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Mentally Defective Children.—Feeble-minded Children.—Mentally Defective children are
children who, not being imbecile and not being merely dull or backward, are incapable by reason
of mental defect of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in the ordinary Public Elementary
Schools but are not incapable by reason of that defect of receiving benefit from instruction in Special
Schools for mentally defective children.
This category includes only those children for whose education and maintenance the Local
Education Authority are responsible, and excludes all children who have been notified to the Local
Authority under the Mental Deficiency Act. Details of such children are given on page 42.
At Certified Schools for Mentally Defective Children 124
At Public Elementary Schools 1
At other Institutions —
At no School or Institution 3
Total 128
Epileptic Children.—Children Suffering from Severe Epilepsy.—In this part of the Table
only those children are included who are epileptic within the meaning of the Act, i.e., children who,
not being idiots or imbeciles, are unfit by reason of severe epilepsy to attend the ordinary Public
Elementary Schools.
For practical purposes the Board of Education are of opinion that children who are subject
to attacks of major epilepsy in school should be recorded as “severe” cases and excluded from ordinary
Public Elementary Schools.
At Certified Special Schools 2
At Public Elementary Schools —
At other Institutions -
At no School or Institution 1
Total 3
Physically Defective Children.—Physically Defective children are children who, by reason
of physical defect, are incapable of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in the ordinary
Public Elementary Schools, but are not incapable by reason of that defect of receiving benefit from
instruction in Special Schools for physically defective children.
The exact classification of physically defective children is admittedly a matter of difficulty
Defective children are recorded below as accurately as possible under the selected sub-headings.
(a) Tuberculous Children.—In this category are placed only cases diagnosed as tuberculous
and requiring treatment for tuberculosis at a sanatorium, a dispensary, or elsewhere. Children
suffering from crippling due to tuberculosis which is regarded as being no longer in need of treatment
are recorded as crippled children, the degree of crippling being such as to interfere materially with
the child's normal mode of life. All other cases of tuberculosis regarded as being no longer in need
of treatment are recorded as delicate children.
(i.) Children Suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. (Including pleura and intra-thoracic
glands.)
At Certified Special Schools —
At Public Elementary Schools† —
At other Institutions 3
At no School or Institution —
Total 3
(ii.) Children Suffering from Non-pulmonary Tuberculosis. (This category should include
tuberculosis of all sites other than those shown in (i.) above.)
At Certified Special Schools 11
At Public Elementary Schools† —
At other Institutions —
At no School or Institution —
Total 11
† It is essential that tuberculous children who are, or may be, a source of infection to others
should be promptly excluded from Public Elementary Schools.
(b) Delicate Children.—This Section is confined to children (except those included in other
groups) whose general health renders it desirable that they should be specially selected for admission
to an Open Air School. Such children are included irrespective of the actual provision of Open Air
Schools in the area, or of the practicability in present circumstances of sending the children to
Residential Schools. At the same time children are not regarded as suitable for admission to an
Open Air School unless the Medical Officer certifies that they are incapable by reason of physical
defect of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in the ordinary Public Elementary Schools.