London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Edmonton 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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The following table gives the percentage of children in each grade for the ten year old group and the leaver group:—
| Boys. | Girls. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 year old per cent. | Leavers, per cent. | 10 year old per cent. | Leavers per cent. | |
| A. Mentally defective | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| B. Slow dull | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 5.2 |
| C. Slow | 17.5 | 12.5 | 10.2 | 13.7 |
| D. Slow Intelligent | 38.0 | 39.6 | 38.5 | 36.4 |
| E. Fairly intelligent | 32.5 | 36.6 | 43.0 | 30.3 |
| F. Distinctly capable | 8.4 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 6.9 |
| G. Very able | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.5 |
It is not possible to class the children who have just entered with any
accuracy, because as a rule they have not been sufficiently long under
observation. However, in the case of four boys and two girls among the
entrants, it was doubtful whether they were mentally defective or not.
The total number of mentally defective children in the schools is abou
34 boys and 14 girls.
MENTAL DEFICIENCY ACT, 1913.
Previous to the coming in force of the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913
on April 1st, 1914, the powers of a Local Education Authority in dealing with
these cases have been governed by the Elementary Education (Defective and
Epileptic Children) Act, 1899.
This latter Act provides:—
Section 1. That the Education Authority may (with the approval of the
Education Department*) make such arrangements as they think fit for
ascertaining what children in their districts are mentally defective. If they
make such arrangements, they must provide facilities for enabling a parent,
who is of opinion that his child ought to be dealt with under the Act, to present
his child for examination, or any parent may be required by the School
Authority to present his child for examination.
Section 2. Where a School Authority have ascertained that there are in
their district defective children, they may make provision for their education by
all or any of the following means:—
(a) By classes in public elementary schools certified by the Education
Department as special classes.
*The Education Department is now " The Board of Education.