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invitation, i.e., 61 per cent. The percentage of parents present at the inspection
of the entrants only was 87. The fact that in London so many parents see
the school doctor and discuss with him the health of their children is of very great
importance, for it represents by far the greatest and most successful educational
influence in hygiene that has yet been brought into action. Refusals to submit
children to routine inspection were encountered in 186 instances—less than one
in 1,000. In 14 cases the refusal was withdrawn on further explanation, and in
12 instances the official record was filled in bv the family doctor.
The teaching staff as a whole gives enthusiastic support to the school medical
service. They not only notify to the medical officer every case of infectious disease
or suspected infectious disease amongst the pupils or at the pupils' homes, but
also issue the invitation 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 many instances they act as secretaries to the school care committees.
Teacher.
The attendance officers devote much time to assisting in the work of the school
medical service. They confer with the medical officers in regard to children absent
from school and make the necessary arrangements for them to be seen as special
cases by the school doctors. Special officers in the attendance branch assist the
school care committees in following up difficult cases where medical treatment is
urgently required. During the prevalence of measles the attendance officers visit
absentees in the infants' departments with a view to giving the local medical officers
early information of cases which would otherwise remain unknown. They also
serve the statutory notices under the Children's Act in all cases where it is necessary
to proceed on account of verminous conditions. Another duty performed by them
is the collection of sums due from the parents for medical treatment. It will be
seen, therefore, that the attendance officer enters largely into all the schemes of
welfare work for the school children, and is an invaluable ally of the school medical
service.
Attendance
officers.
The system of children's care in London has always, broadly speaking, been
based upon the principle of co-operation with voluntary bodies working in the field
of children's care. The bulk of the following up is carried out by the members of
the school care committees, who number about 5,000. The school care committees
decide whether the charges for medical treatment should be remitted in appropriate
cases, and also whether children should be retained upon the list for school feeding.
The medical practitioners in many districts provide and manage the school
treatment centres, and one of their number usually gives his services as secretary
of the centre.
The District Nursing Associations have also been brought into the orbit of the
school medical service. They supply the nursing staff at the treatment centres for
the nursing treatment of minor ailments and the Council's agreements with them
ensure the visiting of children in their homes when necessary. The Council's
organisers of care committees maintain a close co-operation with all the voluntary
institutions and associations dealing with school children, and have in many
instances established a system of mutual registration. They are in close touch
with the Invalid Children's Aid Association, one of whose members is invariably
upon the school care committee at the schools for the physically defective. They
are in close touch also with the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to
Children, which gives valuable aid in cases of neglect. It is impossible here to
enumerate all the organisations, local and universal, with which co-operation is
maintained.
Voluntary
bodies.
As one example of the co-ordination effected by the children's care organisation
of the Council all over London with countless institutions aiming at betterment,
may be cited the case of the Hollington Club in Camberwell, whose description is
given in the book "Medical Control on a Boys' Club," written by H. G. G.
14172 H 2
Hollington
Club.