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Fat and weight apart, there is a general improvement in nutrition in every case: six
nervous children have definitely improved in steadiness: and three chest cases have become
stronger. I am of opinion that the class is of very great use in this locality and that it is certainly
desirable to keep it going in both winter and summer.
Once again it must be emphasised that those responsible for placing the
children in classes in the open-air must see that adequate additional nutriment is
forthcoming to satisfy the increased appetite and the quicker metabolic changes
which it is the function of the open air regime to produce, and upon which success
and improvement depend.
For instance Dr. Edith Robinson reports as follows on one open-air class:—
On examination I find the general condition of the children in the open-air class disappointing.
On the whole their nutrition is not good, and their colour poor. The older girls (i.e., from 12 to
14 years) show most improvement. This would be expected, as the older girls have been in the
class for two or three years. On enquiry, one finds that the majority of the parents are out of
work, hence the poor nutrition. It is very advisable that these children should have milk meals.
The condition of the children does not compare favourably with that of the children in the
Poole's Park open-air class, which only remains out-of-doors from Easter to October.
In contrast Dr. Denton reports of a class in a school where care committee
activity reaches a very high level:—
I should like to tell you how successful the open-air class at the Stoke Newington Highstreet
school has been. I think all the children have benefited, and some of them are remarkably
improved. It has been worth while.
I stated last year that open-air classes to be successful must be run
"magnificently." It will not do at all to choose a handful of weakly children,
place them out of doors in a secluded corner of the playground and forget all about
them. The nutrition of each child must be carefully studied—all the children
without exception should be given nourishment during the morning and a rest
period in the afternoon.
Two contrasted classes in the same neighbourhood showed such different
results in 1932 that I set out the particulars in my last report. On these two
classes Dr. C. S. Eyre reports again this year showing that a little more attention
has produced better results in the class which so poorly responded last year. Her
report is as follows:—
The situation of the two classes is probably responsible for the difference in the two lots of
children, the children from school "A" being much quieter. Also it is only latterly that the
children from school "B" have been able to rest after the mid-day meal, and this has given
rise to a very marked general improvement. Last year the children from school "B" showed
little improvement at the end of the summer, and I pointed out to the head teacher that the
mid-day rest had been found extremely beneficial at school "A" and suggested that she should
get some day beds which she did. The improvement in the children is this year very noticeable.
The school "A" class has always shown a more decided improvement all round, although
the children are selected from the same class of house, etc. The teacher tells me that she is a
great believer in the mid-day rest, and very little games, but certain physical exercises every day.
(I noticed that the carriage of these children was quite remarkably good). She also supervises
the mid-day meal and deprecates a lot of pastry or unsuitable food. She is extremely careful
and good in this work.
All the children had improved in height and weight and in facial colour and appearance.
The children from school "B" had mostly improved, but there have been changes in the
staffing, and the position of the class is undesirable. Some better position should be found if
possible.
School journeys.
During the year 1933, 358 school journeys were made (compared with 332 in
1932), and the children taking part were medically examined in all cases before
departure. In all 12,185 children were examined (the corresponding figure for 1932
being 10,753); and of these 65 were excluded as unfit to take part in the
journeys on various grounds, including the following (the figures in parenthesis refer
to the year 1932):—otorrhoea, 10 (4); infectious disease or contacts, 2 (2); tonsillitis
and kindred ailments, 9 (11); temperature, 11 (3); personal hygiene, 0 (3); skin
diseases, 14 (9). Several children were provisionally rejected on grounds connected
with personal hygiene but were subsequently passed after visiting a bathing centre.
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