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the schools, and by the end of the year surveys had been completed in
every department of every primary and secondary modern school. The
results were most gratifying, particularly as it had previously not been
found possible to devote the same attention to this duty. Of 18,866
children examined 417 were found to have infested heads, a percentage
of 2.16.
Home visits are paid by the health assistants, mostly to find conditions
remedied. Cleansing facilities are available at sessions held at the
Broadway and at the Alexandra Avenue Clinics. In all 131 children
were treated.
(g) Handicapped Pupils.
Certain classes of child cannot, either temporarily or permanently,
adequately be provided for in the ordinary school.
Of those suffering from mental sub-normality, those classified as
ineducable are reported under section 57 (3) to the District Education
Officer and the particulars then forwarded for ultimate submission to
the County Education Committee. Subject to the exercise of his right
of appeal by the parent, the case is referred to the local authority for the
purposes of the Mental Deficiency Act 1913. Those children so certified,
if not admitted to an institution, can be helped by attending an occupation
centre, and it is hoped that it will soon prove possible for some of
these centres to be opened in this district. Children with slighter degrees
of sub-normality, that is, still being educable but requiring some specialised
form of education in substitution for that normally given in ordinary
schools, are reported under section 34 to the District Education Officer,
who refers them for admission to the appropriate school, most from here
going to a day school in Willesden.
Among other categories of handicapped pupils are the physically
handicapped who, by reason of disease, or crippling defect, cannot be
satisfactorily educated in an ordinary school or cannot be educated in
such a school, without detriment to health or educational development.
Those less seriously handicapped who can attend a day school are taken
to a school in Willesden. For the more seriously handicapped admission
to a boarding school is necessary.
Children may similarly need to be educated at special schools,
chiefly residential, because of blindness or of deafness or because they
are epileptic. All arrangements for these special forms of education,
including the admission of children to residential schools and open-air
schools for long periods of convalescence, are made by the County Council.
There is a grave shortage of residential accommodation so that in
most cases children requiring places have to wait a long time before being
admitted. There is no doubt that the large school population of this
area could provide sufficient children if all those who would benefit from
admission to a day special school were to be catered for to justify the
erection of such a school to meet the local needs.