of the slowest
group. The teacher cannot leave them
behind. She must drag them along
to keep up that average. She cannot
spend more time on one child than on
another when there are just 80 many
minutes to period and a supervisor
checking on the daily program at every
turn. The work levels down to the
slowest group Of normal children and
the detectives are relegated to the
rear and left there. There Is no other
way for the teacher.
Gifted children should have oppor-
tunities for development of their Rifts,
even If that means . special school
with special teachers. Defective chill
dren should be registered and sent to
special schools or classes where they
can get what training they can take.
These unfortunate children should be
listed by the authorities and q careful
protecting eye kept upon them as long
as they live. The reasons are obvious.
That leaves the teacher with the
great group Of healthy, normal chill
dren who will again divide themselves
into groups that are fast, slow and
very slow. Again the teacher Is faced
with the impossible If she is asked to
give them individual instruction. Yet
some way should be found to give
each Of these children the lift he needs.
for among them are the very best chill
dren in the Nation. School systems
throughout the country need to arrive
at the conviction that has long since
been fixed in the minds Of teachers.
School is an extension Of the life of
the community, and children should
live actively in school.
This means . fluid school, q fluid
program, wise leadership and conse-
Grated teachers. We have the teachers
and most Of the buildings we need. We
need equipment; We need educational
convictions and enlightened leaders.
Mr.. Patri will give personal at
tention 70 inquiries from parents
and school teachers On the care and
development q children. Write
him In care 4 this paper, inclosing
Scent stamped, self.aAdressed
snvoaspe fsr reply.
(eeos7igAts 1oesJ