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98
28 of them showed some evidence of past rickets against 9 of the better housed
children.
The table on p. 31 shows clearly the physical inferiority and the greater incidence
of defects and diseases and evidence of parental ignorance and neglect among this
series of badly housed children—the following table showing the Frequency of School
Standard for Age gives evidence of educational and mental retardation:—
Good area.
Demolition area.
Age last birthday
8
9
10
11
12
13
8
9
10
11
12
13
Boys.
Standard 1
—
—
—
—
—
—
2
1
-
—
—
—
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
3
3
—
—
—
3
3
1
—
—
—
—
—
1
3
3
2
—
4
—
2
3
1
1
—
—
1
3
4
3
3
5
—
3
5
2
2
—
—
—
—
3
3
4
6
—
—
—
5
3
3
—
—
—
—
1
2
7
—
—
1
2
4
6
—
—
—
—
1
3
*Central
—
—
—
—
—
3
—
—
—
—
—
—
Girls.
Standard 1
—
—
—
—
—
—
1
1
—
—
—
—
2
1
3
1
—
—
—
3
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
3
2
4
—
—
4
—
4
1
-
-
-
-
-
5
6
3
1
5
1
1
4
4
—
2
—
—
—
—
3
3
6
—
—
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
5
7
—
—
—
3
5
6
—
—
—
—
2
4
♦Central
—
—
—
1
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
* Children drawn from the Central School at Capland-street to complete the numbers—these children also
live in the immediate neighbourhood.
This table, however, based on standards estimated by the head teachers
can only be approximately true. "Classes" have taken the place of "Standards,"
and the educational levels of work done in corresponding "classes" appear to vary
somewhat in different schools. The lowest class in the mixed boys and girls department
at Capland-street approximates to the level of Standard III. The "practical
class" at Capland-street for children of poorer mental attainments is peopled largely
by children from the poor area—5 of the 10 boys, and 8 of the 13 girls of the demolition
area drawn from Capland-street were in the "practical class." Although mental
tests were not used in the examination of the children, 3 boys and 1 girl from the
poor area were thought to be definitely subnormal in intelligence. The head teacher
at Capland-street informed me that last year 31 children from the mixed department
secured either scholarships, free places, or went to the Central School, and
practically all the children were drawn from the better neighbourhood.
The following information was obtained by asking each child the same questions
and the close correspondence found in the results seems to indicate that considerable
reliance can be placed on the answers. Had there been no war, some estimate of
the life value of the parents of these children might be gathered from the number of
parents who have died. The number of deceased parents is shown.
Good Area. Demolition Area.
Fathers Mothers Living Fathers Mothers
Dead. Dead. Apart. Dead. Dead.
Boys 3 1 2 11 5
Girls 4 2 1 10 4
It was stated that 7 poor boys' fathers, 5 poor girls' fathers had been killed
in the war, but that does not explain the relatively higher incidence of maternal
deaths in the poorer class. No child from the bad area volunteered the information