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The term "imbecile" is applied in the main to those with a mental age of six or
less, but, when persons with this mental age were much better in practical ability,
behaviour, cleanliness, etc., they were not included in this group. On the other
hand a few with mental ages up to seven years, and who were altogether inefficient
and useless, were included in the imbecile group.
Under the poor-law school group are included a few children who were at charitable
homes, such as Dr. Barnardo's, Waifs and Strays, etc.
The special (M.D.) school group does not include those children who were found
ineducable at a special (M.D.) school after a few months trial; they are included in
the imbecile group.
"Education at Darenth only," means persons not imbecile, who had received all
their education at Darenth, having in most cases been admitted at an early age.
It will be seen that the children from the elementary and those from special
(M.D.) schools were on the average almost exactly comparable in intelligence and
reading, while the children from the former poor-law schools were often of higher
grade and in fact were the cases among whom the most difficulty in certification
occurred. It will be noted as regards the effects of education that in both the
elementary and the special (M.D.) school classes the reading age is just about eighttenths
of mental age, and the ratio is very nearly the same for those who have
attended poor-law schools.
In the imbeciles the results of education were practically negligible—illustrating
the fact that formal education with this class is really hopeless.
Sometimes the reading age was disproportionately below the mental age. This
was usually found to be the result of some such factor as defective sight or hearing,
although there was one anomalous case of a person who was both myopic and hard of
hearing but yet had a reading age of 10, while his mental age was only 8. He had
been educated at a special (M.D.) school.
Reading ages were occasionally above mental ages. This feature suggests a
psychotic or epileptic degeneration, for then the subject loses much of his or her
intelligence, but does not forget the reading that he or she has been taught in school.
This is in line with previous experience.
The initial ascertainment was done by Dr. Boome and Dr. Williams at Darenth,
but certification on petition was carried out by other approved doctors at the County
Hall a year or more later. On the 200 cases the decision differed in one case only
(a high grade lad with a mental age of 12).
The estimates of mental age were in close general agreement. In only 23 out
of 200 cases did the mental age, as found by the respective tests, differ by as much as
1 year. Where the differences were greatest they were due to such conditions as
marked instability, epilepsy, psychotic degeneration, hardness of hearing, hydrocephaly,
syphilitic paraplegia, etc.
In the great majority of cases the mental age found at the later examination was
the lower, since degeneration had taken place in the interval.
Occupation
centres for
children
unfit for
special
schools.
The Council 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. A routine examination was made
of those in attendance at the time of the visits of the school doctors, 137 children,