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46
The work of the School Medical Service has gone on smoothly during the
year; no alteration in method or routine has been adopted. Co-ordination
with other similar activities carried out by the Council has been maintained as
well as possible; it must be remembered that there are three separate
Committees controlling these activities, namely, the Education, the Public
Health, and the Maternity and Child Welfare Committees; that the former is
controlled by the Board of Education and the two latter by the Ministry of
Health. Overlapping with the Guardians cannot be remedied; the Education
Committee feeds necessitous school children and gives the ill-nourished ones
cod liver oil and milk.
There are no nursery schools in the district, and children are admitted to the
elementary schools at the age of five years; but taking into consideration the
decrease in the number of infants attending school, I would suggest a revision
of such a rigid rule, especially during the Summer months. There would be an
advantage from the medical point of view—the children would come under
supervision at an earlier age.
Debilitated Children have cod liver oil emulsion administered to them
on the school premises; if necessitous, they are also given free dinners,
breakfasts, and a hot cup of milk in the morning. During the year, 10,205
cups of milk have been given, the cost to the Committee being £17 7s. 7d. for
the year ending March 31st, 1923; the corresponding cost of the cod liver oil
was £18 5s. 3d. The dinners are mentioned in detail later, under provision
of meals; 116 children have received emulsion.
School Hygiene.—During the year, new dual desks, to replace the
long desk, have been supplied for the top class in each of three departments,
and an infants' classroom has been furnished with small tables and chairs. An
assistant teachers' room has been provided at Raynham Road boys' school.
Outstanding defects are the condition of the playground of St. James'
school, and the want of means in some of the cloak rooms for drying children's
coats.
Medical Inspection has been carried out as detailed in last year's
report. The Board's schedule has been followed and the three age groups have
been duly examined on the school premises.
There has been only one refusal, whilst the exclusions at routine inspection
have been eight in number, comprising one case each of chicken-pox, whooping
cough, tonsillitis, bronchitis, ringworm of the head, appendicitis, and two
cases with febrile symptoms.