In Parliament
| Date | 01 September 1955 |
| Published date | 01 September 1955 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455055500701103 |
| Subject Matter | In Parliament |
THE
EPILEPTIC
Probation ofRcers up and down the country may not
be aware of
the
help they may be able to get from the
British Epilepsy Association when dealing with dimcult
and other kinds of epileptics.
The British Epilepsy Association, which has now been
in existence for five years,
is
an entirely new venture in
the
voluntary social services of the country, and
it
is
bringing enlightenment, hope and encouragement
to
sufferers from epilepsy and to those deeply concerned
for their welfare.
B.Ep.A.
aims to found
a
national
movement to help, instruct and protect epileptics, and
is
doing pioneer work educating the public and em-
ployers in the capability and usefulness of epileptics who
are surering only in a mild form from this allliction.
Employers are gradually being made to realise that
epileptics, like other disabled persons, have
a
contribu-
tion to make
to
industry, and that there are many jobs
where they can be employed with perfect safety, pro-
vided the employer
is
aware of the disability. Some
epileptics have felt themselves forced to concealment
following frustrating experiences of rejection
by
employers whom they had frankly told of their affliction.
A
good deal of misconception about the nature of
epilepsy
is
being cleared up as a direct result of B.Ep.A's
work. Many epileptics, hitherto treated
as
though
they
were social lepers, are being placed in suitable jobs, and
are accepted
by
their fellow-workers. Clubs for their
recreation are provided, and are meeting with a
POPU-
larity and success that would astonish those who have
never realised what misery
it
means to be oStraCiSed
from normal society and doomed to lead a lonely and
hopeless life.
B.EP.A arranges holidays, gives assistance
to
invest in
a safe occupation as a means
of
livelihood, and helps in
various Ways
to
relieve pressing needs.
It
is
an uphill
and arduous task, hampered
by
lack
of
funds
so
urgently
required to carry on and expand its work on behalf of
a suffering section of the community, and
for
whom
little had been done before B.Ep.A. began
its
crusade.
B.EP.A.
is
in close contact
with
countries throughout
Europe, Canada, the U.S.A., exchanging information,
views, research results, and
it
is
hoped to start shortly
on
the Production of a documentary fllm to be shown
within the next few months. Many of the foremost
physicians, neurologists and psychologists in the countrY
are on B.Ep.A's council and serve on the medicale
advisory and other committees. There are branches
in
Birmingham and Shemeld, and consuls in Middles-
brough, Grimsby and St. Helens.
Probation officers can be assured of constructive
co-operation from
B.E~.A.
in dealing
with
epileptics
under their care.
All
inquiries should be made direct
to the general secretary,
Miss
Irene Gairdner,
136,
oeorge
Street, London,
W.1.
Miss
Gairdner
will
gladly advise,
and give all available help.
Y.
ROSENTHAL.
IN
PARLIAMENT
The last two or three weeks of parliament before the
summer recess were used by Members
to
raise a number
of topics, and one to which a good deal of attention was
given was that of educationally sub-normal and mal-
adjusted children. Mr. MacColl (Widnes), who
is
a
Metropolitan Juvenile Court magistrate, asked the
Minister of Education
if
he would make any statement
about the possible Provision of temporary accommoda-
tion for educationally sub-normal and maladjusted
children. Mr. Dennis VOSper. the Parliamentary Under-
secretary
to
the Ministry of Education,
Said
that local
education authorities had power
to
board Such children
otherwise than at a school, pending
their
admission to
special schools, and the Home Secretary, with whom
there
had
been discussions about providing tempormy
accommodation, had
no
evidence that this
was
a
large
problem. Mr. MacColl immediately reminded
the
Under-
secretary that attention had been drawn to the fact
that children were being brought into court
as
beyond
control in circumstances which need never have arisen
if
local
education authorities had carried out properly
their functions with regard to such children. Mr.
Vosper
afllrmed
again that there
is
no serious problem.
but promised to discuss the matter shortly when the
Report
of
the Departmental Committee
on
Maladjusted
children has aPUeared.
This
Report,
it
was stated, was
expected to be received
by
the Minister of Education
within
a
few weeks. That
in
itself
was
a
welcome piece
of
news, since the Committee has been sitting for about
three years.
BACKWARD
CHILDREN
The subject was referred to again in an adjournment
debate on the night
Of
July
20th, made remarkable
by
the fact that Mr. Sydney Irving (Dartford) made his
maiden speech,
an
unusual thing to happen in raising
a matter on the adjournment of the House. He discussed
the matter of mentally handicapped children, including
both the educationally sub-normal and the mentallY
deflcient, and he claimed that in dealing with these
categories of children education authorities had largely
neglected their responsibilities. He felt that the nation
could not ailord such neglect. He asked for more research
into the causes of backwardness and defect and for
better provision for dealing
with
chlldren in need
Of
special schools or treatment. He felt that a waiting
list
of about 12,000 children needing special treatment
would be much larger
if
harassed teachers could
recommend the proper ascertainment of children as
maladjusted or sub-normal-a thing they hesitated to do
in the absence of treatment facilities.
Mr.
Irving referred
to evidence given in an earlier parliamentary answer
which showed that many county and county borough
authorities had no special schools or treatment facilities,
and he urged the Minister to use vigorous methods to
ensure that these backward authorities accept their
responsibiIities. He referred to an experiment in Exeter
of the establishment of special
"
adjustment classes
"
with individual attention
by
teachers in charge of small
groups of these Children, and pleaded for greater efforts
to
provide for such individual care,
With
the assistance
of educational psychologists. Mr. Vosper wag again put
UP
to reply and he again referred
to
the forthcoming
Report
of
the Committee on Maladjusted Children which
will, apparently, have a little to say about research.
Mr. Vosper
agreed
with almost everything the speaker
had
said
about the problem and accepted the point
"
that
there
is
some
disparity
between the best and other
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