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48
The main facts elicited at the inquiry were as follows :—
(1) Jaundice affected chiefly the infant and junior mixed departments and showed itself
in the infants' only before the mid-term holiday (31st October and 1st November), whereas
in the junior mixed it was practically confined to the period between the mid-term holiday
and Christmas. In the girls' department four of the five cases were before the mid-term
holiday.
(2) The incidence of " influenza " before Christmas was very small, there having been in
the three departments under 20 cases. Since the Christmas holidays there have been 164
authenticated—so far as is possible—cases of influenza, and at present there are many children
absent from actual or suspected influenza.
(3) The departments which had most jaundice had least influenza before Christmas :—
Infants 10 jaundice 3 influenza.
Junior mixed 8 „ 5 „
While the Girls with 4 „ had 11 „
At Salter's-hill school in the near vicinity there were three cases of jaundice in the girls' department—(1)
14th October to 28th November; (2) 25th November to Christmas; (3) 13th December
to 30th January.
Information was also received that children—not attending Council schools—in West Dulwich
bordering on the Gipsy-road area, were affected with jaundice., and mention was made of an epidemic
of "suppressed mumps." amongst the Dulwich children—possibly another manifestation of influenza.
Residential
and industrial
schools
There are seven residential and one day industrial schools, two places of detention and six residential
special schools (two for blind, three for deaf and one for mentally defective children) under the direct
jurisdiction of the Council. The health of the children, so far as infectious diseases are concerned,
was on the whole satisfactory. A few of the schools were placed in quarantine owing to the occurrence
of cases of scarlet fever, diphtheria and certain minor infectious ailments.
Physical
education
Major Gem, the Council s organiser of Physical Education refers to the work of the Council's
College of Physical Education. By day this institution is devoted entirely to the training of teachers
already in the service of the Council. Major Gem gives the following statistics of the work carried out
up to September 1921. The number of teachers trained was 585 ; there were 390 schools with at least
one trained teacher on the staff ; 520 schools had applied to attend the college, and 304 schools which
had not applied. The schools who have not yet applied constitute the main problem for the coming
year. In addition demonstrations have been held in the schools, and evening courses for teachers have
been conducted in outlving areas.
The question of organised games has been kept in the forefront. The coal strike led to some
interference with the use of swimming baths, and with instruction in swimming, but it is hoped that the
London Schools' Swimming Association new land drill, systematically introduced during the winter
months, will lead to a large increase in the number of swimmers next summer.
The special drill classes for children with minor or incipient deformities in elementary schools
have been continued and even increased in number. Owing to their success it was intended greatly to
develop these arrangements but owing to financial reasons the Council limited the extension to a degree
which will not necessitate the appointment of additional staff.
The importance of carrying out breathing exercises in school with careful attention to detail
should be impressed upon all teachers. Dr. Octavia Lewin has pointed out how vital it is that each child
attending school should be provided with a handkerchief and she attaches great importance to the special
handkerchief pocket on the left breast which all children, boys and girls alike should wear. In this
connection it is a curious point that Dr. Allan the medical officer of health of Westminster, dealing with
a diphtheria outbreak, has reported the case of a secondary school, where few of the pupils had
handkerchiefs because " pockets were not allowed " by the school authorities.
Very particular attention has been paid to physical exercises and games in the day continuation
schools, in each of which there is a master of physical education who takes his place in all respects on an
equality with the masters of other subjects.
Supervision of dietaries.
In connection with the scheme for the supervision of dietaries of necessitous and other children,
the systematic examination of milk meals has been continued during the year. The total number of
samples dealt with was 1,098. The improvement noted in 1919 and 1920 in the general quality of the
supplies has been continued, only 5.5 per cent. of those examined being reported to be unsatisfactory,
whereas the corresponding figures for 1920, 1919 and 1918 were 4.9, 8.6 and 31 per cent. respectively.
The maximum addition of water found in any one sample during the year was 30 per cent; as
much as 38 per cent. was found in one sample examined during 1920 and 53 per cent. in 1919. The
largest percentage of fat abstracted was 30 as compared with 33 per cent. reported in 1920 and 40 per
cent. in 1919. It is noted that of the 321 samples examined during the last quarter of the year, only
2.2 per cent. were reported as unsatisfactory. Samples of meals other than milk meals have been systematically
examined during the year. In a number of cases the result has shown the meal to be below
the recognised standard in nourishing constituents, and steps have been taken to remedy the deficiency.
Examination of Candidates.
The number of candidates submitting themselves for first examination during the year was 6,937,
as compared with 7,159 in 1920, a decrease of 3 per cent. The candidates may be classified as (a) candidates
for entrance to the permanent service, (6) candidates for the award of scholarships.