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77
The numbers of medical officers' sessions given to this service from 31st
December, 1934, to 31st March, 1935, was 121, but, in view of the decision of the
Council quoted above that a juvenile should not be presented to a medical officer
until he (or she) had been in attendance for at least a week, it was found that a
considerable reduction of numbers for interview occurred. Whilst preserving the
principle of a weekly visit to each group of juveniles, insufficient numbers were
available at each such visit for a full session's work.
With regard to medical treatment, the Council agreed that juveniles, who are
less than 16 years of age or are not entitled to medical benefit under the National
Health Insurance scheme, should be permitted to avail themselves of the arrangements
for medical treatment at school treatment centres on the same terms as are
generally applicable to pupils at day continuation schools and evening institutes.
The Ministry of Labour's approval to this arrangement has now been received.
Medical inspection at secondary and trade schools.
In the maintained secondary and trade schools medical inspection has been
carried out by the school medical stall over a very long period of years.
The pupils are, in accordance with the instructions of the Board of Education,
inspected in detail on entrance, again at the age of 12, and at the age of 15; in all
other years the records of all pupils are reviewed, but a detailed examination is
only carried out when there is some special indication or request.
So far as the aided schools are concerned, medical inspection of all the pupils
by members of the Council's medical staff is carried out at 22 schools. Also at 22
other such schools these inspections are conducted by doctors appointed by the
respective governors. The holders of Council's scholarships at 8 aided schools are
seen by the Council's staff at County Hall, the governors' doctors in those schools
confining themselves in the main to fee-payers, trust-fund scholars, etc.
In one non-aided school, the medical inspection of pupils is carried out by one
of the Council's medical officers at the request of the governors.
The figures subsequently analysed are derived only from the schools where the
medical inspections are carried out by the Council's own staff. No detailed reports
of medical inspections are received from those aided schools at which the pupils are
examined by the doctor appointed by the governors, but the record cards of all the
Council's scholarship children examined are sent for the school medical officer's
information at the end of each term.
Including students in training colleges, 15,063 pupils were examined during the
year by the Council's medical officers. Details of the distribution of these students
in the various institutions are given in the Appendix (table VII). In addition to
the above, the records of 3,572 pupils not in the age groups were reviewed, but
detailed examinations were not deemed necessary. As might be expected, the
children in the secondary schools show a general superiority in freedom from physical
defect over children in the elementary schools, but in 15 instances the clothing was
found to be poor and in 15 infestation with vermin was noted.
Dental
condition.
The percentage of children, aged 12, with sound teeth was : boys, 83.9 ; girls,
81.3 ; but at the age of 15 this percentage had decreased by 2.2 per cent, among boys
and increased by 3.9 per cent. among girls. Of cases of widespread dental decay
where 4 or more teeth were affected, the percentage among boys and girls of 12
years old was 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, compared with 1.1 in boys and girls leaving
elementary schools.
Vision.
At the age of 12, 79.8 per cent.of the boys and 73.6 per cent. of the girls were
able to pass the vision test, compared with 69.5 and 66.7 in elementary school
leavers. In secondary schools 17.2 per cent. of the boys and 18.2 per cent. of girls
were wearing glasses at the age of 12, but at the age of 15 the percentages were 19.8
boys and 22.7 girls.
In spite of the greater percentage wearing glasses at the age of 15, the percentage
of pupils passing the vision test was considerably less, viz., 73.5 per cent. among
boys and 69.5 per cent. among girls, suggesting that the more serious strain in
reading has a detrimental effect upon the eyesight.
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