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Educationally-Subnormal Children
Under Section 34 of the Education Act,1944, it is the duty of a local
education authority to discover which children over the age of two years
require special educational treatment as handicapped pupils. Of the various
categories of handicapped pupils, the educationally-sub-normal is the
largest.
175 (182) pupils were examined under this Section on account of a disability
of mind or any other condition which might necessitate special educational
treatment; 151 (166) children were examined for suspected disability
of the mind and of these 45 (60) were recommended as fit to continue to attend
ordinary school; 96 (104) were recommended for placement in a school for
educationally-subnormal pupils;and 4 (2) with dual handicaps were recommended
for boarding E.S.N. School and open-air day school respectively, and 6 for
community care. The remaining 24 (16) were examined because of their physical
handicaps; 18 (6) were recommended for day school for the physically handcapped,
4 (1) for boarding school for the physically-handicapped,and 2 (9)
for home tuition.
Children Unsuitable for Education at School
Section 57 of the Education Act, 1944, (as amended by the Mental Health
Act,1959), deals with the examination and reporting to the local education
authority of children considered unsuitable for education at school.
24 (19) children were examined under this Section. Of these 18 (13)
children were recommended to attend a Mental Health Training centre, and 6
(6) were recommended for community care only.
Recuperative Holidays
Arrangements are made for recuperative holidays for school children in
need of rest, fresh air and good food, under the Education Act,1944, without
charge to the parents.
The total number of children from Hammersmith schools who went on recuperative
holidays during 1969 was 183 (166).
Vision Clinics
There are three vision clinics in the Borough at Fulham Treatment Centre,
Bagleys Lane, S.W.6; at St.Dunstan's Treatment Centre, W.6; and at Milson
Road Treatment Centre, W.14. The ophthalmologists are officers of the Southwest
Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board and, by arrangement made through
the Inner London Education Authority, undertake a total of 9 sessions a weeks
Referrals to the clinics arise mainly from school medical inspections.
An optician is in attendance to deal, at the parents" discretion, with prescriptions
for glasses.

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