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41
Convalescence
In addition to the provision for children at residential open-air schools, there is
now a large provision for convalescence in institutions of the Council's special
hospitals service.
This is one of the benefits of inestimable value which the Local Government
Act, 1929, has bestowed upon the school children of London. The institutions
were formerly maintained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and were restricted
in their use. Now they are open to children referred through the school medical
service. Full advantage is being taken of them by the elementary school children,
and the resources of the service for promoting the welfare of the school population
are thus immensely increased. During the year 4,725 children were discharged from
convalescence at the undermentioned hospitals.
No. of children discharged from
Institution convalescence
St. Anne's home 1,331
Goldie Leigh hospital 102
Downs hospital for children 475
Lower Southern hospital 2,392
Millfield convalescent hospital 425
Total 4,725
Except at the Lower Southern Hospital, education is provided for the convalescent
children, and the institutions are recognised by the Board of Education as
hospital schools.
Lower Southern Hospital is primarily an infectious diseases hospital, and the
continuance of convalescent arrangements here cannot be counted upon all the
year round.
The opening-out of this provision for convalescence has indeed been a boon to
London children, and it has greatly mitigated the sense of frustration which afflicted
social workers and officers alike when faced with the long delays and checks, which
formerly so frequently occurred and so hampered the work of children's care.
In addition to the provision detailed above, the Council has agreed to pay grants
to the Invalid Children's Aid Association on account of certain children convalesced
by the Association, and in 1938 grants in respect of a maximum period of eight
weeks' convalescence were authorised for each of 2,638 children.
School journeys
The teachers in many schools voluntarily organise arrangements by which
children are taken during term time to hostels and camps in the country or by the
seaside for periods generally of two or three weeks. The Council has directed that
the school medical service shall assist so far as is possible with this excellent work.
In 1938, 395 school journeys were arranged. The children taking part were
medically examined in all cases before departure. In all, 13,710 children were examined,
and of these 76 were excluded as unfit to take part in the journeys for the following
reasons: heart disease, 6; tonsillitis, 8; otorrhœa, 4; conjunctivitis, 1;
septic wounds, 8; skin disease, 17; raised temperature, 8; dental trouble, 5; infectious
disease, 10; other conditions, 9. Several children were provisionally
rejected on grounds connected with personal hygiene, but were subsequently passed
after visiting a bathing centre.
Physical education
The following is abstracted from the report of the organisers of physical education
(Mr. A. H. A. Gem and Miss Grant S. Clark) for the three years ended September,
1938:—
The report covers three years which, from the point of view of physical education, have been
highly significant. Progress has been rapid and far-reaching.
One of the prominent features has been the large building programme which has been
undertaken by the Council.
The standard planning has been altered in the case of central and senior schools to include
a gymnasium, a showering-drying-changing room, a teacher's changing room, and an apparatus
store in each new school.
Central and
elementary
schools