ir IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fc ^% .^.^ j.V *!»,' /■ 1.0 LI 1.25 " lis IIM 2.2 mm 1.4 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y 14SS0 (716) 872-4303 ■^ 'IT" \ The length of tbls paper renders It advisable to omit the greater portion of my historical remarks concerning the early schools of the country. I do this the more readily because all the material Is accessible In printed form in the great work published by the Voita Bureau (Washington, D.O., 1893), entitled "Histories of American Schools for the Deaf," Issued under the able editorship of Dr. Edward Allen Fay, Vice-President of the Columbia Institu- tion for the Deaf and Dumb, and editor of the " American Annals of the Deaf." A. Q. B. ^:m^mMSim/- F^ • ORAL METHOD OF well introncluMl upon An.«ri,,an soil, a.ul which .-onsidered the advent of the oral method as a hostile act. What has i»,cn th« p.-.-gross of this method since ? Statistics cotr.olle.l fromlu.^Amo,ic.m Annals of ,he Deaf" yiel.i the followiniZ: s : here OD Tue.dny, the l«h of May iicxl " elo Th„ mnl .Ih i ? , ** "'*'"' '" ""''' »Dd New York Cltv wore not nv. 1h . ^ ■""""' "=»"'<"• """•tlngln Northampton, M«.... .Dd other, ehould bo ,„v Ited " JuhoLt, .". ."^ "' "" "'""'""""" convention, te,oher. labor." (.. AliAmXllTT^lJ'' '" '*•" -"""■ - '^"«- '""y -y «.. ,n their i ,..*air lidered the advent >tatistic8 cotTipiled llowitijur roHii.s: Inolpnli of Ainorlcnn tvd loiornHt maulfuAtud limb, takiiiK In certain ully prnotU«d In thia rbc Columbia loatltii. in conferenoeof (hone urea and melhoda will • • VVo have there. I UnitPd Btatea to meet Northampton, Mn»., leHtlDRihiit followed; conveotloDa tenohora they may uae In their rNSTRUCTTNfi TIIK DKAF. I. HTATUTICt; or THK NKW ENUI.ANI) NTATRH. f Datb. 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1878 1874 187/5 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1888 . 1884 . 18b6 . 1886 . 1887 . 1888 . 1889 . 1890 . 1891 . 1892*. 1893 •. Ndhmr or Popiu. Tofi pupil,. ^J;„",5j;;,„ 804 320 370 387 409 418 411 487 442 471 466 488 476 479 484 498 S20 612 500 608 601 631 629 664 504 624 3 cfi 843 348 366 406 418 460 460 606 447 461 Taught wholly by the Oral Method. PiHomiTASi or PuriLi. 88 41 76 96 119 188 147 168 162 199 204 228 248 246 260 269 289 287 293 304 322 339 342 366 334 361 Taught Articulation. Tauiiht wholly by the Oral Method. 12.4 13.8 20.6 24.6 29.1 33.0 86.8 38.4 86.7 42.8 43.8 47.2 51.1 61.4 68.7. 64.0 66.0 66.6 68 i) 66.1 78.2 58.6 79.7 83.4 84.7 86.9 89.7 88.7 87.6 ■Flgnrea refer to number of pnplli preient November Ifi. 69.8 64.8 63.8 64.8 64.7 66.3 67.0 r^' T' 8 ORAL METHOD OF In 1868, the year preceding the opening of the Horace Maun School, the total number of deaf pupils in the New England States was 304. Of these, 38, or a little more than 12 per cent., were found in c-al schools. Since then the percentage has continuously increased until, on Nov. 16, 1893, out of a total of 524 pupils, 3iil, or 6? per cent., v/ere found in exclusively oral schools. Thus, so far as the New England States are concerned, the verdict of time has been exceedingly favorable to the oral method. Starting from two independent centres in the East (Northampton, Ma!>s., 1867 ; New York city, 1867), tlie oral movemeat gradually spread to other parts of the United States ; but it is difficult to trace its progress in the counti^ as a whole, because the " Annals " has failed to give us special statistics upon the subject until quite recently. It so happens that in the sign or so-called "combined" schools of the New England States no pupils are taught wholly by the oral method, so that the gi'owth of the method in these States can be aacei'- tained by simply adding together the pupils in attendance at the oral schools. Outside of the New England States, however, the movement pro- gressed not simply by the establishment of rival schools in competi- tion with the older schools of the country, but by the actual invasion of the latter themselves. The oral method has penetrated into many of these schools, so that in the same school some pupils may be taught by the sign and others by the oral method. This is what is usually meant by the term " combined system," but the term is applied so vaguely that many of the schools which are classified in the ' ' Annals " as pursuing the " combined system" do not employ the oral method at all with any of their pupils. The indeiinitcness of the classification has thus rendered it extremely difficult to ascertain from the published figures the extent to which the oral methci is employed in American schools for the deaf. In 1892 the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf directed attention to the lack of statistics concerning the matter, and requested the " Annals" Uj publish annually the number of pupils " taught wholly by oral methods, and the number taught in part by oral methods." ' In response to this request the " Annals " has since given us the number taught -wholly" by oral methods;' but we are still in ignorance of the full extent to which the method is employed in American schools for the deaf. > " Proceedingg o^ Second Annual Ueeting, 1892," p. 139. • See " Annali " for 1898, Vol. XXXVIU., pp. 62 to 63; alio p. 812. j::-.-: 4 ■■d\^ Horace Maun School, rland States was 304. were found in cul 'usly increased until, or 67 per cent., v/ere cerned, the verdict of ithod. East (Northampton, eut gradually spread to trace its progress has failed to give us ntly. nibined" schools of vholly by the oral States call be ascer- sndance at the oral the movement pro- choois in competi- the actual invasion trated into many of may be taught by It is usually meant pplied so vaguely anals" as pursuing lod at all with any ification has thus published figures American schools aching of Speech :s concerning the lly the number of •er taught in part en us the number in ignorance of Lmerican schools «i(0 p. 3U, PERCENTAOE GROWTH OF SPEKCn-TEACIIING IN AMEKICAN SCll 100% 000 C\J00.<;;f-i.Ovor-^00<:DC? — CXJOOOOOOOOOOOOCXDOOCXDOOOOCOCX 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% ^ /' 40% / ^ f""^ / ^ / 30% y y / / 20% / / 10% I / 1. Percentage of piipits in th« Xew England StcU 2. Percentage of pupils tii th'^ United States taugl S, Percentage of pupila la tlie New Kngland 8tat< 4. Percentage of pupila in the United Statea recel< wsm" PERCENTAOK CIIAUT. ING IN AMEKICAN SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF, GUAPHICALLY SHOWN. •-^— 1 — ^^oococxDoooooooooooooocr>o^cr»cr) OOOOOOOCOCXDOOOOCJOCXDOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOO ^ ."'' ■"—-. --- ,'■' '■ ^" r"^ / / / ! 3 _,^- / "^ "^ ^ y — " • 1 ^^ / •' ,/ ^ '^ • * / 1 ,."••• t:»-* ■ ■"••• ' '" 4 •■ / 7 r 3 ,.._. 1 80% 60^0 50% 40% 30% 20% —I I 0% )f piipi!= in the Xew England Stctea taught wholly by the oral method. >f pupils in th'j United States taught wholly by the oral method. )f pupila la ttie New l£ngland State* receiving inatructlon in articulation. >{ pupili In Hie IJnIted Statea receiving inatruction in artiouiatiou. *-* 1 t 1 INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. 9 The available statistics are as foKows : n. STATISTICS OP THB UNITBD STATES. NuMBKR or Fowls. PlROENTAOl OF POPIIB. Datb. Total PuplU. Tanght Artioulation. Taaght wholly by the Oral Method. Taught Articulation. Taught wholly by the Oral Method. iggi • 7,482 7,801 8,060 7,978 8,372 8,575 8,901 9,232 7,940 8,304 2,041 2,618 2,484 2,656 3,251 3,412 8,682 4,245 8,924 4,486 1 s 1 963 t 1,581 2,056 27.2 33.6 30.8 32.0 38.8 89.7 41.3 46.0 49.4 64.0 1886 1886 1887 laag 1889 ., 1890 1891 10.4, 1892 • 1893 * 19.9 24.7 • Figures -ofer to number of pupils present November 16. t Ascertained by Prot. Joseph C. Gordon. See Introduction to " Bdncatlon of Deaf ChlW dren," pnblUhed by the Volta Bureau. The indications are very clear that the oral method is a growing method in the United States. Of course we cannot tell certainly what the future may have in store, but this much is certain concerning the past: From the very first moment of its appearance in this country up to the present lime the oral method has steadily gained ground, the percentage of pupils taught by it has continuously increased. I submit, therefore, that Boston is fully justified in its adoption of that method in the Horace Mann School. Looking back upon the past, we may note that the oral method has advanced m spite of bitter opposition from the sign teachers of the countiy. The advocates of the oral method have been ridiculed, their motives aspersed, their successes belittled, and the r failures magnified ; and yet in spite of all this the percentage of pupils taught by the oral ■te 10 ORAL METHOD OF nietliod has continuously increnscd. What docs this mean P Is not this continuous atlvanco in spite of liittor opposition nn evidence of intrinsic superiority P Witiiout a ntruj^glo for existence, natural selection cannot operate to bring abcmt tlie survival of the fittest. A great State institu- tion having the whole field of a State to itself without opposition has no necec^^ary tendency to improve: the unfit may there survive. But where you find little oral schools springing into existence through private enterprise, in competition with long-established sign schools wielding all the power and patronage of a State, and a bitter straggle going on between tlieni, and then find as the result of the struggle that the oral schools survive, and the State institution introduces ort.l teaching, changing from the sign or manual niethod to what is called *' the combined system," do we not find here an evidence of superi- ority on the part of the oral niethod, compelling advance ? If the invasion of the sign institutions by the oral method continues in the future at anything liiie the rate it has done in the past, it is obvious that the Oral Method will ultimately become the prevailing method in the United States. The indications of twenty-seven years of progress point in that direction, but the ultimate verdict of time has yet to be given. If we could only wait for one hundred years! If we could cnly wait to celebrate tlie centennial of this school, we would then know certainly Avhat methods are best in the instruction of the deaf. Natural selection would have had time to do its work, and (juestions that perplex us to-day would then have received their final answer. We have a long time to wait before we can examine a century of progress of the oral method in this country ; but I would direct atten- tion to the fact that both the sign and oral methods have existed for more than a century in Europe. May we not then turn hopefully to Europe for light upon the subject? What has been the result of the struggle between these methods there? And if we find that the changes here correspond to the progress made in Europe at an earlier period of time, may we not infer that the present condition of aflFairs in Europe is typical of the future here? Now what are the facts so far as Europe is concerned ? The results of oral instruction in Germany early compelled universal recognition of the fact that many of the deaf could be taught to speak and understand speech by watching the mouths of others. This led the sign teachers to modify their method and combine speech-teach- ing with signs. Little by little the sign method pure gave place to a combined system in which, though the general education of the chil- dren was still conducted by the manual or sign-language method, speech was taught to some or all of the pupils. T as a stage was mam INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. 11 mean P Is not this klence of intrinsic al selection cannot great State institu- out opposition has lere survive. But existence through shed sign schools I a bitter straggle It of the strugjj-'e >n introduces ortl to what is called ^idence of superi- iceP method continues in the past, it is le the prevailing Jty-seven years of ct of time has yet ed years ! If we chool, we would nstruction of the lo its work, and reived their final ine a century of 'uld direct atten- have existed for urn hopefully to the result of the fe find that the )pe at an earlier nt condition of I? pelled universal taught to speak thers. This led ue speech-teach- gave place to a tion of the chil- iguage method, lis a stage was reached in which the question of speech-teaching no longer formed the bone of contention. All teachers agreed that all of the deaf who could be taught to speak should bo taught. But they differed upon the questions of signs. (This is exa. !ly the position that has been reached to-day by American teachers of the deaf.) Europe was divided into two opposing camps. On the one hand were the oralists, led by Germany, who urged that all of the deaf should be taught orally, without resort to the sign Language or conventional signs of any sort. On the other were the advocates of a combine' method, led by France, who insiHted that the sign language, as well as speech, should be employed in the instruction of tiie deaf. The advocates of these two opposing plans came to be known respectively as the "Purists" and "Non-purists." The "pure "oral- ists believed in discarding the sign language altogether; the "Non- purists" believed in a combined system in which both speech and signs should be employed. The question in point was finally settled at an International Conven- tion of Teachers of the Deaf which met in Milan, Italy, in September, 1880. This convention declared by an almost unanimous vote (160 ayes to 4 noes) that the oral method ought to be preferred to that of signs, and the pure oral method to the combined system. (See Appendix A.) The negative votes were cast by Mr. Richard Elliott, of England, and by three American delegates;' so that the vote was absolutely unanimous so far as continental Europe was concerned. The following table shows the extent to which the oral method was employed on the Continent at about this time. The figures have been compiled from statistics collected by the " Annals" in 1881 and 1882." _ The statistics include details concerning 280 schools upon the conti- nent of Europe, containing 16,569 pupils an-) 1,190 teachers. The vast majority of these schools (81 per cent.) were pure oral schools; a small minority (4 per cent.) were sign schools; and the remainder (15 per cent.) pursued a combined system. It is to be regi-etted that the " Annals " has not continued the publica- tion of similar statistics so as to enable us to trace statistically the changes brought about by the adoption of the Milan resolutions. 1 "The American represenUtlves were Dr. Peet and Ihe Rev. Dre. Btoddard aud Qal- laudet, ot New York, and Dr. Gallaudet and Mr. Denlson, of Washington." (" Annal.," 1880, Vol. XXV., p. 293.) > See " Annalg" lor 1883. Vol. XXVIII., p. 61. -i»' B?p!fli*#??p5^«ssi; 'la- ORAL METHOD OF III. STATIHTIOS OF CONTINENTAL EUKOPB (1881-1883). Method or In. NCMBIB OF PancENTAoa of •TROCTIllN. Schools. 205 10 88 Pupllt. Toaohrri. SohooU. Puplli. Tuachen. Oral Sign Combined . . 11,094 629 2,332 1,035 34 95 81% 4% 15% 80% 4% ic% 89% 8% 8% Total* 2S3 14,965 1,164 100% 100% 100% * Not Including 27 (cliooli (containing 614 puplla and 26 tenchera) In which the methods of Instruction pursued were not reported. Tho decision of the M'l'An Convention regarding methods of instnict- ing llie deaf has beer. aocejUed as final by all subsequent conventions of teachers that have mot upon the continent of Europe ; ' and most of the sign and combined Suliools of the Continent have since adopted the oral method. (See Appendix B.) The adoption of the oral method by France is especially significant. For a hundred years the sign and oral methods had been known re- spectively as the "French"' and " German" systems of instruction. For tho French to abandon their national method and adopt a system of German origin is of itself an acknowledgment of the intrinsic superi- ority of the oral method. The very school of the Abb6 de I'Ep^e, where the sign methoil originated, is now an oral school. It will thus be seen that natural sel'jction, operating upon the conti- nent of Europe for more than a century, has brought about the survival of the pure oral method and the almost total extinction of the French system of signs. The verdict of time is therefore conclusive as to the superiority of the oral over the sign method of instructing the deaf. A few years ago (January, 1886) a commission was appointed by the British crown to examine into the whole subject of the education of • Bordeaux Convention, 1881; Brussels Convention, 1883 (The Third International Con- vention) ; Christlunla Convention, July, 1884; Paris Convention, September, 1884; Berlin Convention, September, 1884; Paris Convention, Augnst, 1885; Vienna Convention, April, 1892; Naguld Convention, May, 1892; Genoa Convention, September, 1892. (See Proceed- ings of these conventions; ali^o " Notes and Observations upon the Education of the Deaf," by Prof. Joseph C. Gordon, published by the Volta Bureau, pp. xxxvl and zxxvit; also " American Annals of the Deaf," 1882, p. 129; 1884, p. 143; 1886, pp. 78, 175, 229; 1886, p. 77; 1893, pp. 86 to 91, and p. 243.) }). (Of Toaohen. 8% 100% ih the method* of instnict- iventions of most of the ted the oral significant. I known re- instruction. 1 system of fisic superi- lp6e, where 1 the conti- :he survival the French re as to the le deaf, nted by the ducation of matlonal Con- , 1R84; Berlin entlon, April, (See Proceed- I of the Deaf," i and zxxvll; 175,229; 1888, INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. w the deaf, and to report their recommendations to the British Parliament. This Royal Commission gave to the subject the most thorough and searching examination that the world has ever seen. Prof. Joseph C. Gordon, in his Introduction to " Education of Deaf Children " (published by the Volta Bureau), says : " This Commission endeavored to examine the whole field of deaf- mute instruction with characteristic British thoroughness and energy. Schools upon the Continent were visited, and in London the (.'ommis- sioners held one hundred and sixteen sittings, calling before them for examin.aion forty-three persons as experts speeiiiHv interested in the welfare of the deaf, and d smed < mble of giving information of great value upon the subjects of inquiry, ' The complete report of the Commission forms a great work of 1,674 pages, which was presented to th.) British Parliament in 1889. As a re- sult of their labors they recommended " that eveiy child who is deaf should have full opportunity of being educated on the pure oral system." (See Appendix C.) Shortly after the Milan Convention (September, 1880) the "Annals" (in 1881) collected statistics concerning the methods of instruction em- ployed in the schools for the deaf throughout the world. (See " Tabu- lar Statement of the Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb of the World," " \nnal8," 1882, Vol. XXVII., pp. 32-53.) Much of the material relat- ing to foreign schools had been obtained through the department of State and our diplomatic representatives abroad; and the published tables were then sent to the foreign schools themselves for verification and revision. The revised summary of results was published in the " Annals" for January, 1883, Vol. XXVIII., p. 61. (See Appendix D.) The statistics include details concerning 399 schools, containing 26,473 pupils and 2,029 teachers. From the published table it appears that at this time (1882) the majority of the schools of the world (66 per cent.) were pure oral schools; a small minority (9 per cent.) were sign schools ; and the remainder (25 per cent.) pursued a combined system. These are the latest available figures, as the " Annals " did not continue to publish similar statistics after January, 1883. The following table gives a synopsis of the results : m u ORAL METHOD OF IV. BTATISTICI or THB WORLD (1888). Method or NuMBin »r rKHCINTAOB OF INRTIIUUTION. Bcbooli, Puptli. Teachers. Bobooli. Puplli. Terohtra. Oral Sign Combined . . 289 32 91 18,246 1,642 10,606 1,182 180 664 60% 9% 26% 6^% 6% 42% 60% n 88% Total* 8G2 25,464 1,966 100% 100% 100% *Not lucltidlDK 37 HcbooU (contiilulDK 1,010 puplU and 63 touchers) lo which the methods of Instruction pursued were not reported. In considevatiiin of till those facts it is obvious tiiat Boston is fully justi- tiecl in pursuing the oral method in the IIoracuMann School. It is to- day the prevalent method in Europe and in the world at large; and though only a minority of our pupils are yet taught by it, it is a grow- ing method in the United States, and undoubtedly destined to much greater expansion in the near future. The diversity of methods at present existing in the United States is eminently favorable to improvements in the art of instructing the deaf. The " auricular" and "manual-alphabet" methods, like the "oral," seem to be growing methods in this country ; but they are of too recent origin for us to tell much about them ; and Mie statistics concerning their growth are too metvgre as yet to be made the basis of research. The mauuivl-alphabet method especially has made great progress of re- cent years. Personal observation convinces mo that manual spelling is rapidly displacing the French sign-language wherever oral teaching has not prevailed, but statistics are wanting by which to measure the change. All of thtfse methods (the oral, the auricular, and the manual- alphtibet methods) are progressing at the expense of the sign method, which, though still extensively employed in the United States, is every- where upon the wane. For the present, at least, the contest remains in America as it always has been in the past, — a struggle mainly between the sign and oral methods of instructing the deaf. In (iermany the controversies in which we are engaged are things of the past that have long been settled. For many years all the schools of Germany have been pure oral schools; the controversies there have Uken a new forni, — a form which touches the Horace Mann School. It *»..,V«^ '^^^^-^^'HimiMi: ■ or Te^oheri. 60% n 83% 100% b the method! I fully justi- . It is to- large; and is a grow- id tu much d States is y the deaf, he "oral," too recent concerning f reseivrch. jrc3s of re- spelling is il teaching easure the lie munnal- jn method, 3, is every- remains in ly between INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. 1^ is a question as to the character of school — whether of the institutional or the day-school form. The institutions or boarding-schools of Oer- many have i)oen gradually changing, little by little. Into day-schools, .until now the majority are day-schools. (Sou Appendix E.) Most are exclusively day-schools (cxlcrnut), a minority are boarding-schools (»/j- temat), and a new class of school (intermU-extcrnnl) that has no exist- ence at all in our country, so far as I know, has grown up from the conflict between the externiU and the internal.^ The defendants of the day-school assert that the home relations of the children are unbroken, that the intluence of the parents in Instructing the children at homo is of enormous consequence, that the use of speech in communication with friends and relatives at homo Is a stimulus to speech ; while the advocates of the boarding-school think that the teachers can do bettor work if they have the pupils all the time under their control. In the mixed school (internal-exlernal), the pupils board in the school for the first two or three years of their school life, and then, as they grow up, and are al)le, to some extent, to communicate with hearing persons, they are boarded out in families, under the idea that practice in speaking with hearing persons is of advantage to them. The idea seems to be that as these children are to be fitted to live in a world of hearing people and communicate with them, as their education progresses and they become more ablo to com- municate with hearing people they should be thrown into communica- tion with hearing people more and more as time advances, and not simply be plunged into a hearing world at' the end of their school career, without any preparation in regard to what communication with hearing people means. I venture to predict that the same course that has gone on In Germany will go on here, and that the oral day-school for the deaf, which is to- day in the minority in America, will In the future represent the majority of our schools. All honor to the noble women who have been working so faithfully and so long in the interests of the deaf children of Boston. « In Germany y% » whole 51.8 per cent, are Jay-schools, 35 8 per cent, are boarding- •ohools, and 12.6 pur cent, are mixed schools. In I'russla 70 per cent, are day-schools, 13 per cent, boarding-schools, and 17 per cent, mixed. (Bee Appendix E, also report from Oermauy In Appendix 13.) ■^^\l e things of I schools of there have School. It ''•■=°^«'^TT'=BW»8Sa»ff''*'^' ^ -.-.^K*.-^4*i»>w&.is.Maai*.iiiga^j^^^^^^^^ "' It ORAL MKTIIUI) OF AITENDIX A. THE MILAN coNVKNTiOM (Hcpteiiibor, I8H0). 8<)nie mnnthi In advnnoi' of tliu iiR'ftinu, public notice wupi given of the qucRtion* and luhjicta that woiilil hn iligcuifcil by the Convention, in a letter of invitHtion nddrpfned to " The TencliiTH and Krlend* of tiie Denf and Dumb" in all part* of thr world. Thu following were two uf the topiun pro- pot«d I 1. Polntout the advantajfen of the method of artioiilation over (hat of ligna, and the reverse. ( Tliis should be eonnidered prineipiilly with a view to initruo- tlon, without neglecting that which concerns social life.) 2. Explain in what the pure oral method consiiits, showing the diiTcrcnce between this method and that called combined. ( 'Annals," April, 1880 Vol. XXV., p. 18(i.) ' ^he formal answer of the ("onvention to these questions was as follows i 1 . This Convention, considering the incontettable superiority of speech over •igns in restoring the deaf-mute lo society and in giving him a more perfect knowledge of iangunge, dedareH that the oral method ought to be preferred to that of signs for the education and instruction of the deaf and dumb. 2. This Convention, considering that the simultaneiius use of speech and •igns has the disadvantage of Injuring speech, lip-reading, and precision of Jdeaa, declares that the pure oral method ought to be preferred. (" Annals " 1881, Vol. XXVI., p. 64.) APPENDIX B. REPORTS FHOM AnROAD (189.'?-4) Presented to the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf, by the Hon. John Hifz, Superintendent of tlie Volta Bureau (see " Pro^ieedings of Fourth Summer Meeting," Chautauqua, N.Y., July, 1894). The following are quotations from some of these reports : Italy: " Tlie oral method generally prevails, the manual only in excep- tional instances in certain schools for the deaf. It is noticeable that instruc tors for the manual method are no longer being trained. " G. FiSRRKHI, •' V. Direttore del. R. Isiitnto Pendola pet Sordomuti, Siena." France : " Public instruction of the deaf was inaugurated in France by the Abb6 l'Ep6e in 1760, the sign language being used at first. Bebian sim- plified the methods employed, and Vainle-dabel modifled, perfected, and rendered more permanent the system of instruction. Up to 1879 the sign language, writing, and articulation were used in various ways in the instruc- tion of the deaf in France. ' ■I'li-Li ii ui I ;.,it. INSTRUCTING TIIK DKAK. 17 " Inipecitor-deneral CUveau introducel tlio onil nudhod Into tlio Nutionnl Inititute for Dciif-Mutcii in Honloaux, ami Into the Natiiinal School for Di-af- Mutoi In rurU; and, finally, altiir tlio conKroM lit-lil in Milan in IH80, moat of tliu Fruncli nci'.ioli atloptud thu puru oral muthoil, exclmlint; tho tlgn lanuuatfo altoKftlier. Since thun all now piipil«, enterinu icIiooU where the (leaf are taught, receive ini«truction in lip-reading and articulation. In 1888 a national eonureis hrounlit together in I'arii tho Frencli inntrnctora In- tereited in tliiR subject, and tliey dineutied tlie rciult* olttained and tho effort* to be made for tho future. Since tlie adoption of the oral method, all efforli have been mainly directed towards adapting thU method to wliatever may present Itself in tho line of instruction, rather than any endeavor to in- augurate new methods ; moreovor. Its general use has been effected. " Of 70 schools with 400 teaehors and 8,790 pupils (a few small institutions excepted), nearly all use the oral method. " (Signed) A. Bklanobb, "Prof, and lAhr. at the National Institute in Paris," Orhmany: "Germany at present has 95 schools and educational institu- tions for tlie deaf. Of these, 48 arc day-gchools (externate), 34 are boarding- Bchools (internate), and 13 are partly day and partly boarding schools (in- ter-externnte). Total number of pupils, 0,400, of lieh .1,014 are boys and 2,780 are girls, under a corps of 050 teachers, of which number 04 are ladies. " In Northern Germany it appears day-schools are more numerous, whereas in Southern and Western Germany boarding-schools outnumber duy-schools. This difference is to be accounted for by the religious predilections of the two sections; Protestants being in the majority in Northern Germany, whilst in Souttiern and Western Germany the population is prevailingly' Catholic. Tho mixed, or day and boarding, school is an institution of recent date. During tlie first few years of their attendance, the pupils of these schools are furnished with board and lodging in tho school buildings, approximating family life as nearly as possible. Their young lives run here tlieir ditily course; they are here trained under the supervision, discipline, and linguistic instructions of accomplished teachers of the deaf from early morning till late at night. It is here that war is successfully waged against signs, and it is here that they are rendered capable of freely conversing by speech during the remainder of their attendance at school, in whicii, after the first few years, they become day scholars. This arrangement embodies all desired advantages, and, it would seem, is certainly the school system of the future. II , , . In recent years an embittered contest has been waged in Ger- many among instructors of the deaf and certain adult deaf as to the greater or less adaptability of the oral or the sign-language metliods. Fortunately this contest, in the interest of the instructors of the deaf and of deaf-mute instruction generally, has waned and lessened in acrimony and fanaticism. ^^'^mi i Mii. i^!^;^'' 18 ORAL METHOD OF The queBtion is being discussed and considered more calmly and practically, devoid of personal predilections, fn some of tlio larger German institutions for tl;e deaf, pupils have already been classified and separated, a lower stand- ard being exacted for t!ie requirements of intellectually less favored, for in- stance, in Schleswi^', Hatibon, etc. On the other hand, the agitation against the exclusive employment of the oral method, and in favo<* of the partial use of gestures and writing in the instruction of the deaf (as, for instance, has been introduced into Denmark), in Germany, so far, has nowhere resulted in practical application, although many a pen and much printer's ink has been employed in effecting it. F. W. Ubuschert, " I'rincipal of the Sirassburg- Neudorf School for the Deaf." GiiEAT Britain: " /.s regards methods, the pure oral method is making sure progress. Articulation has already found its entrance into schools where hitherto it has been excluded; and although 'speech ' may not as yet be used as the exclusive means of conveying instruction, the rising generation of teachers will undoubtedly get a more thorough knowledge and appreciation of the p'lre oral system, and will contribute toward its general adoption. " William Van Praaoh, " Director, Training College for Teachers of the Deaf, " 11 Fitzroy sq., London." Denmark : "All children of school age are received at the oral institution at Fredericia (.Jutland), and while the children not totally deaf or having some little speech are immediately transferr-"!! to the oral school at Nyborg (Funen), and the feeble-minded to a separate institution at Copenhagen, the remainder are retained at Fredericia, and about one-third of them, after a trial lasting one year, are transferred to the old royal institution at Copen- hagen, a manual school. The children not transferred arc at the Fredericia institution formed into two divisions, A (the bright children) and B (the children of average intellect), both taught by the oral method. " During the year 1893 a sharp controversy took place between the innnual school of Copenhagen on the one side and the schools of Fredericia and Nyborg on the other. The last-named schools wished to '.imit still more the number of children not taught by speech, while the first-named asserted that the oral method had been allowed to extend further than advisable under a school organization like that of Denmark. This dispute has caused the founding of an association headed by the principals of Fredericia and Nyborg, aiming to withhold the orally taught denf from the influence exercised over the graduating pupils by the numerous circle of sign-taught deaf in the Danish metropolis, who have an association of their own. The oral associa- tion now edit a periodical named the ' Effata,^ in order to propagate their views, while the association of the deaf at Copenhagen have for several years had a representative in the press named ' Smaablade for dovstumme.'" Norway : " A plan of organization was adopted in 1890, accordinr to which all deaf children were to be received into three schools, one at Chris- prnctically, I institutions lower 8tand- ared, for in- tion against i partial use istance, lias ' resulted in r,k has been lERT, ie Deaf." 1 is makiuf^ hools where yet be used ineration of ippreciation . adoption. Deaf, London." I instiiutlon ' or having at Nyborg nhagen, the em, after a at Copen- Fredericia ind B (the the ninnunl [lericia and II more the iserted that able under caused the nd Nyborg, Tcised over leaf in the ral asBocia- »gate tiieir for several vatumme.' " .'cordinf io le at Chris- INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. 19 tiania, one at Trondhjem, and one at Bergen; the last named taking in pupils bi-annually, while the intellectually weak children, after a trial of one year at the original schools, are transferred to a separate — also oral — school at Hamar." ■-\:' "•':'''-'<'^:':"':.---'-'^ ^ Sweden : •' While the divergencies of opinions as to methods in cases where the manual method formerly was the prepondera Ing one in schools wert adjusted by a compromise, giving the oral-method schools two-thirds of the children and the manual-method schools one-third, — viz., the intellec- tually weak children, — it appears that the authorities in the places *here they are at liberty to do as they please are inclined to try the application of the oral method in the instruction of all cliildren." Finland: " The Grand Duke of Finland, Emperor Alexander III., issued, July 30, 1892, an ordinance relating to the education of the deaf and blind. Among other enactments the following may be noticed: " ' In the cities of Knopio and Aabo shall be established oral schools adapted to recei-'e eighty-five or ninety pupils each; the imtrvction it to be given in the Finnish language. " '111 the city of Borgaa shall be established a school adapted to receive forty-flve or fifty pupils ; the instrucHonis to be given in the Swedish language. •"'rhe Finnish schools at Knopio and Aabo shall, after one year's trial, transfer those children who cannot profit by the oral method to the manual school at St. Michel. " ' The Swedish school at Borgaa shall, in the like manner, transfer part of its pupils to a school a; Jakobstad. '"In order to educate pupils too old to be received in ordinary schools, a Finnish school shall temporarily be established at Jyvoskylo and a Swedish one in connection with the manual school at Jakobstad.' " The instruction in all of the schools is given gratuitously. The parents or guardians of the children have only to pay the costs of boarding. The oral schools are all to be both internats and externats, the children being boarded in the schools ihe first two years of their instruction, and boarded out in town the six last years. " The advent of the new organization marks a significant progress of the oral method, as the manual method until then was the ruling one in Finland, and the oral method for many years was only employed at the institution at Knopio (established 1874). The new Inspector, Mr. Valter Forsius, has largely contributed to this result. Lars M. Havstad." Adstraua: " In 1883 only about 12 per cent, of the deaf-mutes of Aus- tralian institutions were educated by the oral method, while in 1803 53 per cent, were instructed orally. Samuel Johnson, " Superintendent South Australian Institution." Mr. Johnson's report includes detailed information concerning the schools of Australia. The following table has been compiled from his figures : iMffttfi-*^^^ r i ir? . iVgim-H'i l «ii1 . '^ i> T^ i nrfrt wi iwi i l fc ' l ■ MirS iii Ki > Wr i limi i l rtlpf i W i|llil OT(iliit l i;feg^|^*t^ *'^^ 20 ORAL METHOD OF STATISTICS OF ADSTBALIA (1893). Naiib or eCBOOL. Total Number of Puplli. NcMBEa or Pcpits tauoht BT THB Oral Method. Manual Method. 1. New South Wales Institution. . 2. Victoria Institution 61 68 40 7 36 28 80 26 36 3. South Australia Institution 4. Queensland Institution 10 7 Total 166 88 78 APPENDIX C. THB ROYAL COHHISSIOM OF GREAT BRITAIN. A eummnry of recoramendntions extracted from the official report of the Hoyal Commission may be found in an Appendix to " Education of Deaf Children," published by the Volta Bureau, p. 254; see also "Annals" 1889, Vol. XXXIV., pp. 800-307. The ninth and tenth recommendations relate to methods of instructing the deaf, and read as follows : " We recommend : ... ,,> "9. That every child who is deaf should have full opportunity hf being educated on the pure oral system. In all schools which receive government grants, whetlier conducted on the oral, sign and manuiil, or combined sys- tem, hU children should be, for the first year at least, instructed on the oral system, and after the first year they should be taught to speak and lip-read on the pure oral system, unless they are physically or mentally disqualified, in which case, with the consent of the parents, they should be either removed from the oral department of the school, or taught elsewhere on the sign and manual system in schools recognized by the Education Department. The parent shall, as far as practicable, have the liberty of selecting the school to which his cliild should be sent. " 10. That children who have partial hearing or remains of speech should in all cases be educated on the pure oral system. The children should in all sc'i.v .'^ - the Ji?V ^''' !"'"'"'""•' «f pupils with different people promotes more espe- cially ip-readmg, and also, in general, speech, whereas the latter out of sZol by ges;:;;s '" "' '^"^ '""'''' '" '^^ boardmg-school and supp.eLeted " 4. Ei«demic8, which on divers occasions have been the means of greatly rrz^.'S.."-"' "'"■' '»"^'"-"^"'' '"•■"' " ^""--t At the same meeting' of the speech association (see "Proceedings of First Summer Meeting," p. 342) Mr. Hit* presented the following table of sta tics^concerning German schools for the deaf, extracted from t'he .• Orgl: " t ' f INSTRUCTING THE DEAF. 28 STATISTICS OP OERMANT. Fiom the " Organ" for 1890. SCBOOLB. 1 & I 47 15 8 3 2 8 4 13 96 8 till a ca 6 12 6 2 8 4 2 84 1 >> 83 8 2 2 9 8 1 1 2 i £ 3 i X 3 •3 1 s £ a 1 Prussia Bavaria . ... Wurtemburg . Saxony Hesse Baden Els'ce-Loth'gen Remainder of States 4,088 696 8:)2 390 115 124 178 442 2,886 802 161 219 69 119 91 263 1,747 294 191 171 46 96 87 179 382 86 27 41 14 28 12 43 24 14 10 1 18 2 875 69 40 36 1!) 20 21 48 Total 49 12 6,370 8,560 2,810 678 64 611 Mr. Reuscliert, in liis report from Germany, quoted in Appendix B, describes the nature of the mixed school (inter-externai) , and speaks of it as " the school system of the future." i «* .«»MM«.iai»,ii«5i,,rtS«,K«to^i„«,^,Mi.j,,„,,:.,.^,,,^,^^^^