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ten are in their normal for; forty are approximately one year behind; and
the remaining seven are from two to three years behind.
40
Australia.
Children who have been educated in Australia vary very
considerably in standards.
the age 10
-
There are 87 in the 10+ group. Those in
11 seem to be fairly normal, but there is a considerable
falling off in the age groups 14 to 18. While in a few cases the
children are of the same standard as the same age groups who have been
educated in England, in the majority of cases the general standard is low
and the children are handicapped by having no second language, no Science,
Geography confined to Australia only, and a very sketchy knowledge of
History with a decidely Australian bias. Of the 87 children, 12 are
one year above normal form, 38 are slightly retarded but in their normal
form, 25 are a year behind, and the remaining 26 vary from two to three
years behind. The latter figure applies to the 17 and 18 year old group.
5.
England.
Those children educated in England during the war years are
on the average one year behind normal but with this difference, that they
have a better general grounding in all subjects, a grounding which is almost
universally absent in children educated elsewhere. There seems to be
no reason why these children, of whom there are 18 should not pull up to
normal within 12 months.
6.
Stanley Internment Camp.
There are 33 children in the 10+ age groups who were interned
in Stanley. 19 are one year behind normal, and the remainder are from
two to three years in arrears. Here again, as in the case of Australia,
it is noticeable that the retardation occurs in the older children who
may not have been so amenable to the discipline and instruction of the
Stanley Camp School. The children are improving but those in the age group
13,14, 15 and 16 lack general receptiveness. While their ability to
receive and retain knowledge is improving and may still further improve,
it is likely that the majority will always be handicapped, especially in
the application of knowledge.