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62
School Journeys, 1930.
During the year 1930, 503 (513) school journeys were made. The figures in
brackets are those for 1929. The children taking part in them were medically
examined in 501 cases before departure. In all 16,415 (16,267) children were
examined; of these 97 (110) were rejected as unfit to take part in the journeys on
various grounds, as follows:—Suffering from otorrhoea 10 (9); suffering from
infectious disease or contacts 8 (14); tonsillitis and kindred ailments 12 (15);
"increased temperature" 8 (7); personal hygiene 3 (5); skin diseases 9 (23).
Four children were prevented from going on account of the effects of recent vaccination.
Several children were provisionally rejected for defective personal hygiene,
but were subsequently passed fit.
Nursery Schools.
During the year 1930 two new experimental schools, each for 150 children,
were established by the Council at Columbia Market, Bethnal Green, and at Old
Church-road, Stepney. Recognition was given to two new voluntary schools, the
St. Leonard's Nursery school on the Foundling Hospital site (accommodation 60)
and the North Islington school, 110, Tollington-park, N.4 (accommodation 40). The
new Jellicoe school, rebuilt on the old site at 6a, Rochford-street, N.W., has accommodation
for 54 instead of 45 children as in the temporary premises. Proposals
now under consideration are the erection of two schools on the tops of blocks of
flats in the St. Marylebone and St. Pancras districts. The total recognised nursery
school accommodation in London at the end of 1930 was 1,004 in 13 schools.
Columbia Market and Old Church Road.—These schools, situate in poor and
crowded districts, have each four open-air classrooms with good verandahs, two of
the rooms being for 50 and two for 25 children. Originally the rooms were, excepting
for a movable wooden balustrade, entirely open on one side; but whilst
the older children who entered the schools when first opened at the beginning of the
autumn term became gradually acclimatised to open-air conditions before the onset
of winter, it was feared that the youngest and the late comers might suffer from
cold, and means of protection from frost and fog in the form of adjustable canvas
curtains were decided upon.
On Columbia Market school Dr. Turover reports as follows:—
"The Columbia Market nursery school (roll 78).—This school, for children between the
ages of 2-5, was opened in August, 1930. The bulk of the admissions were unselected children,
very few of them coming on the recommendations of hospital doctors or from other schools.
"The majority of the children came from overcrowded homes, showing signs of rickets
and faulty nutrition and malnutrition; some looked neglected and dirty.
"It was with difficulty that I recognised the same children at subsequent visits.
"They looked cleaner in every way, had a better colour, the eyes of those who were admitted
with blepharitis had cleared up and spots and sores had disappeared.
"They seemed contented and happy at their play, all of them occupied and much interested
in the apparatus supplied.
"Enuresis, I am told, is disappearing, the mothers say that bed wetting is now a rare
occurrence, since the children have begun to be trained in regular habits.
"It was difficult at first to get the children to take the good, plain food provided (which
is served to them in a most attractive manner) as opposed to the food they were used to (pickles,
relishes, fish and chips, etc.), but they are quickly acquiring the taste for it now and seem to
tolerate the week end fare less, as evidenced by the Monday indisposition.
"I am informed by the head teacher that the children's social sense is developing, and
those children who were reported by the mothers as being nervous, or shy, or unfriendly are
becoming much less so with the change of environment and encouragement on the part of the
teachers.
"Nearly all the children show an increase in weight and height.
"There is no doubt that the advantages offered at the school, such as regular meals, rest and
recreation, are having a most beneficial effect on the Bethnal Green toddler."
Dr. Cotter's report on Old Church-road school is as follows:—
"The site of the nursery school, Old Church-road, is well chosen, in the midst of rows of
ugly, poorly ventilated, overcrowded houses teeming with children.