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8
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
In the first few months of the year measles became
epidemic in practically all the infant departments. Whooping
cough affected Crouch End, St. Marv's, Campsbourne and Highgate
Junior Schools in October, November and Dec-ember, and
Holy Innocents' School in June and July, while chicken pox
caused a fall in attendance in St. Mary's and South Harringay
Junior Schools in February and March. Twelve cases of diphtheria
occurred among children attending Highgate Council
School between October and November.
The usual practice of excluding from school individual
children, whether infected or merely contacts, was followed, and
in no case was it found necessary to consider the question of
school closure.
OPEN-AIR EDUCATION.
Two places for boys and two for girls are reserved at the
School of Recovery, Parkstone, and a similar number at the
Ogilvie Home, Clacton. During the year 34 children were sent
for six weeks or longer to one or other of these institutions.
The improvement in the health of the children was usually
marked, more particularly in the case of such as were allowed
to remain in the open-air school for a longer period than six
weeks.
The need of a day open-air school still exists in Hornsey,
and it is hoped that, as soon as the present period of financial
embarrassment has passed, this will be met. There are large
numbers of children whose condition, while not warranting the
heavy expenditure incurred by treatment in a residential institution,
would improve enormously under the carefully planned
regime of a special school for physically defective children.
Playground classes were held in most of the schools during
the summer months, and in six of the departments light
weather-proof shelters have been erected to accommodate such
classes.
Two school camps were organised during the year, 94
children from Campsbourne School attending one and 28 children
from St. Michael's and Highgate Schools the other.