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73
(1) Idiots.
(2) Imbeciles.
(3) Moral Imbeciles.
(4) Feeble-minded,
(a) Who are not capable of receiving benefit at, or who are
unsuitable for, a Special School;
(b) Who are educable but are troublesome at home and at
School;
(c) Who are capable of some education and who are
amenable to discipline.
Children coming within groups (1), (2), (3) and (4a) are notified to
the County Council, who are required to make provision for them.
Groups (4b), children who are educable but who are troublesome at home
or at school, and (4c), children who are capable of education and who are
amenable to discipline, come within the care of the Education Authority,
which is required to make special provision for these particular children
On the 31st December, 1926, there were in the former group 19
children, of whom 15 were being maintained in Special Residential
Schools by the Education Authority, three were awaiting vacancies
in Residential Schools and one was kept under good circumstances
at home; and in the latter group 31 children, 28 of whom were at
elementary schools and three were allowed to leave school before attaining
16 years because suitable occupations had been offered.
Thus it may be considered that at present there arc 31 children
for whom a special form of education should be provided. These are
the highest grade mental defectives who do not ordinarily show antisocial
characters and who are likely to earn their own livelihood and
to make, if not good, at least tolerable citizens.
On several occasions I have made Special Reports to the Education
Committee on the need for Special School accommodation for the
mentally defective children who are educable to some extent. In 1919
I suggested the use of Village Park as a Special School but the need for
housing families was considered by the Council to be more pressing.
The next year I furnished to the Committee a Special Report on defective
children. In this I recommended the establishment of a Day School
for mentally defective children and a limited number of Special Classes
in the ordinary schools for Backward Children. The question was
adjourned to enable a suitable site to be found. No suitable site was
found and the proposal fell through. In 1924 I suggested the combination
of several Local Education Authorities in establishing a Special
Day School for a wider area. I took steps to ascertain if this proposal
might be entertained, but I could find encouragement in only one
quarter.
In my Annual Report for 1925 I alluded to the question of the
education of mentally defective children as follows:—
"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."
Since I wrote that I have not changed my views.