View report page

116
House, Hackney, for 130 children having been opened on 23.4.28); 7 day open air
schools for tuberculous children accommodating 540; 5 country and seaside convalescent
camp schools accommodating 484 children for short periods, through
which 4,600 children pass annually; and 171 day open air classes in school playgrounds,
parks and open spaces, accommodating 4,040 children.
Day open-air
schools.
The seven open air schools with their situations and dates of opening are—
Aspen House, Brixton (23.11.25); Brent Knoll, Forest Hill (26.4.27); Bow Road,
Poplar (30.1.22); Holly Court, Highgate (18.7.27); Shooter's Hill, Plumstead
(10.6.08); Stowey House, Clapham Common (14.6.20); and Upton House, Hackney
(23.4.28). The number of children who passed the whole or part of the year in
these schools was 1,826. The Council is pushing on with its programme for the
erection of new open air schools and it is expected that two further schools will be
organised during the year 1929.
Detailed reports have been received in each case from the assistant medical
officers in charge of the medical work of these schools, of which the report of Dr.
Vernon Wiley upon the oldest school, Shooter's Hill, and Dr. Banks Raffles upon
the new school, Upton House, are selected for reproduction.
Shooter's-hill.
Dr. Vernon
Wiley.
"The 'First Open Air School' has done an excellent year's work, the very
fine weather this year contributing largely. The following details of percentage
attendance, hours of bright sunshine, mean temperature and rainfall are taken from
records kept at the school by the pupils under the direction of the teaching staff.
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Percentage attendance 86.0 84.2 88.0 88.6 88.0 87.6 84.5 — 84.2 82.7 83.0 83.3
Hours of bright sun151/4 45 33 321/3 461/4 641/2 68 — 993/4 301/4 113/4 71/2
shine
Mean Tetop. (F.) 40.6 42.6 42.8 49.4 51.5 57.7 67.2 — 50.3 53.7 46.1 38.3
Rainfall (inches) 3.6 .78 1.32 1.40 0.91 .119 0.50 — 0.29 3.06 1.35 2.51
Average percentage attendance, 85.4 per cent. Total hours of bright sunshine, 454.
"In spite of the fact that this year the weather conditions were unusually good
for open air school work, there were 48 days on which the weather was so bad that
work out of doors was impossible. This fact should be borne in mind in view of the
possible extension of the open air school idea in this country, for it has a direct
bearing on the type of building needed. There are many days in which complete
(closed-in) shelter from cold, wind and rain is necessary if hardship to the scholars
and teachers is to be avoided—days in which partial shelter is not sufficient.
"Medical inspection was carried out fortnightly in term time. Children who
left school during the year, 27 (20 boys and 7 girls). Malnutrition, anoemia and
debility, 11; suspected tuberculosis 'pretubercular,' 6; tubercular adenitis (healed),
4; tubercular peritonitis (healed), 1; pulmonary fibrosis, 1; asthma with chronic
bronchitis, 4. Of these children 19 appeared to be normal on leaving school, 2 were
very much improved, whilst 4 (the cases of asthma) showed improvement in their
general condition. Two cases were not definitely improved. Reasons for leaving.—
20 left over age; 3 left district; 2 returned to elementary school; and 2
admitted to hospitals. Average duration of stay at school—3 years.
"New admissions during the year, 39 (26 boys and 13 girls). Healed tubercular
pleurisy, 2; healed pulmonary tuberculosis, 4; suspected pulmonary tuberculosis,
2; tuberculosis contacts, 2; pre-tubercular (T.O.'s cases) 6; healed tubercular
peritonitis, 1; pulmonary fibrosis following pneumonia, 2; asthma with
chronic bronchitis, 1; bronchial catarrh, 4; phlyctenular conjunctivitis, 1; anaemia
and debility, 11; digestive ailments (acidosis, cyclic vomiting, etc.) 2. Twenty-six
of these children are attending dispensaries or hospitals. In 8 cases there is a bad
family history of tuberculosis. As on previous occasions children chosen for admission
were those likely to need open air regime all their school life.