world of normal people and should be educated for normal associations. The child who can not become an independent member of the community should be trained for his life of dependence, The difference in treatment accorded to the two groups must be based on this fundamental difference between social competence and social incompetence. The socially competent will spend the greater part of their lives in close association with other self-supporting units of society-the normal people. They will not be segregated in institutions. Because of this fact their education should aim to make them capable of normal associations. For this purpose their education should take place in the regular school buildings and as much as possible with normal children. Much of the instruction will necessarily be given to groups of similarly handicapped children, but wherever it is possible they should be taught in the regular classrooms. The policy for the training of the socially incompetent is in sharp contrast to that for the education of the socially competent. Their distinguishing characteristic is that they are unable to exist as independent units of society. Some of these are insane, some are epileptic, and some are feebleminded. In the case of the insane we have fully recognized the dependence and have eliminated them from the schools. The necessity for a segregation of the epileptic and the feebleminded has not yet been universally recognized. Nevertheless, modern science shows that when these people reach the age of maturity they should become permanent residents of institutions. For this reason their training should be directed toward making them capable of contributing something toward their own maintenance in a place where most of their actions are directed by others. Since the aim is segregation of all those who will find it impossible to maintain an independent existence, it is not desirable to attempt to train them for association with normal people. No benefit is derived by the normal nor by the socially incompetent child from an enforced association in the regular school or classroom. On the contrary, such an association is harmful rather than beneficial. The training of the socially incompetent should take place in separate classrooms, and, if possible, in separate buildings. SUMMARY Universal compulsory education has gathered into the schools children of widely varying abilities and different degrees of physical well-being. The community, having decreed that every child should be educated, must assume the responsibility of providing suitable instruction for all children. Failure to do this effectively has caused many children to be sidetracked on the way, and the school system is clogged with misfits. The fundamental reason for this is that the schools contain children of all degrees of ability and children with serious physical handicaps. To meet the needs of these children different programs of instruction must be provided. The abnormally slow and the seriously handicapped must be sent to special classes. The type of class will depend upon the capacity of the children, whether they will be socially competent or socially incompetent. The socially competent should be placed in special classes in the regular schools, to be trained for association with normal people. The socially incompetent should be sent to special schools to be trained for permanent segregation. CHAPTER III THE SOCIALLY COMPETENT CLASSES FOR THE BLIND There are two kinds of classes for the blind. One is for children totally blind and the other for children frequently called semi-blind. There are three classes of each type. A class is in session for six hours a day in a regular school building. The instruction follows closely that of the regular grades, each blind child being supposed to cover the same work as the normal child. As much as possible the blind are taught in classes with seeing children. The special teachers of the blind are tutors for the group rather than class teachers. Their function is to assist the blind child in those subjects in which he is unable to make progress as rapidly as the seeing child with the same amount of instruction. This arrangement of having the blind taught in the classes with seeing children has been called the "Cleveland plan." It is one of the several instances in which this city is a pioneer. In adult life the blind and the semi-blind will not be segregated in institutions but will spend their lives in association with normal people. They are prepared for participation in normal social intercourse by education, as far as possible, in classes with seeing children. Precisely this principle leads us to recommend similar treatment for all other socially competent but exceptional children. A note of warning must be sounded. The time that the regular teacher of the grade spends upon blind children should be relatively no greater than she spends on normal children. It is not fair to the seeing child that a greater proportion of the teacher's time should be given to those who are in the class only for the lesson period. The advantages which the blind receive must not be at the expense of the normal children. There is a limit to the amount of work that may profitably be given to blind children in the regular rooms. Any assistance needed by these exceptional children beyond the amount given to the normal child should be given by the special teacher of the blind. At the same time the principals and teachers must not forget that the blind children are spending certain of their recitation periods in the regular classes for serious educational purposes. They are pupils and not mere visitors. They must be held to a full measure of responsibility. The classes are supervised by one who is listed in the superintendent's annual report as the "Special Teacher of the Blind." He is recognized by the teachers assigned to the classes as the supervisor of the work. The arrangement is not conducive to the best development. With the duties of an office to perform, it is always more satisfactory for the responsible person to have a position which is clearly |