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Verrucas
The steady increase in the incidence of verruca (plantar wart) continues to cause concern.
Investigations are proceeding into the most effective methods of treatment. It is necessary ruthlessly to
exclude from swimming all children with foot ailments of any kind until they have been examined by a
school doctor or school nurse. I would stress the need for even greater attention to hygiene in the
swimming baths, including more frequent sluicing of the baths precincts. In addition, physical education
should never be carried out in bare feet.
Handicapped Pupils
The Education Act 1944 places on local education authorities the duty of ascertaining handicapped
pupils in their areas and of providing special educational treatment for such children. Though it is the
duty of the local authority to ascertain these children from the age of two years, it is often desirable,
especially in the case of blind, deaf or cerebral palsied children, that the defect be discovered before
this age, so that steps may be taken to help the child to develop as normally as possible despite his
handicap.
The School Health Service and Handicapped Pupils Regulations 1959 defined the various categories
of handicapped pupils as follows:-
Blind Epileptic
Partially Sighted Maladjusted
Deaf Physically Handicapped
Partially Hearing Delicate
Educationally Subnormal Children suffering from speech defects
Pupils handicapped by severe blindness or deafness are normally educated in special schools.
Special educational treatment may be provided for other categories in an ordinary school with special
considerations appropriate to the disability. Where this is not appropriate, arrangements are made for
handicapped children to attend day or residential special schools.
Home tuition may be arranged on a temporary or permanent basis for children unsuitable for education
at school.
The following table shows the number of pupils newly ascertained as handicapped, and newly placed
in special schools during the year, and the distribution of ascertained handicapped children on the 20th
January, 1966:-
72