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Visit of German Child Guidance Workers.—In September the
Local Education Authority was requested by the Foreign Office to
arrange a day's programme for a group of seven German workers
and to include a visit to a Child Guidance Clinic. A morning
session was held at the Walthamstow clinic when a memorandum
was handed out in regard to the history of the Child Guidance Service
in Walthamstow and its administration. Extracts are quoted
below:—
"The Education Committee of the Walthamstow Borough
Council decided in 1943 to initiate a Child Guidance Service for
Walthamstow and a full time Psychologist began a survey of the
schools in June in order to investigate the nature and the extent of
the work to be done. The survey showed that there were at least
120 children to be studied including 68 educationally retarded
children.
"A part-time social worker also commenced duty in June and
regular psychiatric sessions were commenced in September, at first
fortnightly and then weekly.
" Three rooms in the premises now in use were made available.
" The number of weekly sessions and the staffing were progressively
increased up to 1946 when three weekly psychiatric
sessions were held.
"In 1946 and following the operation of the Education Act,
1944, the Borough Council became an 'Excepted District' for
education purposes, the County Council becoming 'the Local Education
Authority.
"It was agreed to enlarge the Clinic to serve a wider area to
include the Leyton Excepted District and the Forest Division for