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APPENDIX I.
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
The excellent and extended facilities for education which will
shortly become available to the children will be rendered largely
abortive (of the results expected) unless the children are, mentally
and physically, sufficiently fit to take full advantage of the facilities
offered, and are, moreover, possessed of adequate stamina
to make use in post school life of the education so obtained.
In order that every child of school age, irrespective of any
special or peculiar disability, either mental or physical, may obtain,
if in any way educable, a suitable training and education, it will be
necessary to augment the existing services to a considerable extent.
The medical treatment and care of such children will
probably involve a further extension of the facilities already provided
to this end.
The raising of the school leaving age to 15 years must, of
necessity, modify the work of the School Medical Service. The
extent to which the work will be affected can only be gauged
roughly, as no statistics are available as to the percentage or
classification of the minor ailments found in children at this age.
The coming into force of the Local Government Act will also involve
an additional number of children being cared for. It is safe
to assume that there will be a very considerable number needing
Dental Treatment, and probably also Ophthalmic Treatment.
A School for Myopic children has been under consideration for
some time, and is now overdue. I am of opinion that such a
school should have accommodation for not less than 60 pupils.
A Special School for Mentally Defective children is needed.
There are some 30 children now at home who should Be attending
a Special School for Mental Defectives, and for whom no accommodation
is available. There is, in addition a considerable number
of children attending ordinary Elementary Schools who are so
backward and mentally dull that it would, in my opinion, be better
for them and for their fellow scholars if they could be educated in
a class attached to a Special School.
The number of Physically Defective children is on the decline,
and I do not consider that an extension of accommodation for this
type of child is justifiable at present.
The nervous, unstable or "difficult" child is another special
type—a type which unfortunately is becoming increasingly familiar
to teachers and doctors particularly. Such children might well
be catered for by a special department.
Stammerers are now being provided for bv a special class,
which is held alternately in the North and South parts of the
Borough.
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