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211
of seven years are educable feeble-minded. The
Education Committee are not required under Section
2 (2) to notify these children to the Middlesex
County Council, unless—
(i.) They cannot be instructed in a special school
or class without detriment to the interests of
other children; or
(ii.) The Board of Education certify that there are
special circumstances which render it desirable
that they should be dealt with under this Act
by way of supervision or guardianship; or
(iii.) On or before attaining the age of 16 years
they are about to be withdrawn or discharged
from a special school or class, and the Education
Committee are of opinion that it would
be to the benefit of the children that they should
be sent to an institution or placed under guardianship.
Paragraph 8 of Circular 829, herewith enclosed, however,
suggests that the Education Committee should furnish
the Middlesex County Council with information as to the
children under or over the age of seven years who appear
to belong to the class of educable feeble-minded.
Moral Imbecile—i.e., a child who from an early age
displays some permanent mental defect, coupled
with strong vicious or criminal propensities, on
which punishment has little or no deterrent effect.
[Mental Deficiency Act, 1913. Section 1 (d).]
The Education Committee are required under Section
31 (1) of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, to ascertain what
children over the age of seven years are moral imbeciles.
As practically all the children coming within the definition
given above also belong to the class who cannot be instructed
in a special school without detriment to the interests