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76
disadvantages of inadequate housing one real benefit has arisen. Those who
lived or worked among the poor before the war will remember how each quarter
day there were to be seen numerous folk in the meaner streets about nightfall with
their household effects piled on hand barrows "flitting" from one domicile to
another. A common method of avoiding any distasteful responsibility was to slip
away leaving no trace behind. Between inspection and re-inspection in some
poorer schools quite half the children would disappear. In these circumstances
steady, constructive work and efficient following up was impossible, the leakage
between inspection and treatment was very high and could not be prevented.
The housing shortage has produced a great change in this respect, the present
generation of children has experienced a school life of continuous supervision and
the care committees have at length been enabled to stop the leak between inspection
and treatment. The benefits of this success are reflected in the results of medical
inspection in the schools.
Reports of
care
committees.
The education officer has summarised the annual reports of a large number of
care committees for the year ended March, 1929, and the part of the summary dealing
with the medical aspects of their work is reproduced here. In the words of the
Bethnal Green summary "no busy person can fail to sympathise with the plea
that there is not time to get through all the work properly, let alone writing about it."
"The reports practically all comment on the growing appreciation of the
parents as shown by their action after medical inspection in applying for appointments
at the treatment centres without stimulus from the care committee. 'The
parents are eager for treatment' (St. Pancras), 'an attitude that speaks wonders
for the work of the school doctors, nurses, teachers and care committee visitors.'
Comments are made, too, by St. Pancras on ' the surprisingly few applications for
remission of medical charges.' Even in the dental work ' parents are, it seems,
slowly awaking to the importance of treatment—the fact that so many children
now attend the clinic when advised is undoubtedly due to energy and persistence
on the part of members of the committee ' (Greenwich). ' There has of late been a
far greater response to advice given—we must most definitely record a very great
progress in this branch in spite of depressing lists of names of children wanting
attention after every dental inspection ' (Camberwell).
" In the matter of the provision of spectacles, the problem is also noted as less,
parents being more alive to the handicap that short sight is to their children's school
work. The teachers great help in seeing that the children wear the spectacles is
frequently mentioned with appreciation.
" There are, of course, still real difficulties in ensuring attendance at treatment
centres, and it has been suggested by one association that paid helpers should be
appointed to take the children. In other reports, however, this course has been
deprecated as it is felt that the mother only can give the doctor the information he
needs and that there is an educational value to her of hearing his advice. The
steady increase in the number of treatment centres is welcomed, as ' a long journey
is a real stumbling-block to busy mothers' (Wandsworth). Also ' there is an
undoubted correlation between the visiting strength of a committee and the percentage
of successful cases ' (Bethnal Green). Hampstead remarks with truth that
the following up of medical and dental cases is uphill work still, and demands the
greatest patience and perseverance on the part of those who undertake it. ' But it
is worth doing, and is already beginning to bear fruit in an improved standard of
health among the children.' Wandsworth says, ' In the medical work the members
of care committees achieve wonderful results. Gradually they are winning the
parents on to the side of health and hygiene. The innumerable disappointments
on the non-use of vouchers are faced with a steady ' try, try again,' and in the end
the children receive treatment. Diplomacy and patience may be required to meet
ignorant objections, but in some schools the recommendations of the school doctors