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VI. REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER ON THE
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
The routine work of the School Health Service continued over the year in the regular
examinations of children at prescribed age groups, and with special examinations for
those referred by the Divisional(Education)Officer, Head Teachers, School Care Committee,
or at the request of the parents. Out of a school roll of 33,778, 13,501 pupils received
routine inspections; 4,178 special inspections and 5,676 reinspections were carried out.
It has not been found practicable in this borough to apply the selective system of examinations
to the 7-year age groups. The large number of immigrants into the area from
other countries and other parts of Britain, in conjunction with general movements of
population in and out of the borough, results in children having frequent changes of
schools and entering different schools at all ages. To ensure that such children are
examined, it has been found advisable in many cases to examine each new entrant to a
school, whatever his age.
In September 1966, another large secondary school opened when Sir John Cass School
moved from its old building in the City of London to join with Redcoat School, Stepney
in a new building near to St. Dunstan's Church. These large secondary schools produce
their own problems for the School Health Service. The children require a period of
adjustment to the large buildings and to the greater numbers of fellow pupils following
their previous experience of small primary schools. To provide the complete advisory
medical service in both physical and emotional aspects, which is the aim of the service,
the school doctor needs to be known by the teaching staff. This mutual "getting to know
each other" is a slowly maturing process so easily broken by staff changes on either side.
The shortage of full-time recruits to the medical branches of the public health services,
particularly males, may lead to difficulties in continuity of service for the future.
We are fortunate in having a number of experienced part-time medical officers, including
general practitioners, accustomed to the required work which has enabled us to meet all
demands to date.
A second day school for maladjusted pupils opened also in September, taking children
from Hackney and Tower Hamlets. This has helped considerably to reduce the local waiting
list of disturbed children requiring special educational treatment. Admissions are
necessarily slow to allow individual children time to accustom themselves to their new
environment.
As stated in the Report for 1965 the high rate of verminous children was to be met
by additional measures, if necessary invoking legal sanction for cleansing at the borough
cleansing stations. As a result for the year 1966, the number of treatments for 'vermin
and nits' increased from 265 to 528. The schools principally affected are those with
high ratios of immigrant children on their roll some of whom move on before adequate
treatment can be completed. Attendances for treatment of scabies at the bathing centres
increased from 50 last year to 172 in 1966. There has undoubtedly been an increased
81.