View report page

89
Introduction
I have pleasure in presenting the second report on the School
Health Service in the London Borough of Wandsworth for the
period ended December 31st, 1966.
The tables and statistics in the report show that the work of
the School Health Section of the Department continued unabated
during 1966. As I mentioned in my report for last year the
entry of a child into school is an important landmark in his
experience. This is the first occasion when he will be separated
from the family for any length of time, and thus begins his independent
existence as an individual, which will increasingly become
the pattern of his future life. It is, therefore, verv important in
this formative period of the child's life that everything should be
done to guide him in his search for independence and to help him
make the adjustments that will become increasingly necessary as
he grows up. It can be said, in general, that this is one of the
most important if not the most important function of the school
health work, and its full performance demands close co-operation
with the Education Service as a whole.
The fieures as presented in the body of the report do not reveal
any major deviation from last year. In a service such as this,
which has been established for many years sudden alterations are
not to be expected, and it is by the overall assessment of the
figures that the work is to be judged but comments on some of the
figures are made in the report. Here I may mention that the
percentage of children found to be of unsatisfactory general condition
at the routine medical inspections was one half of one per
cent, the same as last year.
It is interesting to reflect that within living memory this figure
was considerably higher although the medical description used
to denote this finding was different, and was often described as
unsatisfactory nutrition. At the present time, some concern is
felt at the number of over-weight children who are to be seen in
many schools, in contrast to the underweight children and
those of poor nutrition which were to be seen in the schools in
years gone by.
Towards the end of the year some thought was given to the
improvement of the services for deaf children. Although this is
not exclusively a function of the School Health Service it is predominantly
so, and there is little doubt that a re-organised
audiology service on a firmer basis than now exists would provide
a much needed improvement to the present service. At the end
of the year, however, no decision had been arrived at.
It is not possible to provide a formal report from the Principal
Dental Officer because at the end of the year no appointment had
yet been made. At the time of writing, however, it is hoped that
this will soon be rectified. Nevertheless, a short section dealing