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142
Co-operation of Parents, Teachers, School Attendance Officers and Voluntary Bodies.
Apart from a relatively small minority of parents who stand aloof, the parents
show a great and growing interest in the physical welfare of their children and in the
arrangements made for their physical care.
In 64 per cent. of all examinations a parent was present with the doctor. At
the examination of leaving boys, however, only 29 per cent. of mothers attended,
whereas in the case of the leaving girls 43 per cent. of mothers were present. This
is, however, not due to want of interest on the part of the parents, but is due to the
fact that the leaving boy hates to be thought to be tied to his mother's apron-strings.
In the case of entrants, no less than 87 per cent. of mothers attended equally in
the case of boy and girl infants. Refusals to submit children to routine inspection
were encountered in only 149 instances during the year, fifteen refusals were withdrawn
upon further explanation, and in 13 cases the official schedule was filled in by
a private practitioner or a medical certificate produced.
The Teaching Staff as a whole gives enthusiastic support to the School Medical
Service. It has been pointed out repeatedly by the medical officers that the results
of following-up at a particular school will largely depend upon the attitude of the
head teacher and the time he or she is able to devote to co-operation. The teachers
notify immediately to the School Medical Officer and to the local Medical Officer of
Health every case of infectious disease or suspected infectious disease amongst their
pupils. They also issue the invitations to the parents to attend medical and dental
inspections. Many teachers go far beyond the nominal duties in their devotion to
the care of the children. In a large number of instances they act as the secretary
of the school care committee, and many arrange for lantern lectures and talks to
the parents upon such conditions as dental caries and physical development.
The attendance officers devote a large part of their time to assisting in the work.
Without them it is safe to say that important sections of children's care would
cease to function at all.
During the annual scheduling they note the existence of all crippled and defective
children under school age; these are reported to the School Medical Officer and placed
under the supervision of the Invalid Children's Aid Association.
The attendance officers confer with the school medical staff and the care committee
organising staff on all children absent from school.
Special officers in the attendance branch assist the school care committees in
following up difficult cases where medical treatment is urgently required, and it is
due to their efforts that the necessary attention is eventually secured.
During the prevalence of measles the attendance officers visit absentees in the
infants' department, concentrating especially upon those under five and give prompt
information to the borough medical officers of all children found to be suffering,
in this way enabling home nursing to be provided, and contributing largely to the
reduction of mortality.
The attendance officers also deliver the statutory notices under the Children's
Act in all cases where it is necessary to proceed on account of verminous conditions
and neglect of personal cleanliness.
The part played by the officers of the attendance department in all these activities
cannot be too highly praised and they share to a very large extent the credit for the
improvement in the children's condition which has taken place.
The London system has always, broadly speaking, been based fundamentally
upon the principle of co-operation with voluntary bodies working in the field of
children's care.
There are over one thousand school care committees, consisting of voluntary
workers giving their time and enthusiasm to the care of school children. They are
united in 27 local associations and are guided and directed by a staff of organisers
who are skilled social experts.