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age, as to be unable to guard themselves against common physical
dangers. The Authority for dealing with such children is
the Essex County Council. There are 17 cases under the age of
16 years known to the department, 1 being notified during the
present year. 6 are in a residential institution, and 11 are at home.
(2) Imbeciles.— Imbeciles are persons whose mental defectiveness
does not amount to idiocy, yet is so pronounced that
they are incapable of managing themselves or their affairs; or in
the case of children, of being taught to do so. The Authority
responsible for dealing with these children is also the Essex
County Council. There are 7 cases under the age of 16 years
known to the department, 1 being notified during the present year,
3 are in a residental institution and 4 are at home.
(3) Feeble-minded Children.— Feeble-minded children are
those whose mental defectiveness does not amount to imbecility,
yet is so pronounced that they are incapable of receiving proper
benefit from instruction in an ordinary school. The Authority
responsible for the proper instruction of these children is the
Local Education Authority. There are (at the end of 1924) 39
such cases under the age of 16 years known to me, of whom 20
are attending public elementary schools in the district, 1 is attending
a private school, 11 are in a residential school, and 7 are not
at school.
The position as regards feeble-minded, i.e., educable mentally
defective children is unnecessarily complicated by the fact
that there are two legal definitions of such children. The definition
in the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, is that of " Persons in
whose case there exists from birth or from an early age mental
defectiveness not amounting to imbecility, yet so pronounced that
they require care, supervision and control tor their own protection
or for the protection of others, or, in the case of children that
they, by reason of such defectiveness, appear to be permanently
incapable of receiving benefit from the instruction in ordinary
schools." Feeble-minded children under the age of 16 years come
under the control of the Education Committee, and the latter is