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133
Report of the County Medical Officer—Education.
(2) Examinations for the admission of children to schools for the mentally defective are held
periodically, and a child may not be admitted to these schools unless it is certified by a certifying officer
approved by the Board of Education under section 1 (3) of the Elementary Education (Defective and
Epileptic Children) Act, 1899, as a child who not being imbecile and not being merely dull or backward, is
defective—that is to say, is incapable, by reason of mental defect, of receiving proper benefit from the
instruction in an ordinary public elementary school, but is not incapable by reason of such defect of receiving
benefit from instruction in a special school. Every child presented for examination is accompanied
either by an adult teacher who is able to explain the case, or by an attendance officer. The parent or some
responsible person is also invited to attend. Any child, who has attained the age of seven years, reported
for examination to the school medical officer in accordance with these arrangements shall be examined
within three months of such report. Before giving a certificate the certifying officer shall, if so directed
by the Education Committee, or if he is so requested by the parent of the child, consult the head teacher
of the school, if any, which the child has been attending, or such other person as the Education Committee
may appoint for the purpose, and a copy of any report made by the head teacher or such other
person shall be forwarded to the Committee.
(3) In the event of a child being certified as fit for admission to a school for the mentally defective
the certificate of a certifying officer is submitted to the Education Committee, who arrange, through
the education officer, for the admission of the child to a suitable school. It is the duty of the Education
Committee to endeavour to ascertain the wishes of the parents of the child and, as far as possible, to
give effect thereto.
(4) If a child over the age of seven years is certified by a certifying officer as being incapable, by
reason of mental defect, of receiving benefit from instruction in a school for the mentally defective
(schedule C of Model Arrangements of Board of Education), or as being incapable of receiving instruction
in such a school without detriment to the interests of the other children (schedule E of Model Arrangements),
the case is dealt with in accordance with the provisions hereinafter contained.
(5) If the child is certified to be fit to attend the ordinary classes of public elementary schools,
arrangements are made by the Education Committee, through the education officer, for its admission
thereto, if the child is not in attendance at such a school.
(6) Arrangements are made by the Education Committee for the examination from time to
time by a certifying officer of all mentally defective children who are being educated in special schools
or classes maintained by the Council under the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children)
Acts, 1899 to 1914, with a view to ascertaining in each case (1) whether the child can be discharged
from the special school or class on the ground that he or she has attained such a mental condition as
to be fit to attend the ordinary classes of public elementary schools, in which case the committee will
return to the parent of the child any certificate certifying that the child was mentally defective ;
(2) whether he or she is incapable of receiving further benefit from instruction in a special school or class
(schedule D of Model Arrangements); or (3) whether he or she cannot be instructed in a special school
or class without detriment to the interests of the other children (schedule E of Model Arrangements).
Such examinations are made at intervals of not more than twelve months, provided that if the parent
of any child claims that his child shall be examined and the child has not been examined within six months
before the date of such claim a special examination of the child is made. Action is taken by the committee
on the receipt of the certificate of the certifying officer as set out in paragraphs No. 5 above or
Nos. 11 to 14 below.
(7) Arrangements are made by the Education Committee for ascertaining in the case of any
mentally defective child sent by the Council to a special school not maintained by the Council, whether
the child comes within either of the three categories set out in paragraph No. 6. For this purpose the
Committee arranges for certificates and reports on the child to be forwarded to them at intervals of not
more than twelve months. These certificates and reports shall be made by a certifying officer, and for
this purpose the Committee may approve the medical officer of the school or class at which the children
are being educated as certifying officers in respect of those children. Action is taken by the Committee
on the receipt of the certificate and report of the certifying officer similar to that set out in paragraphs
No. 5 above or Nos. 11 to 14 below.
(8) Head teachers and divisional superintendents shall report immediately to the education
officer on appropriate forms cases of children between the ages of 7 and 16 years who, in their opinion,
come within any of the following definitions of defectives in the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, and who
also come within any of the categories set out in (e) (i.) and (ii.) below:—
Definition of defectives—
(a) Idiots; that is to say, persons so deeply defective in mind from birth or from an
early age as to be unable to guard themselves against common physical dangers.
(b) Imbeciles ; that is to say, persons in whose case there exists from birth or from an early
age mental defectiveness not amounting to idiocy, yet so pronounced that they are incapable of
managing themselves or their affairs, or in the case of children of being taught to do so.
(c) Feeble-minded persons ; that is to say, persons in whose case there exists from birth or
from an early age mental defectiveness not amounting to imbecility, yet so pronounced that they
require care, supervision and control for their own protection or for the protection of others, or, in
the case of children, that they, by reason of such defectiveness, appear to be permanently incapable
of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in ordinary schools.
(d) Moral imbeciles; that is to say, persons who from an early age display some permanent
mental defect coupled with strong vicious or criminal propensities on which punishment has had
little or no deterrent effect.