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45
physically defective children; these include some of those
incapacitated by infantile paralysis.
"Those in the second group should be educated at a day
school for physically defective children such as exists in
Tottenham.
"The third group is much the largest, it includes many of
the cases of infantile paralysis, e.g., a child wearing a surgical
boot or a single walking instrument, it also includes all cases
of amputation where there has been the loss of one limb, either
upper or lower, who should be provided with an artificial limb
at as early an age as possible, sometimes even before school
age, this limb being as much like a normal one as obtainable;
thus in a lower limb amputation a peg leg should not be provided
as this not only encourages an ungainly gait but it also labels
the child as an obvious cripple which should be avoided whenever
possible.
"The fourth group has in the past, been either overlooked,
ignored, or sent to a school for physically defective children.
This could be dealt with very adequately by sending to a
residential school for one or two terms; at such a school there
would be children convalescing from many conditions, e.g.,
severe attacks of infectious fevers, severe fractures, long periods
of hospitalisation for medical or surgical reasons, some cases
of surgical tuberculosis. The majority of these children
would, after a term or two at such a school, be able to attend
a school for normal children on return home. Such provision
was made before the war at the Authority's Residential School
at Hayling Island.
"I am afraid I may have rather overstressed thedesirability
of children attending schools for the normal, but I do consider
that it is bad psychologically for anyone to be always with the
abnormal, if avoidable, and the majority of physically defective
people have to compete on the open labour market when they
leave, so that the sooner they become adjusted to this the
better and easier.
"With regard to vocational training, this should be
postponed until the child has reached the age of sixteen years,
and should be reserved for those cases who are unable to receive
adequate training or apprenticeship amongst normal people.