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considered over age who was less than 7 years 9 months old at the time when he ought to have been
promoted to Standard II., or less than 8 years 9 months old when he should have been promoted to
Standard III., and so on. As the investigations were dated from October, 1905, it was easy to take all
children over the age limit, that is 8 years in Standard I. and so on, who had not received their
promotion in the previous July.
With the co-operation of the teachers each child was submitted to an individual examination.
A preliminary testing of 100 children was made to gain experience, but these records were not included.
So far, only 600 children, 300 boys and 300 girls, have been examined. These represent, except for
30 girls and a few absentees, all the over-age children in the standards of two schools in Hoxton.
The number present on the days of examination was 660 girls and 700 boys, and of these 42 per cent.
boys and 50 per cent. girls fell within the definition of backward.
One of these schools, credited with being the worst in the district, had 53 per cent. boys and 66
per cent. girls backward, but other schools of the 15 in the district have as high a percentage. The
other school had 33 per cent. boys and 36 per cent. girls, so that the two schools together may be taken
as about representing an average of the district. So far as could be ascertained, neither the teachers
nor teaching could be in any way blamed for the amount of backwardness found.
The points noted regarding each child were:—
1. The number of previous schools attended, the various standards passed, and the
child's age on admission to its present school.
2. The general physique and previous health, especially during school years.
3. The efficiency of the special sense organs as channels of education.
4. The mental capacity.
5. Regularity of attendance, and any previous prolonged absences.
6. Miscellaneous information, chiefly from teachers, regarding home circumstances or any
other matters likely to affect the child's school progress.
The estimate of the mental conditions was indirectly checked by one of the Council's inspectors
independently who, without being informed of the particular enquiry, reported on the individual
mental attainments of the scholars. His judgment agreed with that of the medical observer in 67 per
cent.; he thought the children mentally worse than the doctor had done in 18 per cent. and somewhat
better in 15 per cent.
It was difficult to keep the classification within bounds and yet do justice to the variety of causes,
and the most important point was to gauge this mental capacity. The children were classified as:—
Quick-witted and intelligent, and either equal to or above the average of their standard
in mental attainments, or
Slow-witted and dull, and below the average of their standard.
A hard and fast line was drawn between these two classes, and in very few cases was there any
difficulty in deciding whether a child was to go above or below the line. The investigation then followed
similar lines for each class.
Classification of Backward Children.—Group I. Intelligent but backward children.
Children of average intelligence:—
(а) Backwardness in the lower standards, or on admission to present school, without
any obvious cause. For the most part due to natural dulness in infancy with later mental
development, and in a few cases due to lateness of first school attendance, or possibly want
of correlation between infants and higher departments.
(б) Physical deficiencies, not causing absence from school.
i. General diseases, real or imaginary, ansemia, fits, general delicacy, the dread of
St. Vitus' dance, the "overpressed" and neurasthenic children.
ii. Affections of special senses. Hearing, vision, etc.
(c) Social and moral deficiencies.
i. Of parents. Bad environment, poverty, neglect and worse.
ii. Of the child. Laziness, moral weakness.
(d) Non-attendance.
i. Ill-health, prolonged absence, frequent absence.
ii. Intentional or avoidable.
iii. Frequent change of school.
Group II.—Dull and backward.—Children whose intelligence is below the average of their
standard.
(a) Mental incapacity.
i. Amentia, i.e., idiocy, imbecility, cretinism, etc.
ii. Mentally defective, i.e., suitable for special schools.
iii. Natural dulness not secondary to any obvious cause, i.e., physiological.
(b) Physical deficiencies (not causing absence).
i
ii As in class I.
(c) Social and moral deficiencies.
i.
ii. As before.
iii.
(d) Non-attendance.
i.
ii As before.
iii