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41
The following is an extract from the report of the medical officer of the Stormont
House open-air school:—
All the children leaving school were placed in employment without any particular difficulty,
and it is satisfactory to know that a child's chances of obtaining work are not prejudiced in any
way by the fact of his attendance at a special school for tuberculous children.
Open-air
classes in
parks and
playgrounds.
The number of open-air classes held in connection with the elementary schools
in 1932 was 210. Of these 12 were of type A (children selected on medical grounds
from a group of schools); 68 were of type B (children selected on medical grounds
from the various classes of a single school); 38 were of type C (consisting of a single
class from one school, educated continuously at one open-air station); and 84 of
type D (consisting in a rotation of classes from one school occupying one open-air
station).
Eight classes are permanent, that is to say they are outside the yearly programme
and do not need re-authorisation each year. In addition, 50 of the 210 classes were
continued throughout the winter, where the suitability of the sites had been approved
by the school medical officer. Of the 210 classes, 74 were held in parks, gardens,
playing-fields and other open sites, while 128 were held in school playgrounds (of
which 24 were roof-playgrounds).
Children in classes of the types A and B are kept under special observation by
the school doctors. Long experience has shown that in London there are two types
of children who are weakly and aænmic, and require special care. They may be termed
for shortness the bronchitic type and the rheumatic type. The former thrive only
on open-air treatment of the sanatorium type, and for these the more exposure they
get the better they are, provided that the additional nourishment required is available,
and that they are adequately clothed and shod, while the latter cannot stand
such treatment and require warmth and coddling.
The medical reports again illustrate these results. Fifty-five detailed reports
were received from the school doctors on the open-air classes.
While the great majority of the classes are highly successful and exercise a
powerful effect upon the health of the children, a few do not give comparable results.
At a non-provided school in Putney it has been recognised for many years that the
care bestowed upon the children is of a particularly high standard.
Of the results of the open-air class at this school, the school doctor reports:—
This class is becoming increasingly popular with the parents. In fact, the benefits derived
from it are so obvious that one finds the parents almost unanimous in their desire to get their
children especially admitted to it. I am told by the parents and teachers that the children after
admission sleep better, eat better and improve markedly in both mental and physical alertness.
The success of this class is undoubtedly due to the devotion and unsparing care and keen observation
of the head mistress and of the mistress in charge of the class, and to the fact that the care
committee secretary is most successful in getting suggested treatments carried out.
Another school doctor reports on two open-air classes rum by neighbouring
non-provided schools, A and B. The report on the former is in the following
terms:—
This time there is a most noticeable improvement generally. Fifty per cent. appear mentally
alert, but originally were all subnormal, with the exception of 5. The mistresses attribute
the general and consistent improvement to the fact that they have a regular meal (i.e., at school)
at mid-day, 12 to 12.30; then from 12.30 to 1.15 or longer they lie down and rest. They do
not run about in the dinner hour and none goes home. They have a good quantity of milk or
cocoa daily. Their dinners are "sensible" ones.
At this class 75 per cent. improved in colour and 70 per cent. in nutrition.
In contrast is the report on school B:—
The children come from poor homes ; many are badly flea-bitten. General health appears
fairly good. The nutrition is very poor, noticeably so. The children are all very pale and
nearly all extremely thin. The lack of improvement is very disappointing. The children go
home at mid-day, which is not the case in school A, and they do not sleep in the afternoon, which
is the case there. The head teacher is going to make some new arrangements next year. The
situation is not very good, and, if a better one could be found, it would be advisable, as an open-air
class is badly needed here.
At this class no child improved in colour and the great majority made no
improvement in nutrition.
D