View report page

tests when a child is very young, but an experienced medical officer can make allowances
for emotional or other disturbances, and, where there is any doubt whatever,
re-examination can be carried out. However, in children showing evidence of educational
sub-normality, a limited period in a special school with small classes may result in better
educational attainment and a return to the ordinary school later.
Maghull Institution, Liverpool, was the first in this country to provide (in 1888) for
the training and care of epileptics.
Epileptic
children
In 1896, the London School Board made representations to the Education Department
respecting 'defectives'. These representations drew particular attention to children
capable of receiving education who, by reason of severe epilepsy, were excluded from
ordinary and special schools, and the Departmental Committee on Defective Children
recommended that special provision should be made for such children by means of
residential schools.
The Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act, 1899, gave
permissive powers to school authorities to make such arrangements as they thought fit
for (1) ascertaining 'what children in their district are epileptic children, that is to say,
what children, not being idiots or imbeciles, are unfit by reason of severe epilepsy to
attend the ordinary public elementary schools', and (2) for making provision for the
education of such children, between the ages of 7 and 16. The obligation to educate a
defective or epileptic child between 7 and 16 was only imposed upon the parent' where
a special class or school is within reach of the child's residence.' A parent was given the
right to bring his child to the school authority for medical examination, and could also
be compelled to do so under a penalty not exceeding five pounds. A child was not
'ascertained' under the Act to be epileptic until it had been so certified by a qualified
medical practitioner.
The School Board decided not to avail themselves of the provision of the 1899 Act
with regard to the education of epileptics, because the limitation which the Act contained
as to the size of homes was unsatisfactory. No establishment could consist of more than
four homes, each for fifteen children. A special Sub-Committee was appointed by the
London School Board to consider the matter, and the Board's Medical Officer was
requested to examine all the children in London reported as epileptic, in order that
trustworthy information might be available both as to the number and the severity of
the cases. The Medical Officer's report, showing 114 cases fit for residential school, was
forwarded to the Board of Education, together with a memorial from the School Board
objecting to the limitation contained in the Act, on the ground that it would ultimately
require five establishments to deal with the epileptic children in London. The Act
remained a dead letter so far as epileptic children were concerned.
In 1903, an amending Act was passed, giving the Board of Education power to
submit Rules to Parliament under which schools might be certified without regard to
the limit of size imposed by the Act of 1899. After this amendment, the School Board
decided to make provision for epileptics, and they asked the Board of Education for
their sanction to provide the accommodation needed. The National Society for the
Employment of Epileptics was also approached about the possibility of the provision
required being made at their colony at Chalfont St. Peter.
After the transfer of the powers of the London School Board to the Council,
arrangements were made for sending children suffering from chronic epilepsy, and who
were unfit to attend an ordinary school but who could benefit from education, to
epileptic colony schools if the children were between the ages of 7 and 13 years, subject
to the parent's consent. The authorities of the epileptic colonies had the right of selection.
If admitted, the children might be retained until the age of 16 years.
Thus, until the transfer to the council, in 1930, of the Hackney Branch Home at
Brentwood (later known as St. Faith's) and the Edmonton Colony for Epileptics, the
Council had not itself provided a school for epileptic children. It had secured
197