Evening star., 1949-09-28
Letters to The Star
Money for Training Atypical Children
Could BE Found II Searched For

A(llClS "
Money for Training Atypieal Children
Could BE Found If Searched For
To the Editor Of The Star: N
The case Of the Camden killer, Harold
Unruh.> should serve to call attention to
some Of the shocking conditions that exist
in the District public schools. Among other
facts brought out in the Strayer survey was
a report by the Department Of Education
Research, divisions one to nine. for the year
19A7-48. 1t stated that Of the % 101 children
enrolled in elementary schools, 1.025 were
in need of psychiatric help. These children
made up 3.6 per cent Of the elementary
school population. Only 26 came from class
rooms of atypical children. while the other
999 were enrolled in regular classes. The
survey committee found no efforts being
made to provide treatment. How many
Unruhs, or Heirens', or Earl McFarlands
will develop from this group?
The Strayer report says: These children,
If they are in school, are not improving as
days 60 on. If they are to be helped, the
emphasis should be on good analysis, di-
agnosis and therapy as soon as possible.
Money should be allotted for professional
consultants in the field of child adjustment.
These consultants should work hand
in hand with school administrators
to set up modern practical program in the
schools of our Capital. Again. reference
should be made to the need for a central
clinic or child adjustment center where the
mental. emotional, social and educational
needs OF all children can be studied as part
OF single pattern If some of these chill
dren could have better educational analysis
and after such analysis the school supplied
person whose duty 1t was to adjust the
school program for such children by plac-
ing them in the right groups or making it
possible to provide remedial instruction, they
would no longer be antiSocial. Such be-
havior is the emotional result of many school
failures"
So far there has been no notice that such
steps have been taken. The policy of as
signing inexperienced or unqualified teach
ers to classes for special students still per-
sists. The District schools make no pro-
vision Tor paying higher salaries to get
specially trained or qualified teachers for the
special classes they do have. At the present
time there are some 5000 students being
taught by nearly 100 instructors, with no one
In charge OF the program to plan and prop
erly coordinate it, The city of Baltimore
is years ahead of anything even contem-
plated in Washington.
Top Administrators 'Indifferent."
AS one who has been with the Washing
ton public schools, can attest to the total
gardlng special education In fact. the adj
mlnistration seems to move only when forced
10, as In the case of providing bus trans
portatlon to pupils rather than to have them
go part-tlme to schools. The Strayer report
comments unfavorably in number of in
stances regarding the lack of professional
leadership IN the District schools. On mage
olo IT says: 1T was evident in discussing
aeyplcai chlldren with principals and in
some cases with division directors that how
the situation was handled many times de-
pended on the personal likes or dislikes of
the individual concerned. Some adminis-
traitors stated that they were not interested
IN atyplcal children and housed them only
because they must. Others expressed a dis
IKE 1or special classes and admitted that
they would not refer children because it stig
matized them. Only when behavior had
become so bad that the child could no longer
De tolerated, and it was too late for him to
profit from education in the special class,
was anything done"
ms lack OF vision on the part of the
superintendent, and absence of comprehen-
sion OF the problem on the part of his staff
would be bad enough in any system, but is
certainly indefensible in the Capital of the
rlcnest and most powerful nation in the
Worlo-We who are endeavoring to show
the rest of the world how to do things.
Inc feeble excuse that usually is made
Is: we haven't the money" This is inter-
eStlng IN itself, since custodial costs in
washington are among the highest in the
Nation. However. it's not lack of funds
but lack of program which is the real
cause for the difficulty If the public can
be shown that by the expenditure of a few
hundred dollars on extra services now.
ooy may be made a self sufficient citizen
IL would be willing and anxious to pro-
vide the money. In these cases it is not a
question of whether or not extra money will
pe spent; 1t is only question of when and
for what.
Cost Of Neglect Very Heavy,
the money is not spent while the boy
Is IN scnool, then there may be 10 years
later a. 100000 man-hunt, a $4,000 trial
and $50,000 to keep him in prison the rest
OF his life. AS the yearbook of the Ameri-
can Association of School Administrators
pointed out in 1948 "The annual crime bill
OF some $1,000, 100000 originates with this
group and with those who have graduated
from 1t into the ranks of hardened crimi-
nails. This annual crime bill, which would
pay the entire cost of education several
tlmes over. constitutes burden to society
Just as definitely as do the unemployed and
Inose VINO are so handicapped physically
tnat tney must depend upon the Govern
ment for subsistence. Society. therefore.
cannot afford to neglect these individuals
upon the f1imsy claim Of no funds
Rather than befate parents, the police, the
courts or some one else, school officials in
washington should do some soul-searching
10 md out where they are falling down in
regard to dtscharging properly their respon-
sibilities to the children Of the community.
And If they can't do the job properly, it's
time the community did some searching to
f1nd some administrators who can. The
best Federal aid to education that the pres
ent Congress could give would be to help
make the Public Schools Of the District of
Columbia the model of efficiency and ef-
fectiveness they should be-. instead of the
sorry spectacle they are TEACHER.
Argues That Breach of Traditional Rule
Should Not Be Used Against judge Minton