[Report 1956] / Birmingham Education Committee, Special Services After Care sub-committee.

  • Birmingham (England). Education Committee. Special Services After Care Sub-committee.
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / Birmingham Education Committee, Special Services After Care sub-committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Special Services After-Care Sub-Committee ANNUAL REPORT 1956 INTRODUCTION The Special Services After-Care Sub-Committee of the City Education Committee have pleasure in presenting their fifty-sixth Annual Report. The Sub-Committee are responsible for helping three main groups of children and young people. There are, first, those who as children are found incapable of receiving education at school. Many of them are provided with training in the Authority’s Occupation Centres and Industrial Centres. A much smaller number are given a little training in their own homes. In all cases their families are given advice on the problems which must arise as these children grow up. Secondly, there are the young people who, on leaving school, have been placed under statutory supervision. They, and their families, are offered advice which may help them to adjust themselves to living and, in most cases, to earning, in the community. These two groups are the statutory responsibility of the Public Health Committee of the Corporation and the After-Care Sub-Committee act as their agent. Thirdly, on a quite voluntary basis, advice and help are offered, in their first few years after leaving school, to boys and girls who have attended the Authority’s Special Schools for educationally subnormal children but have not been placed under statutory supervision on leaving school. GENERAL The Sub-Committee’s work in 1956 was affected by two difficulties beyond their control. In the first place, in a period of financial stringency there was no expansion in the provision of occupation and industrial centres or in their staff. However, by the end of the year plans were well advanced for the provision of an additional centre and additional staff and so for a reduction in waiting lists and in the number of those who at present attend part-time. Secondly, the general trade recession began to affect Birmingham early in the year and in succeeding months it became increasingly difficult to find work for subnormal young people. In some cases boys in employ- ment, and particularly those who had drifted from job to job, found