430 REPORT— 1897. 



It is obvious that different educational arrangements are needed for 

 the children ' feebly gifted mentally/ according as they are or are not 

 blind or dumb, while the epileptics form a particularly difficult class to 

 deal with. Again ; crippled children who are not mentally deficient or 

 paralysed, are not to be grouped with those so defective. 



Following the experience gained in giving evidence before the depart- 

 mental committees and those responsible for the care of exceptional 

 children, the cases have been grouped as given in Tables A. The total 

 numbers feebly gifted mentally are easily obtainable by addition of the 

 eleven sub-groups. 



In the tables the boys and girls are arranged in age-groups, and as to 

 the educational standards. 



In Tables B the cases are arranged as in our report presented last 

 year. 



Standard O contains children too old for the infant school and too 

 dull or backward for Standard I. 



The primary main classes of defect are indicated in the tables by 

 symbols : — 



A . Defect in develoi^ment only ; not in combination with other class of 

 defect. 



B. Abnormal nerve-signs only ; not in combination with other class of 

 defect. 



C Pale, thin, or delicate only. 



D. Reported as mentally dull or backward only. 



Six other primary groups are arranged by taking cases with two main 

 classes of defect only. 



Four primary groups present three main classes of defect only. 



One primary group presents the four main classes of defect combined 

 in each case. 



The remainder — groups E, F, and G— contain the cases with defects 

 not classed above as main classes ; such as eye cases, children maimed or 

 crippled, &c. 



To obtain the total number of cases with any class of defect, whether 

 combined with other class of defect or not, the numbers representing all 

 the primary groups containing such defect must be added together. The 

 total or compound group AB=primary AB-f ABC-|- ABD + ABCD. 



The Committee desire to be reappointed, to act in conjunction with 

 the Childhood Society, for the scientific study of the mental and physical 

 conditions of children, and ask a grant of £20 in aid of this work. 



