V. SPECIAL SCHOOLS. Institute for the Deaf and Dumb. "The Legislature of Ontario has made ample provision to meet the educational requirements of the deaf mutes of the Province. The institution for the deaf and dumb, situated at the city of Belleville, is open to all deaf mutes from seven to twenty-one years of age who are residents of Ontario, and who are not deficient in intellect and are free from contagious diseases. "The object in founding and maintaining this institute is to afford educational advantages to those who are, on account of deafness, either partial or total, unable to receive instruction in public schools. The period of instruction is seven years, with a vacation of nearly three months during the summer of each year. Parents or guardians who are able to pay are charged the sum of 50 dollars a year for board. There are no charges for tuition, books or medical attendance. Clothing must be furnished by parents or friends. "The course of instruction is both scholastic and industrial. In the former the work is analogous, so far as the capacity of the pupils will allow, to that of the elementary schools. The modes of instruction employed are the manual alphabet, signs, writing, and articulation or visible speech. "In the industrial department, the trades of printing, carpentering, and shoe-making are taught to boys, and girls are instructed in general domestic work, tailoring, dressmaking, sewing, knitting, the use of the sewing machine, and such ornamental and fancy work as may be desirable. "Since the institution was opened in 1870, no fewer than 908 children have received the benefits of the instruction given. Most of those who have attended have turned out well, and have become an intelligent, law-abiding class. In the organisation and management of the institute, advantage has been taken of the most improved methods of instruction recognised in America and in Europe for training the deaf and dumb.' Institution for the Blind. "The institution for the education of the blind was established in the city of Brantford in 1872. Like the institution for the deaf and dumb, it is intended to be supplementary to the public school system of the Province. Youths between the ages of seven and twenty-one are admitted who are not disqualified by disease or mental capacity, but whose sight is so defective or impaired as to prevent them from receiving education by the ordinary methods. No charges are made for tuition in the case of pupils admitted from Ontario. "Pupils are taught arithmetic, grammar, geography, reading, writing, and at a more advanced stage, English literature and history. Reading is taught by the use of embossed type traced by the fingers, and writing with the aid of a grooved card, which acts as a guide to the hand. The ordinary expedients in the 4226. F case of blind pupils are employed to give information in geography and natural history. Where the ability of the pupils justifies, very valuable instruction is given in vocal and instrumental music. Many graduates of the institution have shown marked proficiency with the pianoforte, organ, or violin.. A kindergarten class is now an important department of the institution. Considerable attention is given to industrial training. In a few sessions an intelligent youth may graduate as a competent workman and become able to earn a living for himself. Girls are instructed in sewing and knitting, including the use of sewing and knitting machines, and have in this way been trained to provide for themselves a comfortable living. gym "Attention is paid to physical training by instruction in nastic and calisthenic exercises. The health of the pupils is carefully looked after, and satisfactory provision is made for religious instruction by devotional exercises morning and evening, and by attendance at the churches of their respective denominations every Sunday. The pupils have access to a good library of embossed books which are increased in numbers from year to year." VI. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. According to the provisions of 'The Industrial Schools Act' of Ontario, Boards of Trustees in any city or town may establish schools in which industrial training is provided, and in which children are lodged, clothed, and fed, as well as taught. A Board of Trustees may delegate these powers, rights, and privileges to a benevolent or philanthropic society, but in such a case the chairman and secretary of the board and the school inspector become members of the board of management. "The trustees provide the teachers necessary for the industrial school, and the general superintendent of the school must, when practicable, be selected from the teachers so appointed. Any person may bring before the police magistrate, or before some other competent authority, any child apparently under the age of fourteen years who comes within the following descriptions : 1. Who is found begging or receiving alms, or being in any street or public place for the purpose of begging or receiving alms; 2. Who is found wandering, and not having any home or settled place of abode or proper guardianship or not having any lawful occupation or business or visible means of subsistence; 3. Who is found destitute, either being an orphan or having a surviving parent who is undergoing penal servitude or imprisonment; 4. Whose parent, step-parent or guardian represents to the judge or magistrate that he is unable to control the child, and that he desires the child to be sent to an industrial school under this Act; 5. Who by reason of the neglect, drunkenness, or other vices of the parents, is suffered to be growing up without salutary parental control and education, or in circumstances exposing him to lead an idle and dissolute life; 6. Who has been found guilty of petty crime, and who, in the opinion of the judge or magistrate before whom he has been convicted, should be sent to an industrial school instead of a gaol or reformatory. 66 The judge or magistrate, if satisfied on enquiry that it is expedient to deal with the child under the Act, may order him to be sent to a certified industrial school for a period not extending beyond the time when the child will attain the age of sixteen years. The trustee board or society may admit into its industrial school all children apparently under the age of fourteen years who are committed by judge or magistrate: and it has power to place such children at such employments and cause them to be instructed in such branches of useful knowledge as are suited to their years and capacity. "The Act provides for having, as far as practicable, Roman Catholic children sent to Roman Catholic industrial schools, and other children to other industrial schools. A minister of the religious persuasion to which the child appears to belong may visit the child at the schools on such days and at such times as may be fixed by the regulations of the Education Department. "The Minister of Education may at any time order any child to be discharged under certain conditions from an industrial school. "The school corporation or society may make rules for the management and discipline of the industrial school, but such rules must be consistent with the Act, and must be approved by the Education Department before being enforced. In case a child sent to an industrial school has not resided in the city or town in which the said school is situated, or to which it is attached, for a period of one year, but has resided for that period in some other county, city, or town, the school board or society may recover from the corporation of such county, city, or town the expense of maintaining the child. "An Industrial School was established a few years ago at Mimico, a short distance from Toronto. The total expenditure was about 100,000 dollars, which was partly raised by subscription and partly met by the Legislature and city corporation. The buildings consist of one large and three smaller "cottages,' besides workshops, and a large new building will soon be ready for occupation. There is a farm of fifty acres attached, and by working upon this as well as in the workshops, the boys are trained to industrious habits. About 200 children are in attendance. The cost is about 2 dollars a week for each, and the Legislature make a grant of 3,500 dollars to the institution." 4226. F 2 PART II-THE SYSTEM IN 1899; EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION I. PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THEIR CERTIFICATES. a. Number of Public School Teachers' Certificates, 1899. b. Remarks on the Supply of Qualified Teachers. It is to be hoped that the establishment of a third Normal School will be followed by the appointment of a larger number of second-class teachers in our Public Schools than heretofore. It is unfortunate that Boards of Trustees do not yet fully realise the advantage of having in our schools teachers of high qualifications. Too often there is a disposition in some places to secure the so-called cheap teacher, regardless of the important interests involved. Teachers of character and ability cannot be expected to remain in the profession unless their services are better remunerated. Young men and young women of energy cannot be blamed should they withdraw from a profession in which they find high scholarship and valuable experience are not properly appreciated. It may be doubted if a higher standard is exacted in other countries for teachers' certificates. In Ontario the standard has been very much advanced from what it was a dozen years ago. With the abolition of the Primary examination, a student who desires to become a teacher will ordinarily attend a High School three years, and with a year's professional training subsequently exacted, it will be readily conceded that the expense involved in entering the profession is considerable. |