STATISTICS OF SPEECH-TEACHING IN SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF IN THE UNITED STATES

FRANK W. BOOTH, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE THE TEACHING OF SPEECH TO THE DEAF, MOUNT AIRY, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Speech-teaching in America upon its present permanent basis dates back for its beginning to 1867, when the Chelmsford, Mass., school was started by Harriet B. Rogers. From that year and from that school the movement has grown rapidly, but it was not until seventeen years had passed, or until the year 1884, that statistics of speech-teaching were collected and given us. In that year, in response to a request of the first Convention of Articulation Teachers, meeting in New York, the American Annals of the Deaf incorporated a column in its annual statistical tables giving the number of pupils "taught speech" in the several schools in the country, which column has been retained in the annual tables published up to this time. In 1892, in response to a request of the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf, the Annals introduced still another column showing the number of pupils in the schools "taught wholly by the oral method." This column has also been retained up to the present time (with a change, however, in its title, made in 1896, so that it now reads: "taught wholly or chiefly by the oral method"). The footings of the Annals tables for the years 1884, 1892, 1893, and 1899 are shown in the following table, together with computed percentages based upon the footings. Returns as to pupils "taught wholly or chiefly by the auricular method" are also given in the table:

NUMBER OF PUPILS

STATISTICS OF SPEECH-TEACHING

IN SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF IN THE UNITED STATES

(Compiled from the American Annals of the Deaf)

Taught wholly or
chiefly by the

oral method

1 The words "or chiefly" were added to the designation of this column in 1896.

Taught wholly or
chiefly by the

auricular method

In the year 1886 the Annals added a column to its tables showing the number of articulation teachers employed in the schools for the deaf in America. For purpose of comparison, and to show percentages of increase in contrast, the footings of 1886 and 1899 are presented so far as they show the total number of pupils in the schools, the number taught speech, and the number of articulation teachers :

STATISTICS OF SPEECH-TEACHING IN SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF IN THE .UNITED STATES

(Compiled from the American Annals of the Deaf)

In thirteen years the figures thus show an increase of 23 per cent. in pupilage-a fair growth, keeping up probably with the normal increase in population of the country. This growth is accompanied, however, with the extraordinary increase in the same time of 151 per cent. in the number of pupils taught speech, and with the still more extraordinary increase of 318 per cent. in the number of articulation teachers. The inquiry may arise: Why the very much greater percentage of increase in the number of teachers teaching speech in comparison with the percentage of increase of pupils taught speech? The explanation is: There has taken place a great change, not only in the quantity of speech-work done, but also in its character, the old "half-hour" speech classes having largely given way to the "all-day" classes, thus requiring a much larger number of teachers to instruct the same or any given number of pupils.

As time goes on, changes in methods are inevitable; and in the case of a versatile people, such as is found in this country, a variety of methods prevailing and practiced is also inevitable. To meet these conditions, and to cover them statistically, an inquiry has within the past two years been instituted by Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, the lines of which follow and conform to the several varieties of methods actually in use in the various schools of the country at the present time. The inquiry in its several lines aims to show: (1) the number of pupils in the schools; (2) the number taught by speech and speech-reading, without being taught at all by the sign-language or manual alphabet; (3) the number taught by speech and speech-reading, together with a manual alphabet, without being taught at all by the sign-language; (4) the number taught

1 The figures for 1886 indicate the number of pupils in attendance during the year. The figures for 1899 indicate the number of pupils present on a specified day (November 10).

by speech and speech-reading, and also taught by the sign-language and manual alphabet; (5) the number taught speech and speech-reading as an accomplishment, but speech not used as a means of instruction. The returns covering the above lines of inquiry have been made up for the two years 1899 and 1900, and have been published by Dr. Bell in the For purpose of comparison the footings of Dr. Bell's tables of returns for the two years are presented in the table below:

Association Review.

STATISTICS OF SPEECH-TEACHING IN SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF IN THE UNITED STATES

An interesting series of tables recently published by Dr. J. C. Gordon, of the Illinois Institution, shows the amount and the character of the speech-teaching as practiced in the schools in the several geographical divisions of the country. The tables show that in the entire United States 43 per cent. of the deaf children in school are taught by oral methods exclusively, 18 per cent. by "mixed" or "combined" methods, and 30 per cent. by "sign" or "manual" methods exclusively; in the New England states 61 per cent. are taught by oral methods exclusively, 31 per cent. by "mixed" or "combined" methods, and 8 per cent. by "sign" or "manual" methods exclusively; in the middle states 61 per cent. are taught by oral methods exclusively, 27 per cent. by "mixed” or "combined" methods, and 12 per cent. by "sign" or "manual" methods exclusively; in the central and western states 41 per cent. are taught by oral methods exclusively, 17 per cent. by "mixed" or "combined" methods, and 42 per cent. by "sign" or "manual" methods exclusively; in the southern states 24 per cent. are taught by oral methods exclusively, 7 per cent. by "mixed" or "combined" methods, and 69 per cent. by "sign" or "manual" methods exclusively.

unclassified

THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE BLIND

JOHN E. SWEARINGEN, INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND, CEDAR SPRINGS, S. C..

[AN ABSTRACT]

Ours is an intellectual age. Thought now dominates the world of man almost as effectually as light and heat control the world of plant and animal life, and the nation, the class, or the individual that does not feel and recognize its power can never be anything more than "a hewer of wood and a drawer of water." The dominion of brain has superseded the dominion of brawn, and today he that possesses a ready and welltrained mind has within him a power that supplies or creates resources for the satisfaction of all his wants. Hence, the school and the college have become essential factors in our civilization, for in all countries the problem of life has largely been resolved into the problem of education. Even our marked industrial progress is directly attributable to this subtle intellectual force. A people's advancement is measured by its enlightenment, and the recognition of this fact has made education one of the most important functions of the modern state. Knowledge, therefore, is no longer the possession of the favored few, for its acquisition has been rendered compulsory by the exigencies of life, and in many communities by the additional force of strict legal enactments.

This tendency toward the widespread dissemination of truth is universal in its scope, not only embracing every nationality, but also including every class and almost every individual. The spirit that has organized our common-school system has not neglected those who by reason of physical infirmity are shut out from its advantages. The blind youth of the country are being trained in forty-two special schools, where the appliances and methods of instruction are better adapted to their peculiar needs; and in them these pupils are learning that life is not all shadow, even tho the eye perceives nothing of the wonderful effects of light and color, nothing of the beauty and grace of form and movement, nothing of the grandeur and sublimity of the works of man and nature. These two-score institutions have done, and are still doing, much to encourage and uplift the blind, and the practical philanthropy that established them brought a greater blessing than vision to the hundreds that have learned in them the joys of knowledge, the beauty of truth, the power of thought, the love of independence, the dignity of labor, and the obligation of work.

Higher education is becoming more and more a necessity for all classes, in consequence of the continually increasing demand that competition is making on skill and training. The specialist now controls. every department of industry, and whether the workman toils in the shop, the laboratory, or the library, he must bring to his task all the power and

efficiency of which he is capable before he can make sure of success. This tendency affects the blind most vitally, since it requires that thoroness, accuracy, and mastery of details which are gained only after months and years of unwearied application. The man that lacks these traits cannot perform excellent work of any kind, and this is essentially true of the realm of thought, where the blind find their greatest opportunities to win their greatest triumphs.

Possibly the greatest obstacle in the way of higher education of the blind lies in their own diffidence, irresolution, and lack of energy. When the available text-books in embossed type were much fewer than at present, the more ambitious and determined spirits mastered the curriculum of some of our best colleges, and these students uniformly assert that they were not specially handicapped or overworked. Now that many text-books may be had, the blind youth that wishes a degree has only to make a considerable outlay in these to bring under his fingers geometric and trigonometric diagrams, the classics of different languages, and scientific laws and formulæ. The supply of such books is inadequate, but this deficiency can be made up by studying with classmates. If the blind student brings to this joint work alertness, discrimination, interest, power of analysis, appreciation, and the desire to give as well as to receive assistance, his lack of sight will be a help rather than a hindrance. It will enable him to work with several instead of one pair of eyes, to view each subject from the standpoint of others as well as from his own, to perceive aspects and relations that would have escaped his attention, to learn the sympathy that worth always gives to merit, and with all this to know the deep pleasures afforded by the friendship of those whose aims and ideals are the products and acme of all that springs from "knowledge, virtue, refinement, and religion." The blind boy or girl that has this spirit needs nothing besides except the preparation that is demanded of all, and if this is assured, his high resolve must certainly bear him to

success.

But this is the end rather than the beginning of a college course. Men who have never been forced to do without eyes measure those who have by an altogether false standard. They seem to forget that, tho sight may be one of our most valuable possessions, it is still only a means of conveying impressions to the mind. Professors and students alike are too ready to discredit the ability of the blind, and to discourage their efforts the moment they present themselves for entrance examination. This spirit of questioning and discouragement is by no means stimulating to the blind; but it must be met and conquered before their higher education can be realized. When once met it becomes equally as strong a help in attaining this end in each individual case.

If this be the attitude of scholarship, observation, and experience, it is hardly to be expected that untutored classmates are more credulous.