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43
TEACHERS' NOTIFICATIONS.
Insufficient knowledge of the existence of infectious diseases leads to
their uncontrolled spread and to regrettable effects on the average attendance,
which I wish to see as high as possible — consistent with the health of
the scholars and the younger relations at home.
In February, 1906, my predecessor presented a Report to the Education
Committee suggesting a definite procedure in dealing with " Communicable
Diseases amongst the Scholars." This was received and adopted by that
Committee. This arrangement provides definite periods of exclusion from
school attendance of scholars who are themselves ill or living in infected
houses. Six rules are laid down. The last two are—" Children living in
houses infected (with non-notifiable disease) and excluded from school under
Rule 3, must be excluded for like periods, except in the case of whooping
•cough, for which the period need only be four weeks. 6. A daily list of
new cases of infectious diseases that have come under the notice of school
teachers or attendance officers shall be sent by them, either by telephone or on
a form to be supplied to the Medical Officer of Health, who will in turn notify
the Head Teachers as to when the children affected may resume school attendance."
In an edition of the " General Instructions to Teachers," received
15th April, 1908, Rules 5 and 6 were inserted for the first time.
It is interesting to notice the great variation in the number of children
notified from the schools during 1908 : —
1. Silver Street, 196.
2. Raynham Road, 192.
3. Montagu Road, 186.
4. Eldon Road, 121.
5. St. James's, 113.
6. Croyland Road, 48.
7. Brettenham Road, 13.
8. Houndsfield, 7.
9. Lower Latymer, 0.
10. National, 0.
Most of the notifications from Nos. 1, 2 and 3 referred to Measles. The
last four schools occupied the same lowly position last year, but seven cases
attending the National Schools and five attending Houndsfield were discovered
indirectly, and excluded by me.
Exclusion Notices. Ill connection with the notifiable diseases, viz.,
Diphtheria, Scarlet and Enteric Fevers, 2,046 notices were issued excluding
contacts from attendance for the definite periods agreed upon between the
Education Committee and the Medical Officer of Health. Only l;574 notices
were issued in 1907. On March 30th I inspected Classes I. and Y. in Croyland
Road J. M. Department (128 scholars) with the object of detecting any
'"missed" cases of Scarlet Fever.
On account of the non-notifiable diseases, notices excluding 921 children
as patients or contacts were issued by me, after enquiries had been made
as to the real nature of the illness. There were 1,147 children excluded in
1907.