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115
School Medical Inspection
There are 48,095 children on the school roll in the Borough. There are
116 schools of which 10 are special schools —
2 schools for delicate children
2 schools for educationally backward children
2 schools for physically handicapped children
2 schools for maladjusted children
1 school for partially sighted children
1 school for deaf children
and there are 4 special units —
a unit for autistic children
a unit for deaf and blind (Rubella) children in an ordinary school
a remedial centre for linguistically deprived children
a special unit for partially deaf children in an ordinary school
Routine medical inspections are held in all schools.
Children are examined four times during their school life — on entry to
infant, junior and secondary school, and on leaving. Special examinations and
follow-up re-inspections are carried out in addition whenever required. Each
term the school nurses conduct special hygiene examinations. During the year
medical officers undertook 16,159 routine medical examinations, 3,865 special
examinations and 5,950 re-inspections. School nurses carried out a total of
9,653 selective health surveys.
Last year there has been an increase in incidence of head lice and steps
have been taken to control it. The increase was mainly due to resistance of
the lice to organochlorides commonly used in treatment, but the use of a new
medicament, prioderm, is proving effective.
Information about children who require special educational help and
observation in school is passed routinely to the head teacher and school
doctors concerned.
Discussions are held with head teachers, parents, and career officers
concerning school leavers for the purpose of ensuring the most suitable
choice of career, and the provision of help for handicapped pupils. A
liaison has been established with the Welfare Department for the follow-up
of handicapped pupils in the community.