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ASCERTAINMENT OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY-SIGHTED PUPILS. This subject was dealt with
in the last report, but it can with advantage be considered again. The medical examination
for the ascertainment of blind and partially sighted pupils is carried out by a medical
officer of the Authority in the same way as for any other category of handicap. As a
preliminary step the recommendation of an ophthalmic specialist must be obtained, the
specialist completing at the same time the revised Form B.D.8.
Form B.D.8 used for blind and partially sighted pupils, was revised in March 1955
and the Minister of Education in his Administrative Memorandum No.493 dated 2nd March 1955,
hoped that local education authorities would normally ensure that a report on this revised Form
by an ophthalmologist of consultant standing is available to them when they are considering the
provision of special educational treatment for any pupil whose eyesight is thought to be
defective. The former "certificate" in Form B.D.8 has been supplemented by a "recommendation"
as to the educational needs of a child under 16 years of age. Completion of the "certificate"
on the back of Form B.D.8 is appropriate when the ophthalmic consultant is concerned with
placing the child on the register of blind persons or on the register of partially sighted
persons, whilst in completing the "Recommendation in Respect of a Child", he is acting in
another capacity in that he is advising the local education authority whether a child should
be considered a blind pupil or a partially sighted pupil within the meaning of the School
Health Service and Handicapped Pupils Regulations, 1953. In practice it is found convenient
to combine the medical examination required for admission to the blind or partially sighted
register with that required for ascertainment as a handicapped pupil under Section 34 of the
Education Act, 1944.
The decision to admit a blind or a partially sighted child to a special school is an
educational one which has to be taken by a local education authority after full consideration
of all the information available, and although the importance of the ophthalmic findings
cannot be ignored, due weight must be given to various other factors. Also, when a child
has been admitted to a special school for partially sighted pupils, his ophthalmic and
educational progress should be kept under continual review because, if this is done, it has
sometimes been found possible to return some of these children to ordinary schools.
The definition of partial sight was dealt with in Appendix IV to Circular 4/55 when the
ophthalmological standards were given as follows:-
". for children whose visual acuity will have a bearing on the appropriate methods
of education -
(a) severe visual disabilities - to be educated in special schools by methods
involving vision - 3/60 to 6/24 with glasses;
(b) visual impairment - to be educated at ordinary schools by special consideration
better than 6/24 with glasses."
In the Health of the School Child for the years 1952-53, guidance was given on the
selection of children for schools for the blind or for the partially-sighted, and in the case
of Partially-sighted children it was stated that the range of visual acuity should be from
6/24 to 6/60 in the better eye. It will be seen that the range for partially sighted pupils
has now been slightly extended at the expense of the blind range, i.e., 6/24 to 3/60 with
glasses.
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