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16. CO-OPERATION OF VOLUNTARY BODIES.
There is little of this type of work in East Ham. In certain
eases a child may be sent for a holiday through the agency of the
Invalid Children's Aid Association, in others the aid of the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children may be invoked, but
there is ample scope for more voluntary work.
A certain amount of training of mentally defective children is
done voluntarily in the district, but this feature is still in its
infancy.
17. BLIND, DEAF, DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC CHILDREN.
Physically Defective Children.
It is very regrettable to again have to report that no school
for physically defective children, as well as no open-air school,
have yet been provided in this area. The need for both such
schools is still very great, and though extra expenditure would be
entailed an ultimate saving would, I am sure, result, i.e., lessening
of loss of grant for non-attendance at the ordinary schools,
decrease in clinic cases and in cases at present being sent to the
country.
Blind and Deaf Children.
A special examination and investigation has been possible for
the first time since the war of all such exceptional children in the
Borough, and full details are contained in Table 3 of this Report.
At the termination of routine medical inspection in each school
these exceptional children are brought forward as specials and
each case separately investigated. As a result 7 boys and 1 girl
are attending special schools for the blind and 9 boys and 8 girls
are being educated at deaf centres. One girl has been sent to a
deaf and dumb school.
Mentally Defective Children.
As in previous reports, I regret to report the continued nonprovision
for education of the feeble-minded w ithin the Borough.
The need for such a school is most urgent. Residential schools
are practically all full, and great difficulty is found in securing a
vacancy, and in many cases even if a vacancy be found parents
are unwilling to part w ith a child completely when they would
gladly send it for daily education.