Schooling of mentally handicapped children

Abstract

It is difficult to describe a living thing in such a way that it doesn't lose its life by the very description. The author tries to accomplish this by means of an unsystematic report of a case: Some fundamentals to the life in the special school for mentally handicapped in Biel are presented. Every human being is unique and can only be understood in his totality. His Ego is intact and can be addressed in every case. Therefore, categories appear as conventions rather than facts. They indicate the general rather than the unique and therefore, they are of secondary importance. Children in special schools have difficulties to adapt to the school. Therefore, their school has to adapt itself to them with much awareness and imagination. Language has a great potential to stimulate development; it plays an important part in the school. The teaching must be elementary and concrete, it must touch "head, heart, and hand" (Pestalozzi). The special school as a living space has to be rich and stimulating with respect to building, environment, and practical activities, because one has to bring the world to the child when his ability to reach the world is impaired. The situation for all children improves when the adults make efforts to develop forms of living together worthy of human beings. Too rigid rules paralyze the natural forces governing human interaction and make them useless.