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EDUCATIONALLY SUBNORMAL CHILDREN. These children are defined as pupils who, by
reason of limited ability or other conditions resulting in educational retardation, require
some specialised form of education, wholly or partly, in substitution for the education normally
given in ordinary schools. The following figures relate to work carried out in connection
with educationally subnormal children:-
Number ascertained during the year 67
Disposal of ascertained cases:
In ordinary schools 27
Recommended day special schools 3B
In residential special schools 2
Number of cases known to the Authority at end of year:
In ordinary schools 76
In day special schools x 155
In residential special schools x 32
x Includes 17 who are resident in the Romford Road Children1s Home and attend Day
Special Schools.
Fresh admissions to special schools during the year:
In day special schools x ^1
In residential schools x 15
x Includes ^ children who are resident in the Romford Road Children's Home and
attending Day Special Schools.
EPILEPTIC CHILDREN. The definition of an epileptic child for our purpose is one who,
by reason of epilepsy, cannot be educated in an ordinary school without detriment to the
interests of himself or other pupils and requires education in a special school. It is not
every child with epilepsy who can be technically "ascertained" as an epileptic. The
definition is a functional one, relating not to the medical classification of the disease
but to the child's educational needs or to his influence on others, and these factors are
the sole criteria which determine whether a child shall be ascertained.
The majority of epileptic children cause little disturbance to the educational
routine or injury to themselves and can consequently continue in an ordinary school. Where
the degree of disability is so great that formal ascertainment is necessary, the child can
only properly be educated in a boarding school. It is always more desirable in the child's
own interests that he should remain in the general community leading as normal a life as
possible, and consequently a rather cautious attitude is taken towards the ascertainment of
these children. It is only when they are clearly unable to fit into the ordinary school
and home life that the rather drastic step is taken of arranging this particular form
of special education. The number of non-ascertained cases of epilepsy known to tne
Authority is The work relating to ascertained cases of epilepsy during the year may
be summarised as follows
Number of ascertained cases known to the Authority 11
Number of cases in residential special schools 11
Number out of school Nil
Number of fresh ascertainments during the year 1
Disposal of this case:
Admitted to Residential Special School 1
70