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There has been some difficulty with the Board of Education in the meaning which they attach
to the word " Deaf." This, it appears, is to be restricted to the very narrowest possible definition, and
the class of borderland cases who, if young, will become speechless, or who from want of particular and
localized brain defect should have a probationary trial, to see whether speech cannot be developed by
kinaesthetic methods, are to be excluded. These, however, are highly technical questions, and only
affect a comparatively limited class of child.
The question of special classes for hard of hearing children has, however, been brought under
consideration. Such classes are practically deaf classes, and can only be treated and considered as such,
and should have the special grant for the deaf paid.
PHYSICALLY DEFECTIVE CHILDREN.
There are now 23 invalid schools with approximately 1,802 children on the roll ; 35 ambulance
carriages and 11 omnibuses take these children daily to and from school, and 24 nurses attend to their
conveyance and care in school.
The admission of an invalid or crippled child to such a school is only permitted after a medical
examination in accordance with the provisions of the Elementary Education (D. and E.) Act, 1899. In
most cases the decision as to whether a child is fit for the special school or not is a comparatively easy
matter. For the benefit of the child itself, however, a much more careful examination by an expert
surgeon is of advantage. The future chances of the child must be estimated. Some children should be
made to work; others should be treated very lightly. Each case requires a separate and careful judgment
apart from the mere question of fitness or unfitness for the special school, and this work has been
undertaken during the past year by Mr. R. C. Elmslie. The introduction of a card system of keeping
these records has enabled him to analyse the results, and thus give a more comprehensive survey of
physical defect in childhood than hitherto has ever been possible.

Age of onset of tuberculous disease where there was a definite history.

* The numbers enclosed in parenthesis refer to children who, having two or more defects, have been included
in one of the previous classes.