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93
Blind and Partially Sighted Pupils
There are ten blind pupils in Tottenham and Hornsey. of whom
nine attend residential special schools.
In March 1955 the Ministers of Health and Education issued
circular 4/55 and memo No. 49 3 respectively. These discussed the
criteria to be used by ophthalmologists when making recommendations
regarding special education to local authorities and by
local education authorities when placing the child As a result
of these alterations in criteria, which reflected a more optimistic
approach to the problem of myopia in school children, two children
were returned from the Walthamstow special school for partially
sighted children to ordinary schools. In the case of a third
child it was considered that although his vision would allow him
to take his place with normal sighted children, yet he had not
matured sufficiently emotionally to overcome his handicap,, It
was decided that he should remain at the Walthamstow school for a
time during which his stability has so improved that he is to
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return to an ordinary school at Easter 19 56,
Deaf and Partially Deaf Children
During the past year the partially deaf class at Devonshire
Hill School has been started and its value was immediately
apparent, so much so that a second class is to be started forthwith.
A number of children previously incorrectly placed either
with deaf children or in ordinary schools, are now receiving
appropriate education
A number of children are still arriving at the School for
the Deaf who have been diagnosed at a late stage, or who, despite
early diagnosis, h av e not received sufficient training at hospital.
It is felt that the sooner these children can enter into the
nursery class at the School for the Deaf the better will be their
Progress. Their exact diagnosis as deaf or partially deaf could
be delayed until it is possible to see the results of training.
In any case the various units should not be regarded as watertight
compartments; rather should the educational system for deaf
children be regarded as flexible and a deaf child should be moved
from a deaf school to a partially deaf or even ordinary school as
his progress warrants it. Of course, it may be that his progress
will be in the reverse direction.