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97
Defective Children.
A new table (Table III.) appears this year in the
report, and remodels the return of all exceptional children
in Bromley. A close study of this table indicates
the variety of defects which constitutes exceptional
children, and the provision made for their education.
Exceptional children lead to costly education, as one
has to provide the type of education suitable to the
individual defective. It thus follows that any service
which tends to limit the severity of the defect, or to
prevent its actual occurrence, must receive the support
of the true economist.
One hundred and ninety-nine children have been
classified as defective within the meaning of this Table;
blind, deaf, mentally defective, epileptic, physically
defective, tubercular and organic heart disease. Twenty
of these children were maintained in special residential
schools, 22 attending special school for mentally defectives
and 9 at special clay schools.
At the time of writing this report the Special Day
School for Mental Defectives in Bromley has been closed,
and active steps are being taken to promote the establishment
of an Occupation Centre for the low grade type of
child. This will provide a long needed service in this
area, as the ineducable child in the past has been
generally unprovided for.
Severe heart cases are admitted to the West Wickham
Heart Hospital, where they come under the skilled
treatment of a staff of heart specialists.
London County Council Schools provide, where
accommodation is available, for the child requiring
special day school education, such as the high myopics,
the partially deaf, or the physical defectives.
The general medical supervision over these children
is by no means easy, as much staff time is occupied in
the investigation and disposal of such cases. With a
growing area, and an increased school population, the
matter becomes yearly more difficult.