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36
BLIND, DEAF, DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC CHILDREN.
The Nurses attached to the Maternity and Child Welfare Section of
the Health Services bring to the notice of the School Medical Officer
children who would, if attending school, come within the provisions of
Part V of the Education Act, 1921.
The Attendance Officers and the School Nurses, in their visitation of
the homes of the children, are informed of children of school age who,
because of physical and mental defects, are unable to attend school. The
school teachers, from their intimate knowledge of the domestic circumstances
of their pupils, learn of other children in the family suffering from
disabilities. Following-up of the cases reveals the nature and degree of
the defect, and appropriate action is taken in each instance.
These various sources of knowledge serve to supply the Education
Authority with the necessary information relating to blind, deaf, defective
and epileptic children.
Until mentally defective children of high grade are admitted to
special schools, they are permitted to remain in the ordinary schools,
unless their conduct is such as seriously to disturb the school curriculum.
With that exception and the occasional visit by the school nurse at the
homes of the defective children, no official supervision is exercised over
them until their admission to a special school suitable to their defect.
School for Deaf Children.
This school was removed to new premises on 8th September, 1924,
the new building having been erected on vacant ground in the rear of
the old structure which had served as a temporary school for many years.
By arrangements with the neighbouring Education Authorities of Hornsey,
Wood Green, Enfield and Edmonton, deaf children from these districts
attend the Tottenham School for the Deaf.
There are at present 73 children on the roll, 29 of these being
Tottenham children. During the year under review 4 Tottenham children