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 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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In addition, part-time special education at day special classes was provided for 407
maladjusted pupils and 2,757 pupils with speech defects.
Educationally sub.normal pupils—Ministry of Education circular 12/60 dealt with a
number of changes in procedures relating to educationally sub.normal pupils consequential
upon the implementation of the Mental Health Act, 1959, with effect from 1 November,
1960. The most important of these changes were the amendments to section 57 of the
Education Act, 1944, which provided the following simplifications in procedure:
(i) to secure the prior approval of the Special Education sub.committee to the issue
of a notice for examination is no longer necessary.
(ii) the transmission to the mental health service of information about school leavers
is placed on an informal basis.
The extension of this latter procedure to leavers from schools for the maladjusted is
discussed on page 110.
In addition, the Act now provides a legal procedure for the review of a decision that a
child is unsuitable for education, with a parental right of appeal to the Minister.
Until 31 October, 1960, section 57 dealt with the examination and reporting to the local
health authority of children considered incapable of receiving education at school; of
children whom it was considered inexpedient to educate with other children; and school
leavers needing supervision under the enactments relating to mental health.
From 1 November, 1960 there is no provision for children to be reported to the local
health authority on the grounds that their disability of mind makes it inexpedient that they
should be educated with other children. A further amendment of this section provides
that all supervision of school leavers reported to the local health authority shall be on a
voluntary basis in the form of community care. The phrase 'incapable of receiving
education at school' has been replaced by ' unsuitable for education at school
The following table therefore gives
| 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Section 57(3)—Incapable of receiving education: | |||
| Children not in any school | 118 | 86 | 71 |
| Children in normal schools | 9 | 6 | - |
| Children in special schools | 83 | 97 | 49 |
| Children receiving home tuition | 2 | 1 | - |
| 212 | 190 | 120 | |
| Section 57(3) and (4)— | |||
| Inexpedient to educate with other children | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Section 57(5)—School leavers | 305 | 272 | 124* |
| (b) Section 57 (as amended)—Unsuitable for education: | |||
| Children not in any school | 13 | ||
| Children in special schools | 8 | ||
| 21 | |||
* Another 191 school leavers were in need of voluntary supervision only.
Section 8 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1948 enabled a review to be
made in the case of any child who had been reported to the local health authority under
section 57 (3), and gave authority for the cancellation of the report where the child, on
re-examination, was found to be suitable for education. During the year one case was
dealt with under this section.
From 1 November, 1960 section 8 of the Act of 1948 was superseded by the amended
section 57 of the Education Act, 1944, under which section cancellation of reports will be
made in future. No reports were cancelled between 1 November and the end of the year.
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