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These groups are being considered together this year, as though children
with a very severe hearing loss can be reasonably categorised as deaf, and
those with a loss just serious enough to require special schooling as partially
hearing, there is a middle group whose categorisation is largely a matter of
opinion.
The number of children in both categories in residential schools and in
day schools, other than the Borough's own special units, remains the same.
There has been a complete reorganisation of the day units in the Kings ley
schools. Dr. Morgan, the Senior Medical Officer, responsible for children with
hearing difficulties, reports:—
"The Units for partially hearing pupils at Kingsley Infants and Junior
Schools continue to provide education for partial hearing and deaf children
from 3-11 years of age. Since the Autumn Term 1970, a Junior Deaf Unit (age
range 7-11 years) has been established at Kingsley Infants' School, and
currently there are nine pupils attending. More recently the children previously
attending the Nursery and Infant Partially Hearing Units have been re-classified
according to their disability rather than age. The Infant Partially Hearing
Unit (3-7 year range) with six children currently attending, and the Infant
Deaf Unit (3-7 year range) with eight children currently attending.
Throughout the year I have made visits to the Units to supervise the
general health of the children and to observe their progress,
Mr. Parsons (Consultant Otologist) continues to visit each Unit annually.
At these visits the teacher concerned, Mr. Oakley, and myself are also
present, and the parents are invited to attend whilst each child is discussed
individually.
Every effort is made by the Teaching Staff to integrate the children attending
the Units with the normal hearing children, both in the classroom and
playground."
I am grateful to the Chief Education Officer for the following reports
which have been edited to show the position at the end of the year.
Units for Nursery and Infant Children with Hearing Defects,
Kingsley Infants' School
There have been a considerable number of changes in the organisation of
the Units in the last year. Until September 1970 the children were divided
into two groups: Nirsery and Infants with ten children in each class. Of the