§ Mr. FOOTasked the President of the Board of Education (1) the number of deaf-and-dumb children for whom no educational provision is being made;
(2) the number, according to the latest returns, of blind and crippled children, respectively, for whom no educational provision is being made?
§ Mr. TREVELYANReturns relating to defective children the calendar year 1923 were due on 31st January, 1924, but have not yet been received from all areas. In these circumstances I can only rely on the returns made to the Board by local education authorities for 1922, which show that about 630 blind or partially blind children, about 4,530 crippled children, and about 430 deaf-and-dumb and partially deaf children, were at no school or institution during that year. I may say that since May, 1923, the available special school accommodation for blind children has been slightly increased, while similar accommodation for the deaf has remained practically the same. As regards crippled children, while the special school accommodation has only very slightly increased, the Board have approved schemes in several areas for the orthopedic treatment of crippled children by which it is hoped greatly to lessen the incidence of crippling disease and the need for special schools for cripples. Other schemes of the same nature are maturing in other parts of the country.
§ Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the President of the Board of Education what 1990W steps, if any, are being taken for the supervision of mentally deficient children eligible for admission to special schools for whom accommodation in such schools is not available?
§ Mr. TREVELYANThe Board have been in consultation for some months past on this subject with representative bodies and persons concerned with the welfare of mentally defective children. They hope to issue a Circular on the subject at an early date.
§ Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the President of the Board of Education if arrangements have been made for the care and occupational training of mentally-defective children at the age of 16 in cases where they have not been admitted to special schools and transferred to the local control authority?
§ Mr. TREVELYANNo proposals for the provision of courses of occupational training for mentally defective children over 16 years have been made to the Board since 1920. As regards the care of such children as distinct from their training, the matter appears to be outside the province of the Board and the local education authorities.