Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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"The Special Schools continue to serve a very wide area. The number of pupils attending from various districts was as follows :—
Partially Sighted | Deaf | Open Air School | Educationally Subnormal | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Walthamstow | 7 | 5 | 56 | 99 |
Forest | 6 | 15 | 29 | — |
South Essex | 5 | 3 | — | |
Barking | 2 | 4 | — | — |
Dagenham | 2 | — | — | — |
Ilford | 4 | 10 | — | — |
Leyton | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
Romford | 4 | 6 | — | — |
Middlesex | 12 | 2 | 2 | — |
Herts | — | 1 | — | — |
Totals | 44 | 51 | 89 | 103 |
"In addition thirty-six Walthamstow children are at present
accommodated in residential special schools as shown below, and
three physically handicapped children are receiving home tuition.
Blind 7
Deaf 1
Delicate 6
Educationally sub-normal 8
Epileptic 4
Maladjusted 6
Physically Handicapped 3
Speech 1
Mentally Handicapped Children.—"The additional class at the
Margaret Brearley School provided in 1957 has helped considerably
in reducing the waiting list for the admission of educationally
sub-normal children, but the present total of 120 places is still
insufficient to cover the need. To some extent this has been met by
the establishment of two small remedial classes for dull and backward
children ; one at Woodside Junior School for children aged 9-10
years and one at Mission Grove for the 7-8 years age group.
However, the waiting list is again building up and there appears to
be a need for the establishment of two or more remedial classes for
children of secondary school age.
"One is always reluctant to recommend the transfer of any
child to a special school as this inevitably means some deprivation
of its opportunities for normal development and increases the risk
of perpetuating a 'handicapped' attitude into adult life. This
consideration applies especially to the transfer of children of secondary
school age to the E.S.N, school.