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10
Parents are required to contribute, as far as possible, towards
the cost of the articles provided, but in 45 cases of extreme poverty
the cost was borne either by the Care Committee or by the Education
Authority. In the majority of cases the parents succeeded in
their efforts to repay by weekly instalments the whole of the outlay
incurred.
BLIND, DEAF, DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC CHILDREN.
The numbers of such children vary very little from year to
year. During 1928 there were 17 children attending the special
classes for the partially blind in Wood Green, 8 the special school
for deaf children in Tottenham, 24 the joint special school for
mentally defective children, and one a special school for
epileptics. The School Medical Officer examined 29 children
reported to him as certifying officer under the Mental Deficiency
Act, and of these 12 were admitted to the joint special school. .
Seventeen of the scholars left this school during the year and all
are now in remunerative employment. Five children were notified
to the County Council as requiring supervision. Reference to
table III. will show how all the various types of defective children
in Hornsey are being dealt with.
STAMMERERS.
There are two classes for stammerers, a senior and junior, and
each meets twice weekly under the care of Miss Bains. Twentythree
children have attended during the year, and of these 7 were
admitted for the first time and 12 were discharged.
These children as a rule make excellent progress while
attending the special classes. Under the skilled supervision of
Miss Bains they lose much of their self-consciousness and regain
a great deal of self control. The greatest difficulty is experienced
in getting them to practise in school and elsewhere what
they are taught in the special classes, and too many of the parents
take but little interest in the routine to be followed by a child who
is to rid himself of this distressing defect. Without the co-operation
of parents really satisfactory results cannot be obtained.