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7.

There is a remarkable difference in the state of cleanliness of schoolrooms. Of course, a dark
and antiquated schoolroom in a dirty neighbourhood can never have the appearance of a newer suburban
building, but the cleanliness should be much more under the control of the teachers, and they should
be more responsible than they seem to be in this matter.
Education (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1907.—Since the passing of this Act
the whole aspect of medical inspection in elementary schools has changed. This change has not been
so noticeable in London, as many of the requirements both of the Act and Board of Education
circulars had been carried out for several years. For the present it is intended to continue the
routine medical inspection, but, in addition, 80 schools have been selected where all children
admitted since 1st August, 1908, and those expected to leave before 31st July, 1909, will be
examined. In one half of these schools the examination will be conducted with full details in
accordance with the Board of Education schedule, and in the other half the work will be carried out on
a somewhat simplified scheme, as regards the clerical records. Where rooms are available the examinations
will be conducted on the school premises, but in others it may be necessary to draft the children
to centres. The parents will be invited to attend. A school nurse will assist the doctor and the class
teacher will also be present in order to obtain as much information as possible about his pupils. Only
experience can show how far the nurse and teacher respectively are necessary.
It will be necessary later to prepare a pamphlet on the teachers' part in medical inspection, but
it is expected that they will take a very real interest in this work as a great part of its value is lost if
they do not benefit by the knowledge gained. The teacher's duty is not merely to teach but to educate,
and for this purpose they should make themselves acquainted with the capacities and physical qualities
of their pupils. Many teachers have a praiseworthy knowledge of their charges, but all of them ought
to be able to note quite as well as the doctor or nurse the height, weight, visual acuity, hardness of
hearing, want of clothes or personal cleanliness of their pupils, and it is of the greatest importance
to their work as educators that they should be accustomed to see and note these things for themselves.
This detailed medical inspection should not mean any serious disturbance of school work, as a large
number of children would not be absent from any particular class at one time.
EXAMINATION OP CANDIDATES.
First Examination.—Head, assistant and pupil teachers, training college students, scholarship
candidates, instructors and schoolkeepers employed in the schools are medically examined in this
department before commencing work. It has been possible by the use of a better system of records
to reduce the numbers of examinations to 7,138 this year against 7,998 last year. There were 2,149
head and assistant teachers, 1,195 pupil-teachers, 3,019 scholarship candidates, 649 training college
students and 126 instructors and schoolkeepers examined.
References.—In addition to the " first " examinations, 664 references were dealt with. These
references relate to the leave to be granted to employees absent owing to personal illness ; to teachers
returning to duty after extended leave of absence—(a) owing to personal illness, (b) in order to visit
educational institutions abroad, (c) to study for degrees, and (d) married women under No. 93 of the
regulations with regard to the education service. In some cases, reports were required in regard to
the salaries of teachers for periods of absence owing to illnesses alleged to have been contracted at
schools, and also as to whether the conduct of employees had impaired their efficiency. The number
of references for the year under review compared with those for the preceding year shows an increase
of 129, or 24 per cent.
Scholarship Candidates.—Over 3,000 scholarship candidates at various ages from eleven to
thirty were examined. The chief groups are the junior scholars and the probationer scholars. The
others are returned as a heterogeneous group of special scholars. It may be noted that by the card
index of these cases the medical history of individual cases is now being carried forward systematically
through a long series of years.
Junior County Scholars.—The main regulations as to these are that the head teachers of
elementary schools in London are required to fill up nomination forms for the general examination
for junior county scholarships for all boys and girls attending their schools, who (a) will be not less
than eleven and not more than twelve years of age on 31st July, and (6) who are working at the
time of examination in the sixth or a higher standard in the case of boys, and in the fifth or a higher