§ 98. Mr. K. Thompsonasked the Minister of Education how many educationally sub-normal children are known to his Department; what provision exists to meet their needs; how many have been before juvenile courts in each of the post-war years; how were they subsequently dealt with; and what special accommodation exists or is proposed for the educationally sub-normal delinquent child.
§ Mr. TomlinsonAt the beginning of last year there were approximately 28,000 children in England and Wales known to require education in special schools for educationally sub-normal pupils, and there was provision for rather more than 15,000. I intend to do all I can within the limits of available building resources to increase this provision. In this way I hope that it will be possible for more of those educationally subnormal children, who drift towards delinquency, to be dealt with preventively by special educational treatment. For the 229W measures taken in regard to educationally sub-normal children committed to approved schools, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 15th February. No statistical information is available as to the number of children ascertained by local education authorities as educationally sub-normal who have been before the juvenile courts in recent years nor as to the manner in which they were dealt with.