[Report 1953] / School Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough.

  • Middlesbrough (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / School Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    This important part of our work is in a healthy state as is evidenced by the fact that there were only four cases on our waiting list for examination at the end of the year. The parents of two pupils appealed to the Ministry of Education against our ascertainments but, in both instances, without success. Close liaison is maintained with Miss Whitworth, Head Teacher of Burlam Road Day School for E.S.N. and pupils are re¬ examined at any time as considered advisable. In addition we carried out full re-examinations (with 2 H,P. forms) of all pupils in the 11 + and 14+ age groups. For I.Q. estimation we use the Revised Stanford-Binet Test. The question of transfer of pupils back to ordinary schools arises occasionally especially in older pupils and we find that it needs very detailed consideration. The curriculum at a school for E.S.N. pupils is, of necessity, planned on a more slender academic basis than that of an ordinary school and, although we took care that pupils recommended for such transfer, could read at least above an 8 year level of attainment (and thus fit into a C stream class in a Secondary Modern School) we feared that difficulty might arise from lack of knowledge of such subjects as History. In the event, this did not occur and such doubts as we encountered were under other headings. During 1953, one nine year old pupil (I.Q.83) was declassified and sent to an ordinary school; three fourteen year old pupils (I.Q’s 88, 83 and 74 respectively) were sent to Secondary Modern Schools but in each case, E.S.N. classification was retained. It was not necessary to move any transferred pupil back to the E.S.N. school but in one case (E.S.N. & Maladjusted I.Q.74. Reading age 9.7 years) transfer was not attended with complete success. We consider the question of transfer to an ordinary school in pupils whose subject attainment is above an 8 year level; such pupils usually have an I.Q. of over 72. We are finding it necessary to pay special attention to the child’s temperamental stability and to his capacity for application etc. (Alexander’s X Factor). Finally, it is not advisable to transfer such a child to a school where he will meet the class mates of his earlier days because attendance at a school for E.S.N. still entails some social stigma even among those whose own academic attainments are quite undistinguished.
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