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44
I have referred in previous reports to the excellent facilities
provided for teaching school children to swim at the Beckenham
Public Baths. The following is a short extract from Mr. Austin's
Annual Report, which will indicate the extent to which these facilities
are made use of: —
" The numbers attending for instruction show a considerable
increase, but as a large number of the children made but
few attendances, the number to pass the swimming test was
less than in the fine summer of the previous year. Results of
swimming instruction in the open air must inevitably depend
to a certain extent upon the weather, and under the circum
stances those of 1922 must be regarded as good as compared
with 1921.
EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS.
During the year the Education Committee made Bye-Laws under
the Employment of Children Act, 1903, and the Education Act, 1918,
regulating the hours of employment of school children over 12 years
of age. Under these bye-laws children employed in delivering newspapers
or milk, or in domestic work away from their home, must
obtain a certificate from the School Medical Officer to the effect that
such employment will not be prejudicial to their health or physical
development or render them unfit to obtain proper benefit from their
education. Since the month of June, when the bye-laws came into
force, 104 certificates have been issued.