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41
"Nevertheless, although in any group someone must always be
at the bottom, there are some children in secondary modern schools
so far behind their age group in ability and attainment that they are
unable to progress unless given a disproportionate amount of the
teacher's time. The transfer of one such 'lame duck' to a remedial
class where more individual attention can be given will not only
raise the child's own attainment but may positively benefit the class
he has left by allowing them to proceed at a faster rate.
"Dr. Carmel Dooley was approved by the Minister of
Education on the 4th September, 1958 for the formal ascertainment
of educationally sub-normal pupils and has since performed
numerous examinations under Dr. Poole's supervision, and subsequently
alone.
Emotionally Disturbed Children.—"An increasing proportion
of the pupils attending the doctor's clinics are seen with symptoms of
nervous or emotional difficulties, often manifest as behaviour
disorders, enuresis, nervousness, sleeplessness, truanting, and
failure to make expected progress at school. Whether there is any
real increase in these conditions or whether they are given prominence
by the comparative reduction in the number of purely physical
ailments now seen at the clinics, is difficult to determine, but one
has the impression that, whether there really are more disturbed
children or not, more of them are being referred to the school
doctors.
"Many of these children respond satisfactorily to advice and
treatment and only those who fail to do so, or those with more
serious psychological disturbances, are referred to the Child
Guidance Clinic, but despite this selection and the successful work
of the school doctors the waiting period for an appointment with
the Psychiatrist remains at about ten months for non-priority cases.
Much of this delay is occasioned by the intervention of numbers of
priority referrals, e.g. from the Juvenile courts, but it is encouraging
to note that during the year the number on the waiting list (Walthamstow
cases only) was reduced from fifty-six to forty-six.
Employment of Handicapped School Leavers.—"The current
reduction in the demand for juvenile labour in the district is being
reflected in the increasing difficulty in obtaining suitable employment
for pupils leaving the special schools, particularly those who remain
severely handicapped.
"A case committee of officers was set up with the co-operation
of the Borough Education Officer to consider individual cases and
co-ordinate effort. Two meetings were held (a third having to be
postponed because of illness) and representatives of the Principal
School Medical Officer, the Borough Education Officer, the Borough
School Medical Officer and the Youth Employment Officer discussed
general provisions and individual cases brought up by the
Head Teachers of the special schools and by the Educational
Psychologist.