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29
PART III HANDICAPPED PUPILS
The number of handicapped pupils ascertained as needing special education
continues to grow. It has risen from 681 in 1966 to 1,167 in the year
under review, an increase of 86%. During that period the school population
has increased by only 23%. The largest increases are in the E.S.N. group,
almost doubled, from 298 to 567, after making allowance for the children at
Coldharbour School who were formerly outside the provision of the Education
Department and the maladjusted group, increased three and a half times from
48 to 170.
On the other hand the number of physically handicapped children has
only increased by one-third, while those categorised as delicate have
dropped from 83 to 18. Blind and partially sighted numbers remain substantially
the same, while the deaf and partially hearing group has increased
from 42 to 72, reflecting, it is believed, an epidemic of rubella in 1962/63.
The growing number of school children with physical defects is relatively
easy to explain. The advances in medical treatment both by drugs
and surgery are responsible for the survival of more children born with
handicaps. The group of spina bifida children is a good example. The fall in
the numbers of delicate children may reflect to some extent a healthier population
but probably is explained to a much greater extent by a change in
philosoohy. It is now considered that most of the children in this group
should remain at ordinary school, or if they do spend a period at a special
school, they return to ordinary school as soon as they appear reasonably fit
to do so.
There remain the two large groups mainly accounting for the increase
the E.S.N. and the maladjusted. It may be noted that these two groups of
children have not the same easy characteristics of diagnosis as those with
physical handicaps. It is very doubtful if there has been a change among
the child population sufficient to explain these increases. Probably many
factors are contributing. More attention is being paid to the child with
educational difficulties by school doctors and teachers, whether they are
bound up with behaviour problems or appear simply to be educational
retardation. Increases in the staffing of the Child Guidance and the Educational
Psychology Service have allowed more children to be seen.
Whatever the factors involved, the increase in the numbers of these
two groups of children shows no signs of abating, and this will have increasing
repercussions on the School Health and Educational Welfare
Sections dealing with the administrative side of the placement of the
children in special schools. The School Health Section is already under
severe pressure. The need for more places for the children in Day or Residential
Schools will also become increasingly a matter for concern. There
is now a waiting list at the two day schools for moderately educationally
retarded children and the day school for maladjusted children.