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Health Education in Schools
Our programme of health education in schools has continued. This
was started in co-operation with head teachers mainly because of concern
about problem families and early marriages for which it seemed the
adolescent had very little preparation. Also that general instruction on
health was not fully covered by the normal school curriculum. Encouragement
to develop and increase these programmes was given by
the keenness of the children, demands from other schools and in at least
one unexpected occurrence. Here a girl of a problem family who had
been present at a series of health talks in the school arrived one day at
a welfare centre. She told the health visitor that she had brought her
baby sister to see her because she was worried about the child, and while
her mother allowed her to take the baby to the health visitor she could
not be bothered to do so herself.
During the year 389 talks were given in secondary modern schools.
Health visitors and one school nurse with training and a special flair for
teaching undertook this work.
School Dental Service
The Area Dental Officer (Mr. Sainty) reports:—
During the past year the staff position, in addition to the Area Dental
Officer, has been:—
Full time Dental Officers to 31st July 6
Full time Dental Officers thereafter 5
Part time Dental Officers (equivalent to
9/11ths of one full time appointment) 2
Part time Orthodontist 1
There was a slight falling off in the number of school children attending
for treatment and, consequently, in some categories of treatment. One
reason for this may be that treatment is now more readily obtainable
under the National Health Service than previously. Evidence of increased
treatment outside the school dental service is seen at routine dental
inspections and it is only natural that some parents may prefer to have
their children treated by their family dentist. The fact that evening
treatment is welcomed by many is shown by the continuing success of
this at the dental clinic in the Park Lane Centre where it has been in
operation for several years.
This Area, in company with others, took part in the quinquennial
survey of the Ministry of Education into the incidence of dental caries in
school children. Two age-groups are involved—5 year olds and 12 year
olds. Previous surveys took place in 1948 and 1953. In this Area 446
5-year olds and 740 12-year olds were inspected for this purpose.
The long waiting list for treatment at the Orthodontic Clinic continues
and there seems little prospect of improvement. The treatment of maternity
and child welfare cases has continued as in recent years and there is
nothing fresh to report.
The following tables show the work carried out during the year in
Hornsey:—
81