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42 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
The Prevention of the Spread of Communicable
Diseases through the Agency of Schools.
By Section 55 of the Public Health Act, every medical officer is required, on the
receipt of a certificate notifying a case of infectious disease, to send a copy thereof
within 12 hours after such receipt to the Asylums Managers, and, in the case of
children, to the head teacher of the school attended by the patient (if a child), or by
any child who is an inmate of the same house as the patient.
Within a few weeks of commencing my official duties in St. George's, in June,
1892, your Vestry adopted, on my advice, the use of the two following forms :—
A.—Directed to the head teacher, as formerly, in accordance with the requirements
of the law. In addition, a recommendation to prevent the patient or any member,
who is an inmate of the same house from attending school until the head teacher
be furnished with a certificate of the final disinfection of the premises having been
effected.
B.—A certificate to be called for at the Health Department stating that infected
premises have been disinfected, signed by the Medical Officer of Health. From
form A. it is understood that no child should be re-admitted to school from an
infected house unless furnished with this certificate.
Some months after the commencement of this sj stem in St. George's, the London
School Board issued a circular letter advising all Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities to
adopt the precautionary method as described.
After a trial of the system, I found by the returns, that about one-half only of
those who should have called for the certificate of final disinfection came for it. It
followed, therefore, that there was either some misunderstanding or neglect on the
part of the head teacher. Accordingly, I wrote a letter to the Londou School Board,
and described my experience.
The answer was as follows :—
School Hoard for London,
Victoria Embankment, W.C.
16th January, 1894.
Sin,—Your letter of the 18th ult. has been laid before the School Management
Committee of the Board.
In reply, I am directed to inform you that the Board have recently decided to
insert in the Code of Regulations for the Guidance of Managers and Teachers the
following paragraph, with reference to the certificate of the Medical Officer of Health,
stating that premises are free from infection:—
" In the event of the head teacher not receiving this certificate, it becomes his duty
to send to the office of the Local Authority in order that he may procure it."
I am further directed to state that if it should be found that teachers do not get
the certificates the School Management Committee of the Board will further consider
the matter.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
G. H. CROAD,
Clerk of the Board.