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47
third had been given a trial in M.D. schools and had there been found ineducable.
It is worth noting that a certain type of private school receives children unfit for any
schools belonging to an education authority, but the result is rarely satisfactory.
Though there were no examples in the present group, there do occur, not infrequently,
cases of children who have been deemed fit for special schools, being sent to
private schools by the parents. The result is almost always a failure and the child
ultimately goes to the special school, having suffered from the delay.

The educational attainments of the imbeciles were usually nil and never beyond
those of a small infant.
None of the imbeciles in this series was employed, and action under the Mental
Deficiency Act was usually needed because of the inability of the parents to care
for them and supply their needs. None of the feeble-minded with mental ages of 8 or
less had sufficient intelligence for employment, but those above the 9 year level
failed in occupations mainly because of their unstable character and troublesome
behaviour. Some of these and most of those above the 10 year level were not incapable
of useful occupation, but needed care and control because of the character defect,
sometimes entirely " for the protection of others."
Occupation
centres for
children unfit
for special
schools.
The London Association for Mental Welfare has organised occupation centres
in various parts of London for the training of mental defectives who are incapable
of benefiting by the curriculum of the special schools for mentally deficient children.
Each of the ten centres was visited during 1930 by the school doctors, and a routine
medical examination was made of those in attendance at the time of the visits. The
number of children examined was 183 (103 boys and 80 girls). Their ages ranged
from 6 to 17, but the majority were between 9 and 14. In the condition of their
clothing, nutrition and the cleanliness of head and body they showed no signs of
neglect and were up to the standard that obtains among ordinary elementary school
children : 76 were noted as in need of medical or dental treatment—a percentage
of 42, which is very little above that of children of the same age in elementary schools.
Dental treatment was required in 57 cases, treatment for enlarged tonsils or adenoid
growths in 7 cases, 10 had a marked squint, 4 suffered from skin disease and 13
had other defects, 2 of them being subject to fits.
Apart from the cases of squint and dental defect there seems to be no undue
incidence of disease among these children. The parents were invited to be present
at the detailed examinations, and in 66 per cent, a parent attended—a similar
proportion to that obtaining for children of the same age in elementary schools.
It is evident that these children are well looked after at home and sent to the
centres well fed and in a clean and tidy condition.
The employment of guides has been sanctioned when necessary to convey
the children between the centres and their homes and the Council has made a grant
for this purpose.