§ 34. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which persons and organisations he has consulted on the question of his Department providing a nation-wide service specifically for deaf/blind children; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Miss BaconThe Department has consulted local education authorities, and obtained information about children born since 1962 with severe impairment of 149W both sight and hearing. The Department of Health and Social Security is also being consulted. My right hon. Friend proposes shortly to issue guidance to local education authorities whose responsibility it is to provide educational services. The Department organised last July a course for teachers concerned with the education of these children.
§ 35. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he has taken to ensure that finger spelling and signing methods of communication are available to those severely deaf children who are unable to benefit from an oral education.
§ Miss BaconIt is for teachers to decide what medium of teaching will be most effective. The Lewis Committee on the education of deaf children drew attention to the use already made of manual media in teaching in many special schools and I look to their report to stimulate interest in the use of these methods.