Caring for the Mentally Defective: A Pathetic Movement: Special Local School Suggested: The work of caring for the mentally defective was brought prominently before the local public on Friday afternoon when a meeting was held at St. James’s Hall. There was a fair attendance, largely compound of ladies and all listened with much attention to the long but interesting address which was given by Mrs. Hume Pinsent of Birmingham, who was a member of the Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Mentally Defective which sat last year and issued a voluminous report on the matter. … … Mrs. Hume Pinsent to the audience, and that lady, in commencing her address, read a number of extracts from the report of the Royal Commission on the Mentally Defective. It stated that there were, in the country, 149,000 people who were mentally defective, which was one out of nearly every three hundred people. Out of this number 66,000 needed urgent provision, either in their own interest or in the interest of the community. What they wanted was unity of control and the continuity of the control. At the present time there was no authority for dealing with these people. They came into contact with many, but they were not under the control of any. The Royal Commission had advised special Schools for the mentally defective children, and it was said that at the present time there were 35,000 children in need of such education. There should be Special Schools and Special Teachers: If they adopted the proposal then they would find what it would lead to. Every child improved with care, and she had never known one to go wrong. Mrs. Pinsent then dealt at some length with the trouble that these defective people gave and detailed what a great amount of looking after they required. The adoption of the Royal Commission’s report would, she said, put an end to all the cases of neglect and cruelty: At their Homes at Earlswood the education lasted two years, and it was wonderful how they could be taught different things. They made mats and baskets and were quite proficient in their work. … (continues) …
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive
Referenced
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949