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under the National Health Service, is sometimes considered by otologists to be less suited
to the needs of individual children than one or other of the commercial aids available on
the market. In December, 1953 the Health Committee approved the purchase of commercial
aids for children when the medical officer considered that the Medresco aid was unsuitable.
Accordingly, whenever the medical officer is satisfied, on medical and educational grounds
after three months' trial, that a commercial aid is of benefit to a child its purchase is
authorised.
The schools—For children with a severe hearing loss the Council has established four
primary special schools and one secondary special school. These schools provide a range
of small, well balanced classes which permit a greater amount of individual teaching.
In each of the special primary schools there is a nursery department equipped to deal with
children from the age of two years who need special training before continuing in the
primary school for the deaf or before proceeding to one of the units for partially hearing
children. These nursery classes are taught by qualified teachers of the deaf and give the
younger child every opportunity of attaining a high oral standard.
The schools for the deaf are equipped with excellent group hearing aids in every classroom,
except for the nursery departments. In the latter, a loop induction system has been
installed and this system is also available in every other classroom in addition to the group
aid. Tape recorders, gramophones, wireless receivers, auditory trainers and audiometers
are also provided. Soundtreating of a very complete type is being carried out in all schools.
There are four partially hearing units in primary schools for hearing children and
secondary education for partially hearing children is provided at two partially hearing units
attached to comprehensive schools. The principle obtaining in these units is that, while
special training by teachers of the deaf using modern equipment including group hearing
aids is essential, partially hearing children should be integrated into hearing classes so that
they may learn with their hearing companions and adjust themselves socially to a hearing
society. There are teachers of the deaf in all these units.
For children in schools for the deaf and in the primary units for the partially hearing it
was thought that it would be beneficial to have an extra teacher who could give special
help to individual children. The Council therefore appointed an extra teacher for individual
auditory training in each of the schools for the deaf and the primary units for partially
hearing. Auditory training units are supplied for use by the teachers.
The Council's boarding special school, Rayners, provides for the needs of partially
hearing children suffering from additional handicaps. As this school until recently catered
for deaf, as well as partially hearing children, there are still a few very deaf children there
who will remain until they leave the school at the age of sixteen years. Some children are
placed in non-Council boarding establishments for children with impaired hearing.
In November 1962, the Council agreed that the London School Plan should be amended
in so far as it related to provision for plans in day special schools for handicapped children.
The proposed future plan for the education of children with impaired hearing in London
makes a number of changes. Children below the age of five will be in units for the partially
hearing, instead of being in schools for the deaf. There will, of course, be teachers of the
deaf with them, so that they will receive the special approach required from the teacher
of the deaf, yet be able to learn a normal social way of life from being in contact with
normal children; normal in this sense meaning children with normal hearing. Those who
can hear anything will also have the benefit of hearing more normal speech patterns and
generally there will be greater motivation towards the use of speech whenever possible.
There will be an additional primary partially hearing unit and two more partially hearing
units in secondary schools. The secondary units, to be opened in September 1963, will have,
in addition to the completely integrated groups of children, a small group who will need to
remain as a single group with a teacher of the deaf and go into normal classes for selected
subjects, such as art, handwork, games, etc.
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