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222 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
At a period corresponding to the time at which some child of the family was attending a
school for the deaf, the average number of children born to each of these families was 6.6, of whom
only 3.5 survived, and 1.2 were deaf, or deaf and blind. These figures may be compared with those
given by Dr. Kerr Love for 18 families of children with acquired deafness from congenital syphilis in
Glasgow; average number of children born in each family, 8.5 ; surviving, 47 ; deaf and blind, 1.2.
Condition of School Buildings.
Reference was made in my annual report for last year to the Council's adoption of a scheme
for the reduction of the accommodation of classrooms to maxima of 40 in senior and 48 in infants' departments
within a period of 15 years from the 31st March, 1912. In furtherance of this scheme the following
table, compiled from a report by the Education Officer to the Accommodation and Attendance SubCommittee,
shows the number of classrooms within the 40 and 48 maxima provided during the two
years ended 31st March, 1914:—
Council schools— No. of classrooms.
In new schools, enlargements and adaptations 147
By modernising 158
By minor structural alterations 480
By writing down the accommodation of existing
large rooms 120
Total in provided schools 905
Non-provided schools—
New schools, enlargements, etc 35
By minor structural alterations 97
By writing down accommodation 3
Total in non-provided schools 135
Grand total provided and non-provided schools 1,040
Certain resolutions dealing with the effects of intense summer heat upon children in school which
were passed by the Central Consultative Committees of Head Masters and Head Mistresses were referred
for report.
Upon these resolutions the following report was submitted to the Elementary Education SubCommittee:—
"Observations made in schools in the hot weather at times when the classroom thermometers
register from 83 deg. to 87 deg. Fahrenheit show that the children generally suffer from a considerable
amount of discomfort under these conditions. The prevailing complaints reported by the school doctors
as being connected with the excessive heat comprise (i.) sore throat; (ii.) headaches and occasional
fainting; (iii.) loss of appetite, sickness and digestive disturbances; (iv.) sweat rashes, prickly heat and
other skin complaints of an irritating character (found in 10 per cent. of the children inspected) ; (v.) a
falling off from the usual standard of cleanliness with greatly increased prevalence of verminous conditions
; and (vi.) mental symptoms, including increased and more easily induced fatigue, inattention and
irritability. In spite of the evidence of considerable discomfort caused by the heat it is noteworthy that
the average attendance is but little affected.
The effects of hot weather are much more noticeable in infant departments than in senior departments,
and girls on the whole suffer to a greater degree than boys. The factors which produce the
above effects are :—
(1) The difficulty of getting rid of animal heat in a confined atmosphere in which the
humidity is high owing to respiratory exhalation. In this connection it is to be pointed out that
the children in the playground classes attached to schools exhibit none of the more serious effects
of heat from which the children inside the classrooms suffer.
(2) The effects of heat retention are rendered more severe by the wearing of unnecessarily
heavy clothing, especially among girls. One of the school doctors reports that on a day when the
classroom temperature was 86 deg. a girl inspected was found to be wearing a velveteen petticoat,
two flannelette ones, a vest, stays, a cotton dress and an overall, and two boys each wore three
flannel shirts in addition to waistcoats and thick coats. Other school doctors report similar
cases. In one school only 25 scholars out of 350 were found to have made a change of clothing
more suitable to the raised temperature.
(3) Many of the nervous symptoms noted were associated with lack of sleep at night
owing to unhygienic conditions or habits in the homes.
(4) Much discomfort is due to want of attention to personal cleanliness, due in some
cases to neglect, in others to lack of facilities for bathing.
(5) School doctors report seeing children picking fragments of food out of dustbins. The
dangers arising from the eating of tainted food are greatly increased during hot weather.
The precautions against the effects of heat in hot weather which can be carried out in school
appear to be the following:—
(1) Attention to Ventilation.—Adequate cross ventilation of classrooms should be universally
maintained.
The 40 and
48 scheme.
The effects
of intense
summer
heat upon
children in
school.