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65
Age group
inspections.
The Results of Medical Inspection.
The number of children medically inspected in the three statutory age groups
in the elementary schools during 1929 was 189,144, being 18,110 less than in 1928.
The decrease is due to the small number of children at age 12 who were born in the
year 1917, a year of extremely low birth-rate. In addition, 57,129 children were
inspected in the term before that in which they were due to leave school and 1,763
children in special schools were inspected in their aee croups.
Special
inspections.
The number of children not falling in the four age groups, referred for examination
for special reasons by care committee workers, teachers, school nurses, attendance
officers, etc., was 36,977, and additional children to the number of 54,035 were
inspected in groups in connection with school journeys, open-air classes, camp
schools and so forth.
Total
inspections.
The grand total of children inspected during the year amounted to 339,048.
When it is considered that in addition 185,989 children under observation for
previously recorded defect were re-inspected, it is evident that the total number of
children seen by the school doctors during a year forms a high percentage of the
children on the school rolls. Every child in attendance is also inspected thrice
annually—once in every term—by the school nurse.
Attendance
of parents.
Parents are invited to all ordinary routine inspections out not always to special
inspections and rarely to re-inspections. The proportion of parents who responded
to the invitation was 65.9 per cent., a slightly higher figure than in previous years.
Only 32.9 per cent. of parents attended the inspection of leaver boys but 88 per cent.
attended in the case of entrant infants. This very high proportion of parents
now attending the inspection of the entrant child is a most important fact, for no
general health, propaganda can compare in its effect with the intimate discussion by
the parent with the doctor of health questions, with the child present as an objectlesson
of more absorbing interest to the mother than any other could possibly be.
Refusals to allow examination are few in number.
Refusals.
Refusals of parents to submit children tor medical inspection.—During the year
1929, the parents of 108 children refused to allow them to be examined by the
Council's assistant medical officers. The figure for the year 1928 was 156. Of
these children, 44 were boys and 64 were girls who were divided amongst the divisions
as follows:—E, 6; N.E., 2; N.W., 41; S.E., 25; S.W., 35. Eight of these objections
were subsequently withdrawn and in eight cases either medical record cards
were filled in by a private medical practitioner or medical certificates as to physical
fitness were produced.
It is noticed that the number of objections received in the winter is larger
than for the other terms, probably owing to the parents' fear that the children
will "catch cold" when thev are undressed for the medical inspection.
Requests for
medical
cards.
Removals to areas outside London.—During the year 1929 other education
authorities asked for the medical record cards of 375 children. It was possible to
accede to the requests in 242 cases. Of the remainder it was found that 30 children
had not yet been examined, while it was not possible to trace 88 cards. The
remaining 15 cases related to the cards of children who were not attending schools
in the County of London.
Children
referred for
treatment.
Children m the age groups referred for treatment for various ailments including
dental caries numbered 107,386. The proportion referred was 43.6 per cent., hardly
differing at all from the proportion in previous years (43.2 per cent., 1928: 44 per
cent., 1927). If dental caries be omitted the proportion referred for treatment at
age group inspections was 18.7 per cent., a result again identical with that of the
previous year.
Analysis of
results.
The analysis ot results immediately following is limited to the three statutory
age groups in order to facilitate comparison with previous years. The results of
the Council's extra examination of leaver children will be dealt with separately.