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42
At a Council school in Wandsworth the school doctor reports:—
I am more than pleased with the results in the class this year. It has been magnificently
run. There has been great improvement in the attendance at school of the delicate children.
I notice most improvement in the children who suffer from chronic bronchitis and cervical
adenitis. The mothers report that, in spite of the fact that these open-air class children sleep in
the afternoon at school, they sleep better at night. Most of them have become so hardy that it is
difficult to keep them covered with their blankets while lying out of doors.
In this class, out of 23 children, all improved in colour and 22 in nutrition.
At a Council school in Lambeth the school doctor reports:—
Two girls giving a history of rheumatism without cardiac lesion are keeping well and remain
free from rheumatism. One girl subject to chronic bronchitis has recently had a severe attack
and has been recommended for convalescence. One very anaemic girl, whose home conditions
are bad, has been sent to an open-air school. The majority of the girls, though still below
standard physically, have shown definite improvement, and are found to be brighter and more
alert in their work.
In continuance of last year's practice, 8 out of the 25 girls slept out of doors in the garden
of Lady Margaret settlement from the beginning of June until 12th September, with the exception
of two weeks during the holidays, when all, except one girl, were sent away through the Country
Holiday Fund. These girls all came from overcrowded homes. They enjoyed sleeping out
very much, and their health benefited greatly. All the girls in the class are receiving milk daily
in school.
It is evident from the above report that all the necessary accessories to open-air
life were carefully provided by teachers and care committee workers. Fifteen of the
25 girls improved in colour and 16 in nutrition.
On the other hand, there have been two or three reports of a much less
enthusiastic character on the open-air classes. Of an open-air class in Westminster
the school doctor reports:—"I do not think any outstanding advantage can be
claimed for this class as a whole"; and of a class in North Kensington it was
reported that the school doctor considered the results the reverse of beneficial.
Open-air classes act by stimulating the metabolism of the body and thus
producing an increased and healthy appetite, which must be satisfied if good and
not harm is to accrue.
It is clear that it may be perilous to place debilitated children entirely in the
open-air without enquiring whether the extra nourishment required as a consequence
is forthcoming, and taking steps to provide it where lacking.
Open-air classes, as the reports show, are capable of bestowing much benefit
upon the children, but to do this they must be run "magnificently," as, it must be
said, most of them are.
Convalescent camp schools.
The numbers of children passing through the residential convalescent camp
schools during 1932 were : boys, 2,795 ; girls, 1,684 ; total, 4,479.
The experimental camp school for mentally defective children at Loughton has
already been described. Still another additional provision has been an arrangement
bv which a certain number of Roman Catholic erirls are sent to St. Marv's. Dover.
In detail the numbers were:—
Provided schools :—
Boys.
Girls.
King's Canadian school, Bushy
2,770
—
George Rainey, St. Leonards
—
621
Wanstead House, Margate
—
535
Total
2,770
1,156
Non-Provided schools:—
Fairfield House, Broadstairs
-
209
Russell Cotes school, Bournemouth
—
239
St. Mary's, Dover
—
31
Loughton
25
49
Total
25
528