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Authority has been given for the conveyance of children to Branstone Street
Centre from outlying districts by school buses when redundant vehicles are
available from the Education service.
The Organiser of Occupation Centres appointed by the Education Committee
was formally transferred to the Public Health Department on 1st August, 1949.
Two supervisors (one woman and one man) were granted leave of absence with
pay for a year from 6th September, 1949, to attend the course of training for staffs
of occupation centres, etc., arranged by the National Association for Mental
Health.
As few of the centres have playgrounds or open spaces nearby, outings by
school bus to parks or open spaces were arranged for recreational purposes approximately
once a fortnight during the suitable months of the year.
Open days were held at most centres during the year for the sale of articles
made and to give parents and friends an opportunity of seeing the work of the
centres. The sums realised were £18 15s. 4d. at junior centres, £87 9s. l1d. at elder
boys' centres and £40 7s. 3d. at elder girls' centres. In addition, a number of toys
and pieces of apparatus were made in the boys' centres for use at junior centres.
During December, Christmas parties were arranged at all of the centres.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Organisation
The work of the School Health Service is largely dependent upon the duties
imposed upon every local education authority by the Education Acts, 1944-48,
and the Handicapped Pupils and School Health Service Regulations made thereunder.
The arrangements for medical inspection and the special education of
handicapped pupils continued as before, but in consequence of the National Health
Service Act, 1946, the arrangements for medical treatment were somewhat modified.
The School Care Committees established in 1907 continued to carry out the
work of following up the medical recommendations. The value of this method of
obtaining the co-operation of parents is apparent in the results. The number of
voluntary workers rose to over 1,600 and they gave much devoted service in the
medical and other fields to the children of London.
A full-time psychiatrist was appointed in March, 1949, and a full-time speech
therapist in September. At the end of the year there were three part-time consultants
: for ophthalmology, for diseases of the ear, nose and throat, and for psychiatry.
The orthopaedic consultant was unable to continue the work after 31st October,
1949, and from that date temporary consultants have been employed.
Pupils on school rolls
At the end of 1949 there were 283,563 children of primary and secondary
school age in County schools and 96,229 children in voluntary or assisted schools,
making a total of 379,792 pupils.