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Opportunity Classes By Allison Hart Editor’s Note: Educational help for the handicapped child is now one of the Ontario Institutes’ special interests. In the .field of auxiliary classes or remedial education, an Inâ€" stitute woman, Mrs. D. H. (Allison) Hart is well known as one of the leaders in the province, and her branch Institute, Wood- stock North, did some important pioneer work as is reported here. Readers interested in remedial education for their schools might like to keep the article for reference against the time when the question comes up for dis- cussion with school boards and others in the community. heard over and over again,â€"and that was back in 1951 when a resolution was passed in our Branch, Woodstock North, ac- cepting the responsibility of contacting the local school boards to discuss the need to institute special education for the slow learn, ers in our rural schools Dr. C‘ E, Stothers, at that time Inspector of Auxiliary Training for the Province of Ontario, had visited us on the invitation of the convener of Citizenâ€" ship and Education. In his address, illustrated with audio-Visual records, Dr. Stothers gave a clear idea of the additional needs of many children in our society, and he pointed out that many of these needs can be effectively dealt with by specially trained teachers. In his great concern for the handicapped, the speaker opened our eyes and our hearts to the plight of these children and left us with a feeling of obligation toward them, Were there many such children in our own schools, we wondered. We were soon to learn that the answer was yes, for a survey of one school area in our district had indicated that at least thirty pupils would profit from the services of an auxiliary teacher. That the school board was interested in providing specâ€" ial training there was no doubt, but efforts in the matter had been greatly hampered by parents who feared the stigma attached to a child who was officially dubbed backward or retarded, and so no action was taken. Back in 1914 Women’s Institutes of Ontario had used their influence to have the Auxiliary Classes Act passed. The Act stated that school boards “may provide auxiliary training for those children who require it.” Now someone came forward with the suggestion that the Act be amended so that the word may would be replaced by must. Could we not force school boards to accept this obvious respon- sibility? Another and even colder suggestion was that children who were below normal were not very good prospects for the educa- tionalists anyway and why should We bother. a. UXILIARY TRAINING was the phrase we 4 Creating Public Opinion About this time the Association [m Re. tarded Children began its wonderful \NLH 1, the extremely handicapped both plrn- .- and mentally, and many people were ,31' to learn what love and kindliness cm for children even when intellectual was meagre. “When a child is retarded.‘ ,_ one speaker, “he does not cease to ha :11, the needs of other childrenâ€"needs for ‘ ._.[_. tion and security, for play and worsh. ,'.,r education and training. The retarded (. , ,q exceptional only in that he has add my needs.” There seemed little wisdom in try in force school boards to force parents to m an idea that was distasteful to themv :I-E must be a way to help the whole com. to accept the auxiliary or remedial n of children as a responsibility and h‘ .; Since Auxiliary Training had been i: r- tice in some parts of the Province sine H, some Women’s Institute members in study of the shorts made on behalf i. dren attending urban schools. It was rid that there had been opposition on the _' of some parents when the Auxiliary or tunity Classes were first introduced, bl is they were established, the advantage it? children was plain to be seen. Special a tion was able to provide for the bar at! child a better total life in exchange l he school hours spent away from play. '3: accepted as a good service. One interested group, including 4:1 Fremlin of the Farmer’s Advocate n trip to Guelph to meet Inspector MW; of Wellington County where an area o! board had pioneered to employ an it at remedial teacher for isolated rural ~ is When the group was introduced i 31: Hincks, the teacher (or Remedy Man he was affectionately known in the sch: he visited), they found a man willing to NS life, that children need not grow up be "failures" if they are understood and «ll trained according to their individual Bl ';es. The group was interested to see Mr. in at Work. to meet some of the teache~ :nm whose rooms he made his way two 0 ire? times each month, and to hear the Inst 0T} favourable appraisal of this experinir \ in educational methods. There was merr .ne." Were told, in visiting the retarded c" :3 ‘Ul hlS own school rather than removn: lllm from his social group into a special all 13” class, We are grateful to Vicki Fremlin 1 .“er excellent articles that have appeared tram HOME AND CDHNTRY