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As can be seen, a proportion of those referred for treatment of defective vision were
wearing spectacles already. This proportion rose from about one-tenth at age seven to
two.fifths at age 15. The higher total percentages of children referred for treatment at
older ages was thus almost wholly due to those needing natural adjustment of refraction
correction with the passage of time.
In 1956, the incidence of defective vision and the percentage of pupils referred for
treatment of defective vision remained fairly stable compared with the preceding years.
As experienced over many years, the recorded incidence of defective vision was greater
among girls than boys.
Squint was most prevalent in the entrant group, falling to insignificant residual level
in the leaver group. The overall figure of pupils referred for treatment of squint was
0.7 per cent., compared with 0.8 per cent, in 1955, 0.8 per cent, in 1954 and 0.9 per cent,
in 1953.
Much interest has been shown in recent years in the question of routine vision tests
of young children. The problem is a difficult one and, in London, attention was drawn
to it during the course of a special study of the growth of the eye by Prof. A. Sorsby
mentioned in the Annual Report for 1954. The question has been referred to the working
party to which reference has already been made.
Nutrition
Classification of General/Physical Condition and referrals for treatment or observation
From 1947 to 1955 inclusive, school doctors carrying out general medical inspections
were required by the Ministry of Education to classify the ' general condition ' of the
pupils on a three-point scale—'good'fair' or 'poor'. This classification replaced a
four.point scale of 'nutrition' assessment (' excellent','normal', 'sub.normal' or
' bad'), and it has been stressed that because these are descriptions of purely subjective
assessments, such a change in the system of classification meant that it would be some
years before the statistics produced on the new scale could be regarded as sufficiently
stable for valid conclusions to be drawn from them. Bearing this in mind, it has nevertheless
been apparent over the past few years that the general condition of the pupils
has been steadily improving—the figures showing a consistent increase in the number
classified as ' good ' and corresponding decreases in the ' fair ' and ' poor' categories.
As from 1st January, 1956, a further change in the system of classification was made
by the Ministry of Education, the former description ' Classification of General
Condition ' being replaced by ' Classification of Physical Condition with only two
categories provided for, i.e., ' Satisfactory ' and ' Unsatisfactory '.
The figures for 1956 show an overall allocation between these two groups of
95.0 per cent, satisfactory and 5.0 per cent, unsatisfactory, but it is manifestly impossible
to make any comparison between these figures and the three.point classification which
operated for the previous nine vears.
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The table below shows the classifications under the two separate scales for 1953.1955
and 1956 respectively, together with the percentages referred for treatment or observation
of nutrition defects :