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It is to be noted that out of the total of 161 known cases only 29 are under 7 years of age.
This is not satisfactory as it is very important that these cases should come to notice at the earliest
possible date, so that deformity may be prevented to the greatest possible extent. It is, however,
likely that if a suitable organisation were set up on the lines suggested such cases would come under
notice early and receive early treatment with a minimum resultant deformity.
For educational purposes the 161 known cripples in Willesden may be summarised as
follows:—
Attending ordinary Elementary Schools 48
Attending Day Special Schools 66
Attending Residential Special Schools 2
Attending Hospital Schools 3
Attending no school 42
161
The 48 children in attendance at ordinary Elementary Schools include those who have never
required admission to a cripple school as well as those who have been discharged from such. In
14 of these 48 cases crippling is the result of Tuberculosis and these cases should be in an open-air
day school.
In respect of the 66 cripple children attending Day Special Schools it is to be noted that the
Willesden Education Authority has provided two certified Day Special Schools for physically defective
and crippled children—one at Leopold Road, with certified accommodation for 40 children, and one
at Furness Road for 60 children. The actual number of cripple children in these schools at present
is 33 in Leopold Road P.D. School and 33 in Furness Road P.D. School. In addition, 5 cases are
waiting admission to Leopold Road P.D. School and 4 to Furness Road P.D. School.
The Willesden Day Special Schools are satisfactory in that they provide class rooms on the
ground floor, protection from rough play by other children, individual and special instruction and
medical and nursing supervision. Leopold Road P.D. School, however, was originally designed as
a school for mentally defective children and Furness Road P.D. School was the Manual Training
Room in connection with Furness Road Elementary School. Neither was intended to meet the
requirements of cripple children, and taking into account the proportion of the latter (vide table
above) who owe their deformity to Tuberculous Disease both may be said to be, in the matter of
open-air and facilities for physical recreation, entirely unsuited to the purpose. As a result the cripples
who attend these schools frequently break down in health and require to be sent back to Hospital
or for convalescence or have periods at home during which their education is interrupted. There
can be no doubt that their complete recovery is thereby delayed, and the possibility of their being
certified fit to return to an elementary school or of being fit on leaving school to earn their living
on equal terms with their fellows is greatly diminished. All of these children should really be in
attendance at an open-air school.
Of the 42 cases attending no school, 3 are in Hospitals or Sanatoria; 5 have left an ordinary
Elementary School after the age of 14 years and are working; 9 are waiting admission to the Special
Day Schools, and of those remaining 11 are under 7 years of age.
In connection with the question of crippling, the main causes of the condition are found
to include
(1) Tuberculosis of Bones and Joints.
(2) Paralysis (including Infantile Paralysis).
(3) Congenital deformities such as Club Foot.
(4) Rickets.
(5) Miscellaneous conditions, such as Injuries, Septic Bone Diseases, Rheumatism, etc.