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
Ilford 1919
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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MENTALLY DEFECTIVE CHILDREN.
The following table shows the number of children examined (luring 1919, and the result of the examination :—
| Ages. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form "A" | Form "B" | Form "C " | Form " A " | Form " B" | Form "C " | ||
| 7 to 15 years | 1 | 5 | - | - | 5 | 1 | 12 |
Under Form " A "—
The child is certified as "not incapable, by reason of
mental defect, of receiving benefit from the instruction
in an ordinary Public Elementary School."
Under Form " B "—
The child is certified as "not being merely dull or backward
and not being an idiot, or imbecile, or a moral
imbecile, is feeble-minded within the meaning of the
Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, but is not incapable by
reason of mental defect of receiving benefit from instruction
in a special school or class under the Elementary
Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act, 1899."
Under Form "C"-
The child is certified as "incapable, by reason of mental
defect, of receiving benefit from instruction in a special
school or class under the Elementary Education (Defective
and Epileptic Children) Act, 1899."
The children who are found to be imbeciles or idiots are notified
to the Essex County Council, who are responsible few their
control. From Table III. it will be seen that at the present time
there are 21 mentally deficient children for whom the Ilford Education
Committee is responsible; of these 6 are institutional cases,
15 are suitable for a day special school. The provision of such a
school is now under contemplation.