The main purposes of the study were to examine attitudes of teachers and mainstream children towards educationally subnormal children, to assess the amount of integration actually in progress and to identify forms of organisation used to effect integration. Data were collected on 230 teachers and 759 educationally subnormal children in primary schools in all eight counties in Wales.
Questionnaires, guided interviews, school records and observations were used in a battery of eight measures to obtain the data. Results were analysed by computer programme S.P.S.S. Teacher attitudes were considered under three heads : attitudes towards educationally subnormal children; relationships between mainstream and Unit teachers; differences in attitudes between teachers of educationally subnormal children and mainstream teachers. Reported pupil attitudes were also considered under three heads : attitudes of mainstr eam children towards educationally subnormal children and vice vetsai tlie extent of 'name-calling' of educationally subnormal children; attitudes to school of educationally subnormal children. Current practices of organisation were surveyed with particular concern far admission to Units and transfer to secondary school. It was found that while most teachers preferred not to teach educationally subnormal children, very little antagonism towards them was reported and relationships between Unit and mainstream teachers were good, although there was little interchange between them.
Very little antagonism towards educationally subnormal children was reported on the part of mainstream children and their social adjustment appeared to be good, Although there were significant differences against educationally subnormal children in measures of acceptance and rejection in class, the children most rejected were from the mainstream. Integration was found to be an effective force in only a minority of schools, but the education of educationally subnormal children did not appear to be inadequate on that score, Admission procedures appeared to be satisfactory but transfer procedures were felt to be inadequate by most primary schools.