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In England the institutions for mental defectives supported from the public funds, like Darenth, make provision for the legally "certified" idiot or imbecile, but not for the feeble-minded. It is felt that it would be a great injustice to "certify" a merely feeble-minded person. With the exception of several large schools like Earlswood and the Royal Albert Asylum and a few small homes for the feeble-minded, all supported largely by private benevolence, for many years there was practically no provision in England for the education and care of the class of mental defectives above the grade of the "certifiable" imbecile. Indeed, so far as I was able to judge, there is now in England very little public sentiment in favor of state care and support for the merely feeble-minded boy, girl or adult.

At the time of my visit to London in the spring of 1901, through the kindness of Dr. R. E. Shuttleworth, the medical examiner of the special classes for defective children for the London School Board, and of Mrs. E. M. Burgwin, the superintendent of these classes, I was given every facility for visiting and observing the classes and for studying the system of management.

At that time there were in London fifty-six special schools, or "centres," for feeble-minded children, with one hundred and twenty-three teachers and a total of two thousand and nineteen pupils. These "centres" are located in populous areas of crowded London, where the defective children selected from two, three or more large school districts are collected into one group or "centre" of two or three classes. These day classes generally receive their instruction in a detached building adjacent to one of the regular school buildings.

By vote of the Council on Education. the school-rooms for these classes must be constructed and arranged in accordance with certain definite requirements in order to obtain the special money grant. The premises must be approved by the education department. There must be twenty square feet of floor space for each pupil. There must be suitable playgrounds, drill rooms, lavatories, school-rooms and entrances, all for the exclusive use of the children in the special class. All rooms must be on the ground floor. Each child must have a separate desk. The cost of the new school-rooms, constructed as above, has been about one hundred dollars per pupil.

The selection of the pupils for these ''special classes" from the various schools, and the organization and management of these "special centres" are in accordance with exact regulations laid down by the London School Board under the special Act of Parliament cited above.

The defective children are formally designated by the teachers in the ordinary schools if unfitted for promotion after two years in one grade. No child is so nominated under seven years of age. They are then examined by a medical expert who certifies to the mental defect and the need for instruction in the special schools. Children so certified are excluded from the regular school classes.

Proper records must be made at the time of admission and afterwards: --

(a) As to the child's capacity, habits, attainments, and health.

(b) As to the family history of the child.

(c) As, to the progress of the child in the special school or class.

The children must, from time to time, be inspected by a medical officer appointed for the purpose, and records of such inspection must be kept. Provision must be made for the examination, from time to time, of every child, in order to ascertain whether he has attained such a mental and physical condition as to be fit to attend an ordinary class in a public elementary. school. Such examination must be made on request of the parent. In such cases the decision of the board is not to be appealed from. Provision is also made for excluding children unfit for these classes.

The school authorities are empowered to compel a child's attendance at a special class, where available, up to the age of sixteen.

Every special school or class must have managers specially appointed who visit the class from time to time.

The children must not for any lessons be mixed, with the children of the ordinary elementary schools.

Each class has a separate 'teacher. There are generally three teachers and classes in a "centre." The principal teacher, at least, must be a certified teacher. Only female teachers are employed. The teachers receive a larger salary than the other teachers. His Majesty's Inspector must annually approve of all the teaching staff. At present they receive no special training to fit them for this work. It is suggested, however, that the equivalent of the following training would help to qualify a teacher for the work, viz:-

I General school training and kindergarten methods.
II A course of physiology and school hygiene.
III Gymnastics, or some rational system of physical training.
IV Instruction in atticulation and voice production.
V Sloyd and other manual occupation.
VI Two month's work under a qualified teacher in a special class.