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She is lazy, according to the teacher. A great contrast to No. 1, yet the result is
the same ; she is a misfit in the educational system.
(3) I.N., age 128/12 I.Q. 97. Average attendance 72 over 4 years.—This child,
of good intelligence, is backward owing to irregular attendance. She is frequently
kept at home to look after a bed-ridden mother. She has no physical defect and has
had no serious illness.
(4) L.D., age 134/12. I.Q. 97.—A recent admission. Attendance irregular at
other schools. History of rheumatism and chorea, slight cardiac dilatation. Previous
otorrhcea and hearing still slightly defective. Absent for 7 months with
scarlet fever, whilst in Infant school. In 1923, absent with chorea and rheumatic
heart for 3 months. In this case interrupted education through illness appears a
sufficient reason for backwardness.
(5) F.B., age 136/12. I.Q. 96. Average attendance 83 over 5 years. Has
slightly defective hearing, previously otorrhcea. Was in hospital for 6 months in
1924, owing to ear trouble. Her attendance in 1923-24 was very poor. Since she
began to attend more regularly, is getting on well with her work. Backwardness
due to irregular attendance owing to illness.
(6) K.D., age 134/12 I.Q. 96. Average attendance 84 over 5 years. Suffers
from bronchitis, heart murmur, rickety chest, wears glasses. Backwardness due to
frequent short absences owing to chest trouble and parental neglect.
(7) E.H., age 131/12. I.Q. 95. Average attendance 88 over 5 years,
suffered from gastritis and probable appendicitis. Made only 336 attendances Has
of 409 last year, owing to stomach trouble. Was in ordinary class until her illness.
Backwardness clearly due to ill health and loss of attendance.
(8) M.E., age 1402/12 I.Q. 93. Average attendance 93 over 5 years. Previously
suffered from otorrhcea. Hearing formerly very dull is now slightly defective.
This child is considered by the teacher to be similar to No. 1 temperamentally.
She is "scatterbrained." It is probable that habits of inattention due
to defective hearing have persisted after improvement of hearing.
(9) M.C., age 139/12 I.Q. 92. Broken attendance. Has lived partly in London
and partly in the country, and her school life has been irregular and discontinuous.
Is very capable in ordinary affairs. No physical defects or history of illness. Backwardness
due to discontinuity of education.
Of these nine girls of backward intelligence, there are, therefore, two for whose
backwardness no cause can be given, except that their character and temperament
unfits them for the ordinary methods of education, and these are of the highest
intelligence of the class. In the other seven, interrupted education is a cause;
in two of these the irregular attendance had no connection with illness, but in five
cases, illness is to be regarded as a main, if not the sole cause, of backwardness.
In three cases defective hearing is a contributory cause, and it is possible that defect
of hearing is the most common preventible cause at present of backwardness amongst
school children. Case No. 8 is an interesting one, as it is suggested that a habit of
mind inimical to progress educationally was set up by deafness, which had so
improved as no longer itself to be a continuing cause.
It is not possible, for reasons of space, to set out in detail the histories of the
remaining 27 children in Class I. They will, therefore, be dealt with in categories
according to their intelligence quotients.
There were 7 children with intelligence quotients falling between 80 and 90.
Of these, two had been regular attenders (98 and 97 per cent. of attendances respectively),
while five had had their attendance sadly interfered with by illness. Two
had suffered from defective hearing, one from ringworm and two from bronchitis.
One of the children with hearing defect had passed some years in a deaf school.
16 children had intelligence quotients ranging from 70 to 80. 10 of these were
were regular attenders, and were considered to be naturally dull; one of them was