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(e) Summary of subsequent developments—In the period immediately after the inception
of the Act of 1944 the only facilities available for maladjusted children, apart from treatment
at a clinic, were the few special classes initiated by the 'problem' conferences, or
boarding placement in voluntary schools or hostels. In 1947 there were five special classes,
each taking six or seven pupils at a time, and some 80-90 pupils were placed in non-Council
establishments.
The following years have seen a development along the lines indicated in Pamphlet
No. 5, but the programme of expansion has necessarily been dependent upon factors such
as difficulties of securing suitable premises, shortage of suitably qualified staff, and governmental
financial limitations.
At all times the facilities available have lagged behind the number of recommendations
received from the child guidance clinics and the 'problem' case conferences, so that
there have always been a number of pupils, formally ascertained as maladjusted, who have
been awaiting placement. Because of the shortage of directly provided accommodation
the Council has been obliged to make use of voluntary and independent establishments
scattered all over the country. The number of such establishments used, which was about
70 in 1950, grew to over 90 in 1952 and is now about 100. The widespread location of
pupils in this way raises considerable problems of supervision and inspection for the
Education Officer's department.
By 1959 there was 22 day special classes, eight boarding schools and three day special
schools, whilst about 500 pupils were placed in non-Council establishments. These services
are discussed in greater detail below.
(f) Day special classes—The first day special class in London and, for that matter,
in the country was started in June, 1944 and the following extract from the annual report
for 1944/45 of the 'problem' case conference for division 5 tells the story:
"The London Hospital approached us in June, asking if there were any facilities for helping children
whose behaviour problems were aggravated by their backwardness in school. Mrs. Davids, one of our
infants' headmistresses . . . , expressed her interest in this work and a large room was found for her . . .
She quickly obtained toys and educational apparatus, and took over some of the children from the
London hospital, and some others who had been referred to us ".
Mrs. Davids wrote at the time a detailed report on her work, of which the following
extracts are of special interest in that they indicate clearly how from the very start of the
scheme the concept was along lines which are still followed:
"The children recommended for inclusion in this scheme lack determination and have poor powers of
concentration; are inhibited and react markedly to the influence of their environment,... in their
classroom they lose interest in their work if they are unable to maintain the standard of attainment of
their class-mates. They have a sense of inferiority and try to conceal the extent of retardation. In any
emergency they become inhibited . . . Hence, when submitting to a mental test they rarely show their
actual ability ...
The child's backwardness is often a result of unfavourable environment, e.g., repression at home,
loss of parents, shelter dwelling, unsavoury association with bad companions, neglect, mental shock,
scolding, over-anxious parents . . .
Aims—to diagnose the cause of backwardness and treat by coaching, free play, or relaxation, in order
that the child may, if possible, be enabled to return to his normal class in school. That he may feel that
he belongs to his school and can take a really useful part in the running of that school.
Each child attending the centre has to put in at least six sessions weekly in his own school—he attends
the centre for a maximum of four sessions weekly, and stress is laid on the fact that he is an active member
of his own school . . . ."
Table (vii) on page 153 shows how the number of children attending these classes has
grown over the years, as the provision has been increased to a total of 22 classes by the
end of 1959.
(g) Day special schools—The first day special school for the maladjusted in London
was opened in 1954. One of the reasons which led to the provision of a day school in
addition to the classes was that teachers of the classes had sometimes expressed a wish
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