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94
There were six cases of scalp ringworm, but there were no cases of body ringworm
among children in residential schools and children's homes.
A majority of the Council's residential schools are equipped with a Wood's
lamp and screening of all contacts is immediately instituted on the occurrence of a
case of scalp ringworm. This, with other preventive measures, has in the past
resulted in immediate control.
School buildings and furniture
The Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Education in his report on the
Health of the School Child for the years 1939-45, introduced a chapter on school
buildings and school furniture. He referred to the need for the modernising of many
school buildings that were below accepted standards of hygiene and to the necessity
for modem furniture both for new schools and for replacing out of date equipment
in existing schools. He added that the school medical officer was specially concerned
in the type of furniture necessary for schools since furniture and equipment
often had a direct influence on the health of the pupils.
The Building Regulations, 1945, which prescribed the new standards were
modified by the recommendations of the Technical Working Party on School
Construction which were presented to the Minister of Education in August, 1948.
Circulars 209 and 210 issued in October, 1949, by the Ministry of Education
introduced further modifications in the standards of educational building and
stated that amendments to the Building Regulations were under consideration.
A Sub-Committee of the Ministry of Works Standards Committee appointed in
1944 made recommendations for the standardisation of materials, components,
furniture and fittings in school buildings.
The Council decided to spend one and a half million pounds on refurnishing the
schools during the next five years.
In November arrangements were made with the Technical College for the
Furnishing Trades and with Shoreditch Training College for the design of school
equipment to be undertaken by senior students as a project. A furniture design
advisory panel was constituted (with representatives from those colleges and the
Central School of Arts and Crafts and appropriate officers from the Architect's,
Education Officer's, Public Health and Supplies Departments) and considered the
current trends in the design of school furniture both in this country and in Europe.
The plans for all new school buildings are seen by the School Medical Officer.
Some progress was made in improving the conditions in existing schools.
The recommendations of the Ministry Sub-Committees on furniture were closely
followed in deciding the design and sizes of new furniture.

This showed an increase, in special psychological reports, of 102, on 1948.
In addition, 21 boys and 10 girls who had been remanded on bail and therefore
did not appear on the books of the remand home were examined for the purpose of
a " special" report.