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The duties of the matron-in-chief of the public health department include
superintendence of the school nursing staff which is in charge of a principal matron.
At the end of 1946, there were three part-time consultants, for ophthalmology,
for diseases of the ear, nose and throat and for orthopaedics, respectively.
In addition to the two senior medical officers, there are at County Hall one
principal assistant medical officer, 4 divisional medical officers (one acting) and one
assistant medical officer. Working in the 5 divisions, there are 5 divisional medical
officers, and 15 full-time assistant medical officers. In addition to the full-time
medical officers, part-time assistant medical officers worked 14,079 sessions during the
year.
Full-time and part-time dental surgeons worked 1,315 half-day sessions on
inspections, and 16,512 sessions for treatment; two part-time orthodontists together
worked 13 sessions a week during the year. There were 43 dental attendants working
full time.
There were, in addition to the principal matron in charge, 6 superintendent
school nurses, 5 deputy superintendent school nurses, and 381 school nurses.
The treatment side of the children's care organisation is under a principal
organiser, and, at the end of the year, there were in addition 6 divisional organisers,
17 senior organisers and 36 assistant organisers.
School buildings
During the war approximately 290 schools were either demolished or seriously
damaged, 310 were less seriously damaged, and 550 slightly damaged.
Rehabilitation was limited to minor works, and following an intensive programme
of cleaning and modified decoration introduced during 1946, work was completed in
86 schools, and minor repairs, including renewal of window sashes and frames, had
been carried out in 153 schools.
Pupils on school rolls
The re-organisation under the Education Act, 1944, into primary and secondary
schools continued during 1946, and, at the end of the year, there were 942 county
schools and 406 voluntary or assisted schools (a department or combined department
under one head is regarded as one school).
There were 246,921 children of primary and secondary school age in county
schools, and 87,863 children in voluntary or assisted schools, making a grand total of
334,784 pupils.
The average attendance in November, 1946, was 85.9 per cent. for all former
elementary schools.
Medical inspection
Medical examination of the normal four routine age groups was carried out,
viz., on first entrance to school, in the eighth year of age, in the twelfth year of age,
and in the term before leaving school.
There were also other examinations carried out which did not fall into the foregoing
age groups. These are classified as the " other age " group.