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69
and care committees for advice, or seen in connection with camp school nominations,
school iournevs or general surveys.
Defects
found.
The number of children in the age groups found to be suffering from ailments
for which medical treatment was considered necessary was 74,215, being 38.5 per
cent., compared with 36.7 per cent. in 1923. An increase was especially noted in
the number of children with unhealthy throat conditions (tonsils and adenoids).
Parents'
objections.
Parents rarely object to medical inspection. Out of 193,024 children to be
inspected the parents objected in only 148 instances. A letter explaining the
objects of medical inspection and inviting the parents' co-operation was sent in
each instance. In response nine objections were withdrawn, and in twelve others
a report was submitted on the official record card bv the Drivate medical attendant.
Attendance
of parents.
A parent attended the inspection in 69.4 per cent. of the routine inspections.
This is an increase of two per cent. on 1923. The greater interest shown by the
parents is very gratifying and enables much more satisfactory work to be done.
The only group where satisfactory numbers of parents fail to attend is that of the
elder boys, and it is suspected that it is owing to the influence of the boys themselves
that this failure occurs. The elementary school boy of 12 dislikes any suggestion
of "apron strings."
Nutrition.
There is again a slight increase in the percentage of children classed as below N
normal in nutrition. About 12,000 children in the age groups were placed in this
category. This is 6.2 per cent., compared with 5.9 per cent. in 1923, and 5.7 per
cent. in 1922. In the year before the War the percentage of children in this group
was 12.8. The figures correspond with the number of children who are fed in
school. There is reason to believe that the prolonged periods of unemployment
would have produced a disastrous effect upon the nutritional condition of the
children were it not for the vigilance of the head teachers and the school care
committees in detecting at an early period cases of necessity and bringing into
play the remedial agencies which fortunately exist to an extent undreamt of in
the years before the War.
Physical
measurements.
Much greater use is made of the weighing machines than formerly. During
the last three or four years arrangements have been made for the periodic measurement
of all children under observation for malnutrition to whom milk or cod liver
oil is administered in school. Another group of children systematically weighed
at regular intervals includes those under special following up in association with
the tuberculosis dispensaries, either on account of suspicion of suffering from
tuberculosis themselves or because they come from homes in which tuberculous
relatives are living.
The children in the age groups are also weighed and measured. An opportunity
this year has been taken to extract the averages of the intermediate and leaver
groups for 1923.
Boys.
Girls.
Number. |
Average
height in
centimetres.
Average
weight in
kilograms.
Number.
Average
height in
centimetres.
Average
weight in
kilograms.
Intermediate Group (born in 1915).
1923 31,089 119.15 22.58 31,184 119.00 21.94
Pre-war standard 117.5 22.5 117.00 21.73
Leaver Group (born in 1911).
1923 29,528 138.63 32.65 29,636 140.68 33.04
Pre-war standard 137.31 31.73 138.96 32.3
Before the War a curve of heights and weights had been worked out as a
result of measurements taken in the schools. The average age of the intermediate
group measured in 1923, was 7 years and 10 months and the average age of the