The Backward Persons Act of 1938 made provision for the education and care, treatment and control of ‘mentally deficient’ people. The Act stated that mental deficiency was to be treated separately from mental illness and included special provisions related to children. The full title of this act was “An Act to Make Provision for the Education and Care, Treatment, and control of Backward Persons” (2 Geo VI, No. 30). This act was not repealed until 1986, by the Intellectually Handicapped Citizens Act 1986 (Act no.11/1985).