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7
Already in January, 1933, evening classes for the instruction
of teachers in modern methods of physical training have been
started in Stroud Green School—a class for women teachers on
Monday evenings and a class for men teachers on Tuesday evenings.
It is hoped that these classes may be repeated periodically,
and that the teachers taking part in them will be able in their
respective schools to create a desire for the cultivation of good
posture and sound body mechanics. There is a big field for
useful work in this direction in the elementary schools.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR'S WORK.
At the end of this Report will be found the statistical tables
setting out the work of the year in the form required by the
Board of Education.
Table I. gives the number of routine and special inspections
and re-inspections carried out by the medical staff. The routine
inspections at different ages numbered 3,074, special inspections
1,293, and re-inspections 3,608—a total of 7,975. This volume
of work is considerably in excess of that of previous years—chiefly
because of the inspection of the group of children eligible for
admission to secondary schools, i.e., age 10-11, in addition to the
usual three " code groups," 5, 8 and 12-14.
Table II. is a statement of the number and nature of the
defects found in the course of medical inspection, and the number
of individual children found to require treatment. It is extremely
difficult to present in figures a true picture of the physical condition
of the children from which comparisons may be made
between successive years in an attempt to gauge progress. The
general impression gained by the handling of considerable numbers
of children throughout the year is, on the whole, favourable.
In some respects the indications are indeed most pleasing.
For example, the standard of general cleanliness is very high,
as also of clothing and footgear.
Certain infectious skin diseases have practically disappeared,
e.g., ringworm. Tubercular conditions of glands, bones and joints
are extremely rare; affections of the heart, lungs and other vital
organs are quite uncommon.