The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1948-04-22
Hope For Feeble Minded
Expressed In Speech
By Child Authority
Speaker From Ole Miss
Addresses Teachers
At Wednesday Meeting

Addressing l25 teachers at the re-
gular Holmes County Teachers meet
ing held in the Grammar School
auditorium, DR.. Bernardine Schmidt,
associate professor of education at
the University of Mississippi, and
nationally known authority on men
tally deficient children, Wednesday
related her experiences in teaching
and working with group of re
tarded" children who, after 8
years guidance, advanced from a
state of -mindedness in which
many could not walk, talk, or make
themselves understood, to level in
which they could enjoy and make a
"real contribution to living"
los Raised 40 Points
DR.. Schmidt, in relating her ex-
periences, bore out her belief that
there is definite hope for correcting
the low 10 levels in children. Among
the 254 twelve to 14-aged children
with whom she worked in Chicago
several years ago, were those with
los as low as 81. The average 10
was ST. she told. At the end of the
training period the average in
crease in the Intelligence Quotient
was 40 points, resulting in SO per
cent of the children who had enter
ed the school becoming normal.
Methods used in establishing NOR
malcy" among the children, accord
ing to DR.. Schmidt, were the creation
of individual independence; the
ability to work in groups, contri-
butte to groups and get the most
out of group" and the ability to
contribute to society, working in
group, without remuneration other
than personal satisfaction over hav-
ing served. Such Social service is
rarely attained among so-called "nor-
NAL" persons, she said.
Unexpected Abilities Attained
Toward the creation of individual
independence the predetermined
children were first taught to travel
by streetcar or bus to school in
groups of others like them, with
out being accompanied by parents,
and to learn to make use of social in
situations, such as Libraries where
information could be asked, service
bureaus, stores. and agencies which
would in daily way help them to
learn first, personal independence.
DR.. Schmidt brought out that some
of the children had reached pinnacles
of artistic creativeness, unexpected
ly illuminating dark and trying days
when even the teacher was dis
couraged.
The major success, however, the
speaker made clear, was that the
majority of the children had made
themselves independent, or capable
of independence, not only physically
and mentally, but financially. They
were earning salaries of from "a to
81 dollars week.
Stars Belong to Predetermined. Too
She stressed the idea that in
stead of throwing human lives on
the scrap piles" because of lack of
faith in the ability to correct the
feeble-minded, teachers and parents
should convince the child that he is
all right" by removing the bar
rirers and teaching the necessary
skills." She said that recognition of
the child's need for creative work
must be made, and that often the
parent is helpless because in trying
too hard" he defeats his own pur-
pose. The stars belong to everyone,
even to the predetermined child, the
speaker pointed out.
w. r. Huddleston, superintendent
of Tchula High school was in charge
of preliminaries.