§ 106. Sir W. Wakefieldasked the Minister of Education what is the average of the size of deaf children's classes.
§ Mr. TomlinsonIn January, 1949, there were, on the average, 10.8 pupils in each class for the deaf or partially deaf.
§ 107. Sir W. Wakefieldasked the Minister of Education what steps are being taken to obtain separate education for the partially and the severely deaf, and to provide adequate provision for children suffering from double defects.
§ 114. Sir J. Lucasasked the Minister of Education what action he is taking to alleviate the shortage of schools for deaf children.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe increase in deaf school accommodation during the past two years has enabled places to be found for an additional 200 deaf children, but unfortunately, owing largely to the increasing appreciation that deaf education should begin at a very early age, there is still a waiting list of some 450 children for deaf schools. I am therefore doing everything possible to expedite proposals for further deaf school accommodation in the next year or two. The accepted policy of separating the education of the partially deaf from that of the deaf is being carried out as far as the existing accommodation permits. A small increase is being made in the provision for deaf children suffering from a second defect and I look forward to further proposals as soon as the shortage of ordinary deaf school places has been substantially reduced.
§ 111. Mr. Errollasked the Minister of Education what steps are being taken in the schools to detect deafness; to deal with diseases which may cause it; and to make treatment available where necessary.
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§ Mr. TomlinsonDeafness is detected in the schools at the periodical medical inspections, at special medical inspections to which individual children have been referred by their teachers or by the school nurse, and by group audiometer tests. Facilities for the treatment of diseases which may cause deafness are available through the school health service and the National Health Service.