View report page

152
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1911.
very tentatively accepted, it is a reversion to the undifferentiated work of the past, and even apparently
only holds for a restricted class of case. The value of the enquiry, however, does not depend on this
physiology or psychology, but on the determination of reliability in the tests. If his conclusion that one
set of tests is as good as another is confirmed as seems not improbable, for this is a matter of mathematics
and not of theoretical psychology, the slight deviations of procedure adopted by different medical
examiners become of relatively little importance. The author does not seem to have arrived at any
further conclusions as to the educability of the children from his tests than those derived from the
simpler work of the medical officers. His work deals with the work of many children, whereas the
medical officer's work for the purposes of certification under the Act deals only with the performance
of an individual child. The enquiry, however, is a good illustration of the advancing accuracy which
quantitative methods are bringing into the most elusive and incommensurable observations in school
work, and also illustrates the difficulty of doing such work under school conditions.
Easy
treatment
or oral
teaching
only in
elementary
schools.
In connection with the medical examination ot children sunering trom detective eyesight or hearing
it is sometimes found that there are children who are not sufficiently bad to be classed as " blind " or
"deaf," and many of them who will eventually attend myope or hard of hearing classes when provided,
are, for the present, required to remain in attendance at the ordinary elementary schools. For some time
past these children have been recommended for "easy treatment," for "oral teaching only," or "to
sit in the front row." and the following instructions have been issued in regard to such cases:—
Visual Defects.—Children recommended for " easy treatment"—These children usually
suffer from a defect of one eye only or they have defective vision in both eyes of a moderate
degree. With reasonable care school work should not cause strain of the eyes nor entail the risk of
exaggeration of their visual defect. These children should sit in the front row of the class, sit
upright and not be allowed to stoop over any literary work allowed them. Girls must do no
sewing, but may learn knitting, provided it be taught by touch and not by sight. Boys and
girls should be prohibited the use of books with small print or writing of any sort other than a
bold large-lettered hand. They should not join in exercises that involve the reading or writing of
masses of numerals or geometrical figures. They may read or write in large type preferably for
periods not exceeding 20 minutes without a break. They should not be allowed to stoop over
their work, and, if it be possible, the writing should be done free-arm fashion on a blackboard
or millboard set up on the desk.
So far as school arrangements allow they should attend all the object lessons, demonstrations
and oral lessons that are given in the school.
Drill, dancing, games of all kinds may be freely indulged in.
Home lessons of any sort should be prohibited.
Children recommended for "oral teaching only."—These children suffer from some serious
defect of vision such as gradually increasing short sight. When no place can be found for them
in a special school they are admitted to the elementary school with a view to their gaining the
educational advantage of school discipline and such general knowledge as can be given them in
the oral lessons of the classes.
The use of books, pens, paper, pencils and slates of any kind and for any purpose is to be
prohibited and the child should be reminded at intervals by the teacher in a friendly chat that
the prohibition is for his or her own benefit, and that they must do at home what they are trained
to do at school.
If the class arrangements permit they may be allowed to write or draw on the blackboard
in large characters free-arm fashion.
If a girl shows aptitude for handwork she may learn knitting by touch, but not by sight.
Similarly, a boy may do the larger kinds of carpentry, but he must not use the rule or draw
measured plans.
For the most part these children may drill and dance, but they should be warned against
using gymnastic apparatus or dumb-bells, for example, in connection with the Children's Happy
Evenings Association. They should be cautious in the playground games.
Aural Defects.—Children recommended "to sit in the front row."—These children suffer
from slight deafness and it is essential that they should be allowed to sit in the front desks in the
class.
Other children who are recommended for admission to a hard of hearing class have to
remain in the ordinary school until places can be found for them in a special class. These children
must also sit in the front row.
Speech.
From time to time attention has been called to the need tor special educational treatment or
stammering, as from one to two per cent. of children present this defect. Girls show a proportion of
about a half per cent. throughout school ages, whilst boys increase from about a half per cent. in the
infant department to as high as three per cent. at twelve years of age and four per cent. among the
Standard VII. boys. Family predisposition towards nervous defects, and particularly stammering,
is the chief point noted about this functional error. The frequency of some shock or accident involving
nervous strain is also marked where history can be obtained.
Dr. Dick, who has been noting the varieties of speech defect, incidentally remarks on the number
of children who, after passing through the standards, at the age of fourteen, when ready to leave school
still express themselves in language so crudely formed and with such defective enunciation that they
are hardly able to make themselves understood. A question has frequently to be repeated several
times, and the listener must pay close attention to understand the child. He attributes this largely
tq want of home training, and says that frequently a child has two languages, the mother tongue and