Echoes of the Month

It will probably come as a surprise to many to read some of the tests set to the children in Council Schools. Those failing to pass them are, we understand, considered to be mentally deficient. A child of four has to discriminate between a ?ircle, a square, a triangle and other mathematical forms. He or she must also draw a square correctly, repeat sentences of twelve or thirteen syllables, and inform the teacher :?" What you must do : When you are sleepy ; When you are cold; When you are hungry." A child of seven has to tie a bow-knot; to state the difference between fly and butterfly ; stone and egg ; wood and glass. It has also to copy the figure of a diamond. At eight he is set to disentangle the following problem :?" Let us suppose that your cricket ball has been lost in this round field. You have no idea what part of the field it is in. You don't know what direction it came from, how it got there, or with what force it came. All you know is that the ball is lost somewhere in the field. Now take this pencil and mark out a path to show me how you would come to the ball so as to be sure not to miss it.