A survey of learning problems in black primary school children.

A survey of the prevalence and types of learning disorders among Black primary school children was undertaken on the East Rand. Class teachers were given a questionnaire and asked to identify the number of children in their class with learning problems and the number of those with specific disabilities such as poor eyesight or hearing, epilepsy, physical handicaps or mental retardation. There were 7516 children in the classes surveyed; 1692 (22,4%) of them were identified by their teachers as having learning problems, while 666 (8,7%) had a physical or mental handicap. The prevalence and present status of children with learning disability need to be defined before plans to improve their education can be established. Our data show that at present classes are large and the prevalence of children with learning problems is high. Improving teachers' skills and reducing the number of children per class might improve the education of children with learning problems.