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73
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
(a) Nutrition.
The summary of heights and weights over 10 years which is printed at the
end of this Report in Table IX A. and B. shows no appreciable change.
(b) Incidence of Pediculosis and Scabies.
(i) Pediculosis.—This shows a slight increase on last year, 56 children
being found to be infected with living hair vermin as against 49 in 1947, 46 in
1946, 65 in 1945 and 36 in 1944.
(ii) Scabies.—This shows a decrease, 19 cases as compared with 43 in
1947, 76 in 1946, 104 in 1945, 128 in 1944.
School Premises.—There are 32 schools, with 61 departments, 20,267
children were actually on the rolls on 21st December, 1948, as compared with
19,002 in December 1947.
The figure 20,267 includes Barking Abbey (429) and Ursuline County
Placed pupils (198).
The number of children in average attendance at school for the year
ended 21st December 1948 = 17,483.
The Sanitary Inspectors have paid the usual monthly visits to the
elementary schools (1) to enquire as to the milk supplies, (2) to inspect the
sanitary arrangements. 449 visits have been made during the year.
Medical Inspection.—In accordance with the Handicapped Pupils and
Medical Services Regulations, 1945 (para. 49), this is carried out as follows :—
(a) Every pupil who is admitted for the first time to a maintained
school, shall be inspected as soon as possible after the date of his
admission.
(b) Every pupil attending a maintained primary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
(e) Every pupil attending a maintained secondary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
During 1948, 4,194 parents, or 79 per cent., attended the full routine
medical inspections.

*Of this number 1,315 were notified as measles.
Disinfection of all the cloakrooms at the maintained primary and
secondary schools was carried out during the Summer and Winter vacations.
No schools were closed during the year on account of infectious disease.
Table VIII shows the incidence of infectious disease in the Ilford schools
during 1948.
218 home visits were paid by the School Nurses to cases of minor
infectious disease. In addition the Sanitary Inspectors paid 1,315 visits to
measles cases, and 376 visits to whooping cough cases.