View report page

77
Inspection of heads was carried out once a week. I found the parents of the unsatisfactory
cases not averse from advice, and had not to complain a second time to any parent.
Weighing and measuring took place every 28th day, as nearly as possible.
Medical inspections were carried out twice a term.
Individual parents awaited me at 9.0 a.m. each day, if previously summoned by me, for
advice about their child, or children, as to glands, discharging ears, bad sores, or anything upon
which I thought medical advice was needed, or any defective hygiene. The parents almost always
acted upon advice, and often many consulted me voluntarily on diet, aperients, health and
hygiene, and the general well-being of their offspring at the "At Home," given each month to
parents by the head mistress. I attended when possible, and answered any questions the parents
cared to ask me, advising them of the best for their children's welfare.
The following is an abstract of a report made by Dr. A. B. Francklyn, who
undertook the medical supervision of the class :—
It was arranged that the children entering the class should be medically examined on admission,
and at further three-monthly intervals for a period of a year. A " control " group of
children, selected in the same department of the school was medically examined at the beginning
and at the end of the experimental year. The standards chosen as being applicable for purposes
of comparison were : (a) gains in height and weight, (6) incidence of dental decay, (c) incidence
of infectious illness.
The nursery class was run by a specially trained nursery class teacher with the aid of a young
untrained helper. The control class was in the charge of an infants' certificated teacher. The
classrooms used for the experiment were adjacent, both facing south. They differed somewhat in
size and brightness, the nursery class being both lighter and larger than the control class. Both
classrooms opened directly on to the playground, which was extensively used in fine weather for
outdoor activities by nursery and control class children alike.
The equipment provided was very similar for both classes, most of the teaching material
being Montessori apparatus, supplemented by an ample supply of games and toys. The furniture
in use was of the " infant room " type, that of the nursery class having the advantage of being
enamelled, which enabled it to be washed several times a week. The nursery class had the added
advantage of a cloakroom specially adapted for its use. Besides the usual facilities, it contained
five porcelain hand-basins and a bath fitted with hot and cold water. Satisfactory arrangements
were made for the separation of individual washing implements. Two sanitary conveniences of
infant size were provided next door to the cloakroom.
Certain special health measures were current in the nursery class only. They were the following
(а) Daily examination and treatment of minor ailments by the school nurse.
(б) Daily toilet drill. The children were all provided with face cloths, towels, toothbrushes
and mugs and were taught how to use them.
(c) Daily lavatory drill. A record was kept of bowel actions.
(d) " Meals." These were provided at the cost of 7Jd. a week, and consisted of a midmorning
meal of J-pint of milk, milk rusk and 1 teaspoonful of cod-liver oil. In the afternoon,
each child received an apple and a further J-pint of milk. Those children whose parents were
unable to defray the cost received these meals free. (It should be specially noted that nearly
«all the children in the control class took advantage of the " milk scheme," many having §-pint
of milk a day, while some on medical grounds received a daily teaspoonful of cod-liver oil.)
(e) Provision of individual clean overalls twice weekly and of individual blankets for the
afternoon rest hour.
(/) Facilities for a weekly bath. A rota of mothers was arranged, and a large number
availed themselves of these facilities, coming on the day and at the time allocated to them
to bathe their children.
(g) Hygiene instruction to parents. A monthly social and educational meeting was
organised by the teaching staff. This was held in the evening at the school. The attendance
was invariably good. After a cup of tea and some form of light entertainment, a short talk
was given, either by the care committee worker, nurse or doctor, on one of the many problems
of child health.
The composition of the two groups of children varied to a certain extent with regard to sex,
age, nutrition, home environment and in other unidentifiable respects. An attempt to evaluate
some of these factors follows.
The boys predominated in both classes, figures being 59 per cent, in the nursery class and 69
per cent, in the control class.
A slight difference in the age incidence was noted, the average age for the nursery class being
3 years and 8 months and that for the control class 3 years and 10 months.
The weight and height ratio of all entrants was compared with the London averages and any
deviation noted. It was found by this method that the children admitted to the nursery class
were, on an average, .94 kg. below the London average standard weights, whereas entrants to
the control class averaged .4 kg. below the same scale. The general nutritional level of the nursery
class was, therefore, less satisfactory than that of the control class at the beginning of the
experiment.
F