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Handicapped Pupils
The Education Act 1944 imposes upon 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 the 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 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 consideration appropriate to the disability. Where this is not appropriate arrangements are
made for handicapped children to attend day or residential special schools. There are increasing
numbers of handicapped children with more than one disability who do not fall clearly in one
category.
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 23rd January 1969:-
84