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voluntary hospitals and other sources. When the information is
received at the office, arrangements are made for the child to be
examined by the chief assistant school medical officer, who
decides its fitness to attend a deaf centre.
A deaf child is defined, by section 69 of the Education Act,
1921, as one who is too deaf to be taught in a class of hearing
children in an elementary school. This definition covers some
children who are totally, or almost totally deaf and can only be
appropriately taught in a school for deaf children. Partially deaf
children are defined as children who have partial hearing and can
be appropriately taught in a special school for such children.
In the year 1937 the Authority had information of 21 deaf
children; all of these were at certified schools for the deaf. In
the same year the Authority had information of 18 partially deaf
children; 7 of these were at certified schools for the deaf and 11
were at public elementary schools.
(d) Mentally defective children. All mentally defective
children of school age who have not been certified are under the
care of the Education Authority. These children are medically
examined by the chief assistant school medical officer, and if
suitable they are recommended for attendance at one of the special
schools. While they are at these schools they have periodical
medical examinations. Whether or not such children are attending
special schools they are kept under close observation, and a
school nurse who is designated for this work attends frequently
at their homes to advise the parents regarding the care of these
children. On reaching the age of sixteen years, or before that
date if necessary, these children may be notified to the medical
officer of health, who is officially responsible for the care of
mental defectives brought to the attention of the Local Authority.
For the purpose of this section mentally defective children
arc children who, not being imbecile and not being merely dull or
backward, are incapable by reason of mental defect of receiving
proper benefit from the instruction in the ordinary public
elementary schools, but are not incapable by reason of that defect
of receiving benefit from instruction in special schools for mentally
defective children.
The following figures relate to all such children, except
those who have been notified to the Local Authority under the
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