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has not revealed any case of the kind, and, as the Council's regulations regarding the selection of necessitous
children are expressly framed with a view to avoiding delays, I am to enquire whether the Board
will be so good as to supply specific instances for investigation.
10. Open-air schools. With reference to paragraph 9 (2) of the Board's letter, the Council would
remind the Board that there is ample evidence of the fact that the Council has for many years
fully appreciated the need for open-air treatment of children, and that even before the Administrative
Provisions Act was passed, or general attention drawn to the subject, the Council had established an
open-air school in Bostall Woods in 1207.
The fact that the Council has, at the present time, only two open-air schools is due to a variety
of causes chiefly arising from the special and peculiar needs of an open-air school. Many proposals
have been made for the establishment of such schools, but on examination and enquiry it has not been
found practicable to adopt any of them.
It may be added that a provisional sum has been included in the estimates for the current year
for the establishment of additional schools, but, in view of the difficulties as regards labour and materials
and the shortage of teaching staff, it is very improbable that this money will be spent during the
year.
On the other hand, the Council has inaugurated and developed a system of open-air or playground
classes. A large number of such classes have been held during the summer months (usually from about
the beginning of May till about the end of October) in connection with the elementary schools maintained
by the Council. These classes are held either in parks or open spaces or in the school playgrounds
In 1914 the number of such classes was more than 100, but owing to various causes resulting from the
war this number has declined to 56. In two cases the classes are composed of delicate children specially
selected from various schools by the school medical officer, and in many other cases some attempt is
made by the head teachers of schools where such classes are held to place the more delicate or backward
children in the open-air class. The head mistress of one school (Kilburn-lane (G), Paddington, N.),
has arranged, with the Council's approval, for all the classes of her school to work in Queen's-park for at
least half of every week during the summer of 1918.
It should be added that the Education Committee of the Council has recently had under consideration
the whole question of the education and treatment of tuberculous and pre-tuberculous children
and of other children needing open-air treatment, and that a Joint Sub-Committee of the Education
and Public Health Committees of the Council has been appointed to consider the matter and submit
recommendations with a view to the settlement of the principle of dealing with these classes of children.
11. Backward children.—As regards the education of backward children, a report on this subject
by the Council's Psychologist, Mr. Burt, was submitted to the Committee in January last. As the report
was full of suggestions which, it was thought, would be of value to teachers, copies of it were sent to the
head teachers of all the schools maintained by the Council. Further consideration by the Committee of
the report and of the general question of making special provision for such children was postponed
until after the summer recess.
12. The Council has still under consideration paragraphs 5 and 0 relating to the question of
discharging ears and following up, and will send a reply to the Board on these points at the earliest
opportunity.
13. I am to express, on behalf of the Council, the hope that from the information given above,
the Board will be satisfied that the Council is taking every reasonable step to secure the efficiency of
its school medical service.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) R. Blair,
Education Officer.
The further
reply of the
Council,
dated 8th
Aug., 1918.
Sir,— 8th August, 1918,
In continuation of my letter dated the 11th ultimo, I have to state that the Council has given
careful consideration to paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Board's letter of 27th March, 1918, relating to the
questions of discharging ears and " following up."
1. Discharging ears.— As regards discharging ears, the Board on the 24th June, 1913, in reviewing
the arrangements for the medical inspection and treatment of children in London, stated that, having
regard to the fact that a certain proportion of the cases of discharging ears were of a serious nature, it
seemed desirable, with a view to ensuring adequate treatment, that facilities should be provided for an
examination by an expert aural surgeon where that appeared to be necessary. With regard to this
suggestion, the Board were informed that careful consideration had been given to the question, and
that it was intended that provision should be made for certain of the school doctors, who had had special
experience, to pay special attention to this side of the work.
Since that date, special attention has been given to the matter by one of the school doctors, and
careful records have been kept of the results of examinations and re-inspections.
The means which have been adopted have resulted in a steady improvement in the number
of children who attend for treatment, and in the number whose ear defects are satisfactorily cured,
and the Council proposes to arrange that the school doctor who is at present giving five sessions a week
to this work, should devote his whole time to it.
50129 D