Evening star., 1951-09-29

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| Welfare Unit Acts
In Accepting Critical
| Report of Survey
The National Training School
for Girls today had a new acting
superintendent, after the Board
|of Public Welfare acted swiftly
on a highly CRITICAL survey of the
institution for colored teen-aged
girls.
T Affected in the staff shakeur
were Mrs. Mary E. C.. Gregory
the superintendent. who was put
on annual leave, and Mrs. Vesta
Randall. the assistant superin-
tendent, who was moved up to be
acting superintendent.
The Welfare Board ordered the
changes yesterday, as it voted
unanimously to accept the report
of a special three-member COM
mlttee, which has been inyestigat-
ing the institution on Loughbort
road NV. since late June.
The committee coupled It's
critical findings with nearly .
dozen recommendations. AMONG
them was a recommendation thai
the administrative staff be re-
organized. that an early deter.
mlnation be made of the compe.
tence OF the staff and that the
basic philosophy of the staff be
changed from the top down.
Report Kept Confidential,
The report itself was not made
public. Welfare Director Gerard
M. Shea explained the Welfare
Board voted to keep it confidential
because 10 of the 28 pages dealt
with individual staff members by
name, and personnel matters are
considered confidential.
or Mrs. Gregory. the board
said:
The board is very regretful to
take this step. Mrs. Gregory is
a very fine person, and this is
no reflection on her as an indi-
Ividual. Mrs. Gregory has had nc
institutional training, and she was
placed in a situation for which
she had no training. Her stand
ing in the community is very
good"
AS Of yesterday. 81 girls were
housed in the institution. The
welfare budget for the next fisca1
year envisages increasing this
number to 80 girls. The boaro
commented that it wants to make
the National Training School inte
an industrial home school similar
to the one for white children anc
that it will carry out the commit.
tees recommendations as soon a,
practicable.
Finds Staff Insure.
The committee, according to ,
digest issued by the board, founs
that:
"The problem is in staff that il
not. .sure-footed or imaginative il
dealing with the adolescent."
The schools program has de.
teriorated into a struggle for Gus
tody Of the girls" by penal ant
outmoded methods.
The staff has been unable t,
keep, or is uninterested in doinl
so, the girls on their class ant
workroom assignments, with tn,
result that schedules are in slmos
continuous disruption.
There were 16 runaways durin,
July and, during the past year
more than half the girls aban
doned the school at one time o
another.
School Work Out of Gear.
The academic program is no
properly geared to meet individ
ual needs of the girls with tn
result that school is a bore TO
i girls in the proper grades for thei
ages and an embarrassment TO
girls put ahead of their grades
i The energies of most of the stat
are devoted largely to custodial re
straint to the extent that tn
girls feel challenged to beat tn
1 system"
i In addition to calling for a re
organization of the staff. the com
mittee recommended:
4 The addition of two more cot
tage supervisors and an educa
tional psychologist and upgradin
of the positions of matron. cottag
supervisor and teacher.
i Complete reorganization Of tn
education program, broadening o
the social service program and ;
review of the recreational pro
gram to prevent behavior problem
by better use of leisure time.
Increased health services, in
Guiding the establishment of
dental clinic, more health educa
ton and a course in practica
nursing for girls showing specia
aptitude for it.
/ Giving the girls voice in plan
ming some of their own activities
The committee concurred wit
1.-THE welfare boards plans to trans
fer the girls to two other build
Iings on the Loughboro road res
ervation, so that tie more aggres
sive girls can be separated from
the others.
In acting on the report tn
welfare board also voted to Sc
up an advisory committee of fiv
qualified laymen to work with tn
board in further developing tn
school program.
The special committee included
D14 yxynlfS O y