View report page

99
The Handicapped Child
Broadly, 1 in 60 children are ascertained handicapped pupils. A
great deal of thought is devoted to their accurate placement whether
this be in a day or residential special school, or preferably in an ordinary
school. Ideas on these subjects are constantly changing as medical
knowledge increases and demands a constant watchfulness on the part
of school medical officers. Reference to these changes will be found
in the following paragraphs.
Blind and Partially Sighted Pupils
There are ten blind pupils in Tottenham and Hornsey, of whom
nine attend residential special schools.
In March, 1955, the Ministers of Health and Education issued
Circular 4/55 and Memo. No. 493 respectively. These discussed the
criteria to be used by ophthalmologists when making recommendations
regarding special education to local authorities and by local education
authorities when placing the child. As a result of these alterations in
criteria, which reflected a more optimistic approach to the problem
of myopia in school children, two children were returned from the
Walthamstow special school for partially sighted children to ordinary
schools. In the case of a third child it was considered that although
his vision would allow him to take his place with normal sighted
children, yet he had not matured sufficiently emotionally to overcome
his handicap. It was decided that he should remain at the Walthamstow
school for a time during which his stability has so improved that he is
to return to an ordinary school at Easter, 1956.
Deaf and Partially Deaf Children
During the past year the partially deaf class at Devonshire Hill
School has been started and its value was immediately apparent, so
much so that a second class is to be started forthwith. A number of
children previously incorrectly placed either with deaf children or in
ordinary schools, are now receiving appropriate education.
A number of children are still arriving at the School for the Deaf
who have been diagnosed at a late stage, or who, despite early diagnosis,
have not received sufficient training at hospital. It is felt that the
sooner these children can enter into the nursery class at the School
for the Deaf the better will be their progress. Their exact diagnosis
as deaf or partially deaf could be delayed until it is possible to see the
results of training. In any case the various units should not be regarded
as water-tight compartments; rather should the educational system
for deaf children be regarded as flexible and a deaf child should be
moved from a deaf school to a partially deaf or even ordinary school
as his progress warrants it. Of course, it may be that his progress will
be in the reverse direction.
School for the Deaf
Mr. T. Brown, Headmaster, reports that the School now serves the
whole of the Administrative County and started the year with 68