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attention is given them. Children more retarded need the extra care
and attention and surroundings which they can obtain only in a special
school. Such children are reported under section 34 to the District
Education Officer, who refers them for admission to the appropriate
school. From this district this is the day special school at Willesden.
It is understood that the waiting list of admissions for this school is so
long that twelve months may elapse before a child having been recommended,
is admitted. Some children are beyond even this, though,
being incapable of being educated either at an ordinary or a special school.
These are reported under section 57(3) to the District Education Officer,
and the particulars ultimately forwarded to the County Education Committee.
Subject to the exercise of his right of appeal by the parent, the
case is referred to the local authority for the purposes of the Mental
Deficiency Acts, 1913. These children are then removed from the sphere
of the educational arrangements. If bad enough, they are admitted to
an institution. If at home, they benefit from attendance at an occupation
centre. There was one in the district which closed during the
war. It is understood that one will shortly be established again in Wealdstone.
45 children were specially examined during the year. Of these,
one was assessed as being normal; 2 were dull, but were to continue
attending the ordinary school. 16 were recommended for admission to a
special day school for the educationally sub-normal. 26 were considered
to be ineducable. In respect of these there were 9 appeals. Of the 6
which have been decided, two were confirmed, but in the remaining 4
the Minister's decision was that the child should be admitted to a special
school.
There is another class of child admitted to a day special school,
namely, the physically handicapped, the child who, not being a pupil suffering
solely from a defect of sight or hearing, by reason of disease or crippling
defect, cannot be satisfactorily educated in an ordinary school without
detriment to his health or educational development. Those who can
benefit from attendance at a day school are admitted to the special school
at Willesden, to which they are taken by a special conveyance.
Amongst the various groups of handicapped pupils are numbers who
can benefit from admission to an open-air school. Amongst these are
those of category "E" of the Handicapped Pupils Regulations, the
delicate pupils who are defined as those who by reason of impaired
physical condition cannot without risk to their health be educated under
the normal regime of an ordinary school. There are also the physically
handicapped, while sometimes such a school is helpful to the maladjusted
child, the pupil who shows evidence of emotional instability or psychological
disturbance, and who requires special education treatment in
order to effect his personal, social or educational readjustment. These
children are referred to the District Education Officer and arrangements
for their admission to appropriate schools are made by the Public Health
Department of the County Council.
In addition to all these, there are those few for whom special provision
has to be made, including amongst these the blind the deaf and
the epileptic.