436 KEPORT— 1894. 



Secondary education tends to accentuate tlie difficulties arising from 

 the classification of children solely according to mental status. In 

 elementary schools of higher grade, a boy entering Standard I. in the 

 upper school is unacceptable unless he can work well ; after a certain age, 

 the dull boy cannot conveniently be kept in the infant school ; he is too 

 big. He must then either be kept among the infants, for whom he is not 

 good company, or go among classmates with whom he cannot profitably 

 work. To meet such cases it often happens that there is a class of 

 Primers, but without any special arrangements for individual culture. 

 In such schools the brighter children are well educated : at fourteen they 

 get the prizes of the school and enter social life at an advantage ; the dull 

 children have not only been left comparatively uncultured, but by raising 

 a class distinctly superior to themselves, they find the struggle for existence 

 becoming intensified. 



In all public expenditure, sums of money spent in secondary education 

 should be accompanied by a proportional expenditure for tlie benefit of 

 the dull and weak children. This is equivalent to the enactment which 

 requires that schemes for the sanitary improvement of a neighbourhood, 

 while providing good new dwellings, should also make provision for the 

 poorer population displaced thereby. The child of good inheritance in 

 brain power receives free education, and in consequence makes the dull 

 child's life more difficult. The public interest I'equires that each child 

 shall be trained to get a living. 



Recommendations : — 



That a scientific statement of all observable conditions of child-life — 

 including elementary anthropometric examination — should be prepared by 

 observation of at least 100,000 children. 



That School Boards, in taking their triennial census of children in 

 their district, should register any mentally defective children, or children 

 otherwise afilicted. 



That teachers should be specially trained to undertake the educational 

 care of weak and mentally feeble children. 



That lectures sliould be provided on the observation, study, and 

 classification of children as to conditions bearing on mental life and 

 education. This might consist of an elementary course and of University 

 teaching. 



That the Act to make better Provision for the Elementary Education 

 of Blind and Deaf Children in England and Wales [56 and 57 Vict.], 

 chap. 42, should be extended to include children with mental and bodily 

 defects incapacitating them from ordinary school instruction. 



That in the appropriation of funds for secondary education a propor- 

 tional sum should be devoted to the special training of the dull and feeble. 



That the Government be recommended to consult a scientific expert 

 to assist the Education Department, the Local Government Board, and 

 the Home Office in carrying out the above recommendations, and to report 

 upon the whole subject generally as to the care of children whose education 

 is supervised by the Government. 



A form suggested for certification of a feeble-brained or defective 

 child as requiring exceptional training is appended. Another certificate 

 by a school teacher might be required if the child is attending school. 



The Committee desire to be reappointed as before, and ask a further 

 grant in aid of the work. 



