View report page

9
meaning of the Act, a certificate to that effect by a duly qualified medical practitioner approved
by the Board of Education is required in each case. This certificate is in a form prescribed by the
Board of Education and is as follows—" I certify that this child, not being merely dull or backward,
and not being an idiot, an imbecile or a moral imbecile, is feeble-minded within the meaning of the
Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, but is not capable by reason of mental defect of receiving benefit from
instruction in a special school or class under the Education Act, 1921."
Feeble-minded persons under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, are defined as follows :—" persons
in whose case there exists from birth or from an early age, mental defectiveness not amounting
to imbecility, yet so pronounced that they require care, supervision, and control for their own protection
or for the protection of others or in the case of children, that they by reason of such defectiveness,
appear to be permanently incapable of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in ordinary
schools."
A child may be so retarded educationally and of such sub-normal scholastic capacity that it
may be fairly described as incapable of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in an ordinary
elementary school, but on the other hand the child may be able to accommodate itself to its particular
environment and be able to hold its own in its daily life, in other words, it has not got that degree
of social defect that a Certifying Officer would feel justified in certifying it as Feeble-minded within
the meaning of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.
Such children cannot therefore be compelled to attend a Special School or Class for defective
children and the urgent need for making provision for their education is apparent.
At one school in Willesden, namely, Lower Place Senior Mixed School, a special class for the '
following types of children has been formed, (1) dull or backward, (2) children who are too old for
an Infants' Department and who have attended school so irregularly as not to be fit from an educational
point of view to be placed in a class in a Senior Department, (3) children of awkward temper and
character who have reached Standard 2 and who are better suited in a Senior Department where
the discipline is stricter. This class was instituted a few years ago and last year it was decided to
restrict the numbers to about 25. The course given is an intensive one, and certain subjects are
taught by means of simple plays. The progress of the children is reviewed at frequent intervals
and those children who are considered to have made sufficient advancement are drafted into the
ordinary classes.
A type of abnormal child which is being met with and which is extremely difficult to deal
with is the child suffering from mental changes due to an attack of Encephalitis Lethargica or Sleepy
Sickness. This disease varies much in the intensity of attack. An individual may be very gravely
ill, but on the other hand the illness may be so transient that the true nature of it escapes notice
at the time. The after effects however may prove serious. A child may shew marked signs of
intellectual or moral degradation. A child who previous to the illness was bright may become dull
and be no longer able to take the same place in school. Another child who had previously been
well-behaved may undergo a complete change in character and become addicted to lying, petty
thieving or more serious offences. There may be an entire lack of shame and remorse for the misdeeds
and punishment has little or no deterrent effect. Cases in which these symptoms are present to
such a degree as to prevent the individual "from managing himself or his affairs" or are such as
to necessitate "care, supervision and control for his own protection or for the protection of others"
can be dealt with under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, but cases which do not come under these
categories cannot be so dealt with, and the question of making special provision for the education
and control of these children requires careful consideration.
Leinster Road Mentally Defective School.—The certified accommodation at this school
is for 100 children, and during the year under review the average number on the roll was 90, the actual
number on the roll at 31st December, 1924, being 91. The average attendance for the year was
79. There were 20 children awaiting admission to this school at the end of the year, due to insufficuent
ambulance accommodation.
The staff which was reduced by one full-time assistant in 1923 remains at one Head Teacher
and three full-time assistants. Arrangements were made for the provision of a part-time assistant
to train a class of boys in bootmaking to start early in 1925. There are in the school 35 boys over
11 years of age suitable to attend this class, but the number to be admitted is limited to 8, leaving
27 boys for whom no provision has been made. Owing to the loss of the full-time assistant teacher
in 1923, it has been found necessary to cut down the time given to instruction in handiwork by more
than one half. In order to provide sufficient vocational training, the services of a full-time instructor
in manual work is required. This would allow of a class of eight boys receiving instruction for 4
hours per week. At present the hall of the school is used for manual work which is not a satisfactory
arrangement and more accommodation is required.
Two children were reported to the Local Control Authority as incapable of receiving further
benefit from instruction in the school, two were reported as Imbeciles, and one was reported as
incapable of being instructed without detriment to the interests of the other children.
The certifying Officer visits the school weekly for the purpose of revision of classification
and for medical examination of the children. The parents are notified of any defects requiring
attention. 76 such examinations were made during 1924.
Four children were given sanction to leave the school before reaching the age of 16 years.
Two of the children had got situations as errand boys, one had found employment with an instrument
maker and the fourth had obtained a domestic post.