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165
LEFT HANDEDNESS IN SCHOOL CHILDREN.
During the year the Education Authority considered the
question of left-handed school children and the methods which
should be adopted in dealing with such children.
The question had been considered during 1934 by the London
County Council, and the following is the summary of a report on
the subject by the School Medical Officer, London County Council.
The existence of a number of children who appear to be naturally
left-handed and the effects upon them of attempts to correct what appears
to be a disadvantage in a world consisting mainly of right-handed persons
have always been of great interest to school hygienists.
The question has become rather prominent during the last three or
four years owing to the struggle for work which has resulted from widespread
unemployment.
There has, in consequence, been a general demand on the part of the
teachers in London for guidance on the subject. Mr. G. E. Wear of the
Ministry of Labour addressed, at the Council's request, a special enquiry
to juvenile advisory committees on the question and a summary of
the results follows :—
General Post Office.—In the case of candidates for appointment
as telephonist or girl probationers, no applications are considered from
those who cannot write easily and legibly with the right hand.
Clerical.—Left-handedness was reported generally to be a bar by
employers engaging staff where handwriting is essential; left-handed
juveniles are stated to be poor and slow. From one area it is reported
that employers will not consider left-handed juveniles where book-keeping
and ledger-work is involved. It is also understood that the banks definitely
will not engage left-handed persons.
Engineering.—It was reported generally to be a definite bar where
juveniles are required to operate machines and to work in a " team."
Needle Trades.—It was reported generally a bar. It would appear
to be chiefly due to the fact that left-handed and right-handed girls cannot
work together. It is reported from one area that the largest employer of
machinists states that his best workers are left-handed, but the difficulty
is in the training; the girls take much longer to learn and require more
patience in teaching.
Other trades where left-handedness is reported to be a bar are cabinetmaking,
piano-making, sports goods, bookbinding and hairdressing.
The consultative committee of head mistresses of girls' schools drew
attention to advice which had in certain cases been given to head teachers
regarding the method which it was considered desirable to adopt in dealing
with left-handedness in children, and asking that similar information
should be conveyed to ail bead teachers. The request was referred to the
chief inspector, who appointed a committee of inspectors to inquire into