Only Catholic School of its kind Reviews its Work
PUPILS COME FROM ALL OVER ENGLAND
From Our Own Correspondent
LEEDS.
The war clouds have not dissipated the cheerful, self-reliant spirit. which animates St. John's Institution for the Deaf at Boston Spa, near Leeds.
To their skill in ambulance work and scouting the children have now added competence in A.R.P. " We are fortunate in being able to carry on as usual," says Canon Wilson, the chaplain and director of the home.
" For 69 years, under the inspiration of St. John of Beverley, who taught a dumb • boy to speak, this has been the purpose aimed at by the devoted sisters and lay teachers of this institution."
FROM ALL PARTS St. John's is the only Catholic school of its kind in England, and there are children there from an parts of the British Isles.
By means of lip reading they are taught to make themselves articulate, and their education embraces Christian doctrine, English language, arithmetic, geography and history. Manual work is an essential part of the training in order to fit the boys and girls for positions in after life.
The boys are taught leather work, tailoring, shoemaking, printing, bookbinding, carpentry and gardening; and the girls plain and fancy needlework, the sewing machine, dressmaking, cooking, laundry work and housework.
At the beginning of the year there were 138 names on the rolls, and at the end 137 — 69 boys and 68 girls. During the year 15 pupils were admitted while 16 left, having finished their time of training.
While at school, children do not lose touch with hearing people. There are " out lessons," shopping expeditions, games and, for boys, scouting, which not only furnishes a contact with others, but provides interests and incitements to proficiency.
SCOUTS' SUCCESSES During the year the Scouts took part in the Empire Day Parade, ambulance and flag competitions, attended a rally at Bramham Park, and were inspected in their own club room by the Earl of Buckinghamshire. In the ambulance competition they were successful in winning the shield. The Cubs tied for first place in the competition for the.. District Flag.
In the summer practically all return to their own homes for six weeks. Many go home also for three weeks at Christmas.
A.R.P. AND FIRST AID Public lectures on first aid have been given in the Institution and attended by members of the staff, some of whom also attended a course of A.R.P. lectures elsewhere, and received from the hand of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal the medals awarded to holders of the dual A.R.P. and First Aid Certificates. Another member of the staff qualified for a St. John Ambulance Certificate.
During the year Fr. Hayward, with
a party of twelve ex-pupils from Man chester, came to see once more their
Alma Mater, and the Adult Deaf of Yorkshire who, to the number of about five hundred, made St. John's the venue of their annual sports.
The report adds that the premises generally have been kept in good state of decoration and repair. Both boys' and girls' playgrounds have been repaired and improved with a surface of fine asphalt, an oak block floor has been laid in a dining room, two classrooms and a sitting room have been decorated, and, in addition to ordinary repairs, the exterior front portion of the Institution and the farmstead have been repainted.
HOW THE SCHOOL IS MAINTAINED The school is maintained largely by grants from education and P.A.C. authorities, the amount received from this source last year being 18,636. Parents contributed £300 and ex-pupils £430.
Unfortunately a decrease is recorded in the voluntary subscriptions and donations from benefactors, the total amount only reaching £143.
It has been necessary to draw £1,000 from the capital account to balance the income and expenditure, and there is now a bank overdraft of nearly 14,000.