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The Education Act, 1921
The Education Act, 1921, was passed shortly after the end of the first world war
and was the first statute to deal comprehensively with the whole field of public education
for children, including arrangements for the education of mentally defective children
as an integral part of its provision.
The Act required local education authorities to make arrangements to ascertain
which children between the ages of 5 and 14 years were, by reason of mental defect,
incapable of profiting from education in any ordinary school and to provide compulsory
special education in a special school for those between the age of 7 and 16 mentally
capable of receiving it. In these early days the problem confronting the school medical
officer was confined almost entirely to satisfying the education authority as to the backward
child's position having regard to these requirements and, additionally, whether
his behaviour was detrimental to the children with whom he associated in school.
Once the school medical officer had certified that a child was mentally defective it was
the local education authority's duty to arrange admission to a special school for the
mentally defective for so long as this was appropriate.
Referral
Headteachers referred children for investigation for special education almost
entirely upon their ability to progress by ordinary means of education and little notice
was taken of emotional maladjustment as a possible cause. Although obvious mental
defectiveness of low grade was noted before compulsory school age, unless the parent
desired custodial action, full investigation was deferred even in such cases until the time
came for admission to school when it was dealt with when educability was determined.
It was usual to arrange admission to an infant school and to leave it to the headmistress
to refer the child for ascertainment if she felt that he was mentally unable to benefit
from normal education. Severely defective children, whose admission to school was
obviously undesirable, were referred direct; generally by the education officer but also
bv other persons.
Preliminary
action
Once a child was referred the school medical officer had to obtain family and early
history. In London, a child already at school was referred direct by the headmistress
to the school medical officer whose duty it was to make certain that no physical or
social condition existed to prevent normal development and initiate action to remedy
any such condition. This pre-statutory examination was valuable in discovering conditions
that could be remedied, thus often obviating unnecessary mental examination
and anxiety on the part of parents concerned about their child's mental condition.
If the preliminary examination disclosed no physical abnormality or if after
correction of abnormality no improvement in educational progress resulted the school
medical officer recommended a statutory medical examination.
A Board of Education form (41D) completed by the headteacher provided a detailed
report for the use of the examining medical officer on the educational and social career
of the child, his ability and aptitudes and his home life so far as known, with a factual
record of school attendance. Where the child did not attend school a social worker
visited the home and reported. Any other medical records in existence were made
available.
Ascertainment
Statutory medical examination was carried out under section 55 by medical officers
of the local authority specially approved for the purpose by the Board (later Ministry)
of Education, to determine whether or not the child was certifiable as a mental defective
and incapable of receiving education in an ordinary school and if so to certify him as
such. These medical officers accordingly became known as 'certifying officers'. The
Council's school medical service was divided into five areas staffed by a number of
'certifying officers' according to population. Each area had a 'special education
section' which was responsible for statutory examinations, staffed by medical officers
who had specialised in mental deficiency practice. These were generally held at the
special school to which the child would go if certified as in need of special education,
thus the experience of the headteacher in dealing with defective children and their