View report page

—102—
Nine deaf mutes, two boys and seven girls, are maintained
at Special Schools.
All backward children at school, who are more than two years
behind those of the same chronological age, are examined once in each
year. Those who are classed as feeble-minded are placed on a special
list to be kept under particular medical and educational supervision.
Imbeciles are notified at once to the Local Control Authority.
Should a feeble-minded child prove to be troublesome or difficult
to control, he or she is sent to a Special Residential School. The
others, who are usually the high-grade defectives, attend the public
elementary schools where they receive great consideration on the part
of both the teachers and the normal children. They are discouraged
from leaving school until they are 16 years of age unless the parents
car. show that a suitable occupation has been found for them. It is
surprising how well seme of these feeble-minded children do in
simple occupations. When they do leave before the age of 16 years
they are kept under the supervision of the Inspector under the
Juvenile Employment Committee. On reaching that age the
Local Control Authority is informed so that the supervision can
be continued.
There are at present 22 feeble-minded children attending
public elementary schools and none are kept at home. Three
children, two girls and one boy, are maintained at Residential
Special Schools.
The provision of Special Day Schools for mentally defective
children, who are at present attending public elementary schools,
remains for the future consideration of the Committee. Special
Schools are very costly and it would be especially costly to provide
for such a small number of children as there is to be dealt with in
this area. Moreover, the ultimate advantages of their special
education are, relatively speaking, so small that at a time when
economy must be exercised the provision of a costly special school
cannot be undertaken lightly. But if a special school must ultimately
be provided it appears that it would be better and more
economically provided by a combination of Local Education
Authorities in this part of the county.