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My mind goes back to a certain day in 1895 when, in pursuance of the
Deaf Education Act of 1893, the then Tottenham School Board appointed
me to open the school.
I did so—in one room—where I found 7 deaf mute children—boys
and girls—ranging in age from 5 to 15 years.
I was fresh from a special training college and this was a stiff problem
in classification! I could only solve it by dividing each session into 5
periods of speech and language training and devising suitable and varied
occupation for the restless pupils not under special instruction.
The strain was severe and it naturally became my ambition to interest
the neighbouring authorities and so to increase numbers, thereby making
possible proper classification, so that every child could receive full-time
instruction.
This took years and as my mind goes back, I realise how much I owed
in those difficult times to the sympathetic understanding from the Inspectorate
of the Board of Education, the help of the local Education
Authority, the wonderful co-operation of my staff and the great courtesy
of other schools in England, Germany and America.
In these schools I was welcome to gather anything I could to assist me
in solving my own problem.
In 1925 I left the school to take up other work for the deaf, but I still
think of what Tottenham taught me.
To educate the deaf—what is it? To give to the deaf, who are deprived
of the only natural means of learning it, the power to understand and use
that huge complicated system of symbols (spoken and written) we term
language, in which the mind of Man lives and moves and has its being.
Surely there cannot be any job in the world more intellectually and
spiritually rewarding than the Education of the Deaf".
Vale Road School for Physically Handicapped Children
Cerebral Palsy Unit
I am indebted to Dr. William Dunham for the following report:—
"Twenty-seven of the 94 children now at this Special School have
cerebral palsy, and parents of all but four of these are now participating
in a programme of comprehensive management in which parents, teachers
and medical staff collaborate to provide for the child the help he needs in
attaining to the best of his ability normal activity. Parents attend from
time to time for advice at the school and, where necessary, the therapist
visits the parents in their homes during the holidays.
Only two of the children have left school during the year, both being
transferred to another school and their places taken by other children
with cerebral palsy.
My work as Consultant has included giving advice on 11 children with
cerebral palsy other than those attending the school including two who
attend Occupation Centres. It is hoped that in the future more of the
babies and children of pre-school age who have cerebral palsy will be
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