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Inquiry into Problems relating to Partially Sighted Children,
published in June, 1934, by the Board of Education. The general
effect of these modifications is to allow not only the non-myopic
but also the myopic children to do a certain amount of reading
in school from books printed in specially legible type. This tends
both to increase the interest of the school work and to reduce the
amount of retardation which results from the visual disability from
which these children suffer.
The Wood Green School for the Partially Sighted provides
accommodation not only for our own children, but for those from
Hornsey, Tottenham, Enfield and Middlesex County. The number
on the roll at the end of the year was thirty-one. Of these, five
belonged to Wood Green, fourteen to Tottenham, six to Hornsey,
four to Enfield and two to Middlesex. A mid-day meal is available
at the school for those who are unable to go home at mid-day.
(b) Deaf.
There are five children on the register who are so deaf as not
to be able to profit from instruction in an ordinary elementary
school. These attend the Tottenham Special School for the Deaf,
under arrangements made between the Wood Green and Tottenham
authorities.
(c) Mentally Defective.
Thirteen mentally defective children from Wood Green were in
attendance at the Joint Special School for Mental Defectives at
Finchley at the end of the year. The majority of these could be
classed as high-grade defectives. The school is visited and the
children medically inspected by the School Medical Officer at
regular intervals, and many of these children are found to make
quite considerable progress. Three children classed as mentally
defective were in attendance at ordinary elementary schools, and
one at a private school, the parents in each case objecting to their
defective child being sent to a school for defectives. Five mentally
defective children were not attending any school. For these and
for older mental defectives from Wood Green and neighbouring
districts an Occupation Centre is provided in Shropshire Hall,
Gladstone Avenue, by the Central Association for Mental Welfare.
This Centre fulfils a very useful function in providing interesting
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