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because of mental defect, steps are taken for their ascertainment and, should they
be certified under section 9 of the Mental Deficiency Act, and the necessary order
issued by the Secretary of State, they are transferred to certified institutions under
the Act. During the year seventeen children or young persons were so dealt with.
Defective delinquent children were found to be rather above the average of other
defectives, though scarcely to the extent which excluded the possibility of random
sampling. The types of misconduct which appeared to be particularly associated with
defective delinquents were, wandering and being beyond control. Of these offences
it was noted that wandering provided the maximum number of lower grade cases.
When the age of fifteen and a half years is reached, the case of every child in school
attendance is reconsidered with a view to deciding whether his or her name should
be notified to the local control authority. At this stage attention is paid, not so
much to educational attainments as to the prospects of the individual being able to
obtain suitable employment and to live harmoniously in the world. Reports on
each child are obtained from the certifying officer, from the head teacher, and from
the visitors of the London Association for Mental Welfare. These visitors subsequently
carry out after-care amongst those ex-pupils of special schools whose names
are not notified, or statutory supervision in the case of those whose names have
been notified and in whose case supervision is thought by the local control authority
to provide adequate care and protection for the moment.
The number of cases recommended for notification with a view to possible
institutional treatment or guardianship in 1927 was 123. It must be noted that,
up to the end of 1927, only the names of those children in whose case the local education
authority was of opinion that institutional treatment or guardianship would
be beneficial could be thus notified. In future, under the Act of 1927, it will be
possible to notify the names of those for whom statutory supervision is deemed
desirable. Those children whose names are not so notified receive after-care supervision
until the age of eighteen years, the necessary duties being carried out by the
London Association for Mental Welfare.