§ Sir W. JENKINSasked the President of the Board of Education whether he 1387W will take steps to educate and train deaf boys and girls to some suitable vocation and make it compulsory upon education authorities to equip all adults in some industry?
Mr. STANLEYVocational training is given in special schools for the deaf to children under 16, and five vocational courses for deaf students over 16 are recognised by the board. I am not at present satisfied that a sufficient case exists for making it compulsory for local education authorities to provide such training for deaf adults.
§ Sir W. JENKINSasked the President of the Board of Education whether he contemplates taking steps to make it compulsory that deaf children should be at school from five years to 16 years of age instead of seven years to 16 years of age?
Mr. STANLEYI am prepared to consider the introduction of legislation for this purpose, if I am assured that such legislation would be entirely uncontroversial, and would have the full support of the local education authorities and of the organised bodies concerned.
§ Sir W. JENKINSasked the President of the Board of Education what number of deaf boys and girls there are in England and Wales, separately, between the ages of five and 16; what number are being educated; what number of schools there are for this purpose; what number are attending schools; if there is higher education available; and, if so, where in England and where in Wales?
Mr. STANLEYThe number of deaf children under the age of 16 included in school medical officers' returns of exceptional children for the year 1935 was 3,120 in England and 171 in Wales. No separate figures are available for boys and girls, and it is not possible to say how many of these children were under five years of age. There are 44 special schools for the deaf in England and two in Wales, and 2,988 of the children ascertained were attending these schools, while 153 were being educated at other schools or institutions. Five full-time courses of higher education, giving vocational training for deaf students over 16.y are recognised by the board; two of these are situated in London, and1388W the others at Margate, Manchester and Liverpool.