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In connection with the number of children not at school, there were exempt from further attendance
791, in the country 44, permanently disabled 82, temporarily unfit 330, of non-compulsory ages 104,
under surveillance or not at school from miscellaneous causes 398.
Dull or
backward.
In the age groups, out of 258,38b children (130,289 boys and 128.097 girls) examined, the following
were found to be the mental conditions: dull or backward—age group 8.9 years—boys 7 3 per cent.,
girls 6.4 per cent. ; leavers—boys 7.2, girls 8.0 per cent. ; mentally defective—age group 8-9 years—boys
and girls 0.2 per cent. ; leavers—boys and girls 0.02 per cent.
Blind and
anyone/
The examination ot children reported for serious detect ot the eyes, the periodic examination ot
the children in the blind schools and myope classes, and also the examination of the eyes of children in
certain types of trade schools for the physically defective, in the schools for the deaf, and in some of the
industrial schools, have been made by Mr. Bishop Harman (the Council's ophthalmologist) ; 569
children were examined, of whom 106 were passed for blind schools, 180 for myope classes.
dieses for
the (leaf Hud
partially
deaf.
Children noted by the teachers as partially deaf are examined at the schools or at special centres
by the school doctors, and all cases in which there is marked impairment of hearing are referred for special
investigation by Mr. Yearsley (the Council's otologist). In the year ended 31st December, 1915, 283
children were thus examined.

Mental
Deficiency
Act, 1913.
During the year 899 cases were referred by the local education authority to the local authority
under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, of which 75 were feeble.minded, 689 imbecile, 133 idiot, and 2
were moral imbeciles.
Dental inspection
and
treatment of
children in
blind,
myope, deaf
and hard of
hearing
classes.
The teeth of children attending the Council s blind, myope, deaf, and hard ot hearing day schools
are examined and attended to by a dentist specially engaged for the purpose by the Council.
The dentist visits each day school twice a year, and the consent of the parents is obtained in all cases
before children receive treatment. Where accommodation permits, facilities for tooth.brush drill are
also provided. During the year the dentist made 1,523 examinations and treated 626 cases, but some
of the children were treated more than once. Objections to inspection or treatment, or both, were
received in 216 cases. In addition to this work the dentist also made 100 examinations in connection
with children boarded out from industrial schools, and treated 47 cases.
Stammering.
635 children (472 boys, 163 girls) in the age groups have been noted as suffering from
stammering. From time to time attention has been drawn to the need for special educational treatment
of children suffering from stammering and schemes have been drawn up for the opening of experimental
day classes, but up to the present none of the schemes has reached maturity. The Council has, however,
added the subject of articulation for stammerers to the list of subjects which might be taught in
the curriculum of evening institutes and two experimental classes were organised in the Christmas
term taught by teachers of the deaf by oral methods.
The Council has also made provision for the students in the training colleges to be instructed in
the theory and practice of speech. The authorities of St. Thomas's Hospital, moreover, have established
a "speech clinic" for the treatment of school children suffering from defective speech, including
stammeiing, post-adenoid conditions, respiratory defects, and general nervous conditions.