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28
This Special School is under a Joint Committee formed by members of the
two Education Committees—Enfield and Edmonton—constituting a separate
Educational Authority with a separate Certifying Medical Officer.
At present we have 36 children in attendance, and there are several
attending the elementary schools.
There is great difficulty in getting parents to consent to their child
attending, and during the past year the parents of four children have refused
this consent. Two are still in the elementary schools, and two have been sent
to private schools.
One can readily understand the reason behind the refusal: no parent would
like to think that their child is defective in this respect, and would try and
blind themselves to the fact. But it is an unfortunate thing for the child: for
example, a boy arriving at the age of eight or nine is due to go up into the
Boys Department, but he barely knows his letters, he cannot read, and his
knowledge of figures is limited to simple concrete numbers; such a child
requires more individual attention than he can get in a class of 50 or 60 boys,
and he wants to be with his peers in intelligence.
He might get this in a class for backward children, but in addition, he can
devote at a special school more time to manual work which is provided by the
curriculum.
In the early part of the year, there was placed in the garden of Nassau
House a hut for the purpose of teaching carpentering, and a teacher was
provided.
The garden is commodious and open, whilst gardening provides a pleasant
change to drier studies.
In fine weather, classes are held in the open.
During the year, I have examined 29 boys and 13 girls for presumed
mental deficiency; several have been examined on more than one occasion,
thus making a total of 44 examinations.
Secondary Schools.—Dr. Strong has carried out the Routine Medical
Inspection in two of the three secondary schools in Edmonton; his Report is
furnished to the County.