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lack of mental power for which they were reported. Our records
do not show the exact number of children who were found to be
definitely mentally deficient during the 12 months of 1914, but up
to March, 1915, the total number of children of school age who
were medically proved to exhibit this mental state is 71: of these
14 are children of the non-educable type and have been referred to
the Mental Deficiency Committee of the Council to be dealt with
by them. According to the accepted proportion of feeble-minded
to the total school child population, the number of educable feebleminded
children in Croydon should be approximately 125. It is
evident, therefore, that there is still a considerable number of
children of deficient mentality remaining to be examined and
classified. Of the 57 educable mentally defective children already
examined approximately 28 are high grade and 29 low grade in
type. During the present year (1915) the Education Committee
have under consideration the establishment of a non-residential
school in the Borough for the education of mentally deficient
children, and I anticipate that in the next annual report a more
complete and detailed account of the mentally deficient school
children for whom the Education Authority are responsible will be
available, as well as, I trust, an account of the initial provision
made by the local Education Authority for such children. I am
pleased to take this opportunity of thanking the staff of the Education
Authority for great assistance in bringing to my notice the
children suffering from mental defect, more particularly the school
attendance officers and the head masters and head mistresses where
those children either were at the time of examination or had at
some time in the past attended.
GRANGEWOOD SPECIAL CLASS.
This class, originally instituted for mentally backward children
in connection with the Whitehorse Road Schools, has largely
developed into a class for children who are really mentally defective.
I append a report of the work of the class for the year 1914,
and in connection with this I feel that special notice must be taken
of the extremely capable manner in which the class has been conducted
by Miss Holt throughout the year.
Number of children on Register on 31st December, 1913 13
Number of children admitted to class during 1914 10
Number of children discharged from class and re-admitted
to Council Schools, 1914 5
Number of children discharged from the class because of
unsuitability or other reason 2
Number of children on Register of December 31st, 1914 16