International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1934)

50 THE CINEMA IN TEACHING THE CINEMA AND ABNORMAL CHILDREN Report of the Orthophrenic Normal School of Rome. In connection with the Rome Orthophrenic School for abnormal children, there are 15 out-patient clinics known as " Classi differenziali », or special classes operating in collaboration with the six schools of the municipality of Rome. These institutions receive 375 children of both sexes from the age of 6 to 12 years inscribed in the pupils' lists of the first three elementary grades of the city's schools. The opening of these special classes only begins in November after the pupils have been picked out by the teachers of the ordinary classes and notified to the authorities. The children are attached to the special classes as the result of an examination given by specialized teachers attached to the Orthophrenic School. Teachers from this school see to the education of these abnormal children. The children subjected to the regime of these orthophrenic grades must be considered abnormal in the matter of temperament more than anything else, that is, they are intolerant of such mental effort and discipline as are required of pupils in the schools of the Governorship of Rome in the elementary grades. Many of them surfer from physical disturbances of one kind of another, and the majority from an exaggerated form of sensitiveness which is revealed in irregular attention, impulsiveness and contrariness. In view of the time-table and the general conditions under which the scholastic work takes place, it is rarely possible for the school-children and their teachers to witness motion pictures together in one of the specialized classes for abnormal children. The teachers have answered inquiries laid before them with regard to the working of the cinema classes for abnormal children and the attendance of the latter at the same. The following is a summary of the teachers opinions. (a) The poor economic conditions of the parents of the children who frequent the specialized courses organized in connection with the Rome Ortho phrenic School do not permit of the pupils visiting the cinema regularly. In some of the classes though, teachers have noticed a certain frequency of attendance, especially among the boys. (b) The boys prefer detective crime and adventure pictures, while they like comic films greatly. The third elementary class shows some preference for historical films. The girls prefer films with a sentimental background. (c) Only one of the teachers observed subsequent acts on the part of the pupils that called for reproof. All the others teachers agreed that the films produced no evil consequences among the scholars There was a tendency to imitate the manners and tricks of some of the actors, especially Charlie Chaplin and Tom Mix among the boys, while some of the girls occasionally made attempts to imitate some of the mannerisms of the great lady stars of the film. (cz) In general it may be said that the replies do not agree. Some of the women teachers deny that the picture have any beneficent influence on abnormal children. Other, again, think that the children derive some moral benefits from seeing motion pictures. Some teachers specify these benefits as touching things like patriotism and encouraging the heroic sense, etc. (e) Children consider the cinema as a most desirable entertainment. Their preferences are for such actors as Chaplin and Mix, whose tricks and mannerisms they attempt to imitate during their games. (/) The interest aroused overcomes fatigue, and in some cases the interest is so lively that it is possible to show children the same film repeatedly without wearying or boring them. (g) and {h) The majority of teachers, not having, as has been pointed out, attended cinema shows in the company of the children, agree that the pupils find sound films more interesting and amusing than silent pictures. The children, it seems, are also very fond of music, which has often obviously emotive effects on them. " Hipparcus had inscribed on tablets situated at the crossways the chief precepts of morality in order to remind passersby of their duty ". Plato.