London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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review includes, inter alia, a summary of the results of the survey of children suffering
from cerebral palsy, to which reference was made on page 113 of last year's report.
At the end of 1957 special educational treatment was being provided for nearly 11,000 pupils and the following table shows the main categories of handicap and numbers of pupils receiving full-time special educational treatment :
| Day special schools | Boarding special schools | Hospitals | Non-Council boarding schools, hostels, foster-homes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind | — | 59 | — | 61 |
| Partially sighted | 281 | — | — | 9 |
| Deaf and partially deaf | 303* | 33 | — | 84 |
| Physically handicapped | 1,025 | 75 | 380 | 75 |
| Delicate | 1,430 | 204 | — | 155 |
| Educationally sub-normal | 3,350 | 598 | — | 35 |
| Epileptic | — | — | — | 42 |
| Maladjusted | 83 | 259 | 55 | 365 |
*Includes 73 pupils in partially deaf units.
In addition, part-time special educational treatment at day special classes was
provided for 324 maladjusted pupils and 1,867 pupils with speech defects.
During the year the numbers of new formal ascertainments were as follows :
| Day | Boarding | |
|---|---|---|
| Blind | — | 21 |
| Partially sighted | 34 | 1 |
| Deaf and partially deaf | 52 | 5 |
| Delicate | 362 | 526* |
| E.S.N. | 583 | 100 |
| Epileptic | — | 4 |
| Maladjusted | 147 | 255 |
| Physically handicapped | 194 | 16 |
| Speech defect | 1,140 | 32† |
| Dual defect | — | 52 |
*Including diabetic and E.S.N./Delicate.
†Including 23 pupils already E.S.N. and 8 already P.H.
Section 57 of the Education Act, 1944, deals with the examination and reporting
to the local health authority of children considered incapable of receiving education at
school, of children whom it is considered inexpedient to educate with other children
and of children needing supervision under the enactments relating to mental health
after leaving school. Details of the numbers reported under this section are given below :
Educationally
sub-normal
pupils
Section 57 (3)—Incapable of receiving education :
| Children not in any school | 57 |
| Children in normal schools | 3 |
| Children in special schools | 75 |
| 135 | |
| Section 57 (3) and (4)—Inexpedient to educate with other children | 4 |
| Section 57 (5)—School leavers | 322 |
In 1957 another 109 school leavers were in need of voluntary supervision only.
Section 8 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1948, provides for a review
in the case of any child reported to the local health authority under Section 57 (3) of
the Education Act, 1944 and authorises the cancellation of the report where the child on
re-examination is found to be educable. During 1957 three reports were cancelled and
the children admitted to special schools.
The number of reports issued under section 57 (3) is smaller than of recent years
because in 1957 the procedure to be adopted in such cases was under discussion with the
Ministry of Education and during this time action was held in abeyance.
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