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APPENDIX II.
A REPORT BY THE SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
UPON A PROPOSED NEW SCHOOL FOR
CERTAIN SPECIAL DISABILITIES.
As far back as November, 1929, 1 issued a report proposing
certain additional services for the betterment of the health of your
school children, and setting- out certain suggestions in regard to
them. Since that date very little has been done in this matter.
Two months ago another report was issued on the same theme,
including in addition to my original scheme new accommodation
for deaf children, at present provided for in your two Deaf Centres,
which have been established for many years.
It is, of course, common knowledge that there exist wide
differences of opinion as to the advisability, or otherwise, of treating
certain disabilities in special schools, and as to the wisdom
of segregation or non-segregation of various types of scholars.
These differences of opinion, however, should in no way be
allowed to mask the fact that there are a very considerable number
of children who should be dealt with, without further undue delay,
in some way, either through the School Medical Service, educationally,
or by the co-operation of the appropriate social services.
A school of the type such as I have already mooted in my last
report to you would, in my opinion, be a valuable asset to the
medical and educational services of the Borough. Whether this
view be accepted or not, it is manifest that there are a very considerable
number of children attending the elementary schools in
West Ham who are a deterrent to other children, and who need
some, specialised or individualised form of treatment.
I am setting out in further detail and under the various headings
the types mentioned in the report issued to you in February,
1936.
(1) Myopia (Partially Sighted Children).
The report of the Committee appointed by the Board of
Education to inquire into this condition was issued in 1934, and
deals exhaustively with the whole question.
In the return made to the Board of Education for the year
1935, there were sixteen children classified as partially sighted
children, i.e., those who, "though they cannot read ordinary
school books or cannot read them without injury to their eyesight,
have such power of vision that they can appropriately be taught
in a special school for the partially sighted." Most of these are
sent to a Myopic School under the London County Council, but it
would be far more advantageous if this Authority had a school
or class of its own, as it is open to parents to object to their
children going to extraneous schools. The average number of
such children is stated to be one in a thousand of the school population,
which would give in this Borough at least forty cases.
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