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H.—Residential Schools for Epileptic Children, Manchester.
26. Manchester—Soss Moss Council School.—Visited 13th April, 1920. Deputation:—
Councillors W. M. Bolton, Mrs. Moore, Miss Royle, the Rev. H. Martin Thorpe, and Dr. Buehan.
This school has accommodation for 100 children of both sexes. It deals with the educable
type of epileptic. The boys and girls have separate living and sleeping pavilions, but the classes are
mixed. The institution is in charge of a matron.
Children are admitted between the ages of 5 and 16. There is a considerable area of land
attached to this institution which is utilised to the greatest possible extent for the teaching of
gardening.
The boys are also taught cobbling and the girls dressmaking and knitting and the like. The
instruction is largely manual.
The institution is built on the pavilion system and is maintained by the Manchester Education
Authority. We were much impressed by this institution.
General Conclusions on Visits.
From the foregoing statement of visits it will be noted that the following classes of schools
have been seen:—
A.—Day Open Air Schools—Six in number.
B.—Day Schools for Cripple Children—One in number.
C.—Day Open Air Schools for Children suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis—One in
number.
D.—Residential Open Air Schools—Five in number.
E.—Residential Open Air Schools for Cripple Children—Three in number.
F.—Residential Sanatorium Schools for Children suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis
—Four in number.
G.—Residential Sanatorium Schools for Children suffering from Surgical Tuberculosis—
Four in number.
H.—Residential School for Epileptic Children—One in number.
The foregoing day schools and residential institutions have been established with a view of
placing the children admitted under conditions likely to improve their health and educating them
step by step with improvement in their physical condition. These schools have been established
by various authorities in England and Wales, and everywhere we went there was agreement that
the pupils attending improved mentally and physically owing to the regime at the schools, and leave
in a condition which, with few exceptions, enables them to become self-supporting citizens.
It was also borne in upon us that fresh air and sunlight are only adjuncts to the treatment of
these cases and the improvement in their health, and that proper dieting, rest, cleanliness and physical
exercises are equally important.
Medical inspection requires to be frequent and supervision constant so that the health of
the child may be permanently set up and its course of studies directed having regard to its physical
disability and future career.
Obligations of the Local Education Authority.
The Local Education Authority is compelled to make suitable provision for the education
of physically defective children whose age exceeds seven years. (Section 20, Education Act, 1918
—in operation, 1st April, 1920.)
Having regard to the result of our visits, it would appear necessary for the local authority
to establish:—
(1) A Day Open Air School—for children suffering from anaemia, debility, mal-nutrition,
paralysis and deformities, and for children showing pre-disposition to disease, i.e.,
pre-tubercular children; and, ultimately,
(2) A Residential Open Air School—for children suffering from conditions too advanced
for the day open air school, including tuberculosis of the lungs, bones, etc., where
treatment is prolonged.
Number of Physically Defective Children in Willesden.
At the present time many of the Willesden children suffering from the conditions mentioned
above are being inadequately or irregularly educated or are receiving no education at all owing
to the want of the kind of school accommodation which will enable them to attend regularly without
health deterioration. The School Medical Inspection records have been incomplete in Willesden
since 1915, and there have been none at all since 1917, but having regard to such records as are