Reports to the General Assembly of Illinois at its regular session Volume 3 - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt: ...law admits children to the public schools at six years of age. This provision is the result of large experience in general society. If six years of age is early enough for those who being deaf have been deprived of the educative influences of home life and social associations, surely an experience of forty years with deaf children has convinced me that aa a rule the seventh and eighth years are the most favorable for the commencement of their systematic instruction. It is gratifying to witness this high appreciation of parents of the importance of education to their dea.f children, for there could surely be no greater evidence of it than a willingness to sacrifice their personal pleasure by the separation involved Strongly in contrast with this is the case of parents who for the paltry pecuniary consideration of the value of the labor of their deaf children, or who actuated by animal instinct acting superior to mental and moral considerations, sink the human in animal elements of their nature, and retain their children away from the institution until their educable years have flown. It seems incredible, yet is true, that there are some such parents living in this enlightened State. Several applications to receive into the institution wholly uneducated men and women have been received. Such persons when they come to an understanding of their case, reflect very severely upon the unwisdom of their parents, and in some cases rejoice that death has removed them. "Why did you not come to school younger?" 1 once asked a woman twenty-eight years of age. The reply was. "Because my father would not permit me, but he is dead now and I am glad of it." She had no knowledge of letters but she had sense enough to know that a great wrong and injustice h...