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SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Pupils on school rolls—In January, 1961 there was a total of 428,591 pupils on the day
school roll; 231,025 in primary schools, 187,250 in secondary schools, 1,759 in nursery
schools and 8,557 in special schools. In January, 1960 there were 433,415 pupils on the roll.
Ministry of Education circulars—Administrative memorandum 9/60 relating to handicapped
pupils with parents in the armed forces and circular 12/60 dealing with changes
in procedures relating to educationally subnormal pupils are discussed on pages 104 and 105
respectively.
Medical inspection
Details of medical inspections during 1960 are summarised and compared with those
for earlier years in the tables below. Non-routine inspections, particularly ' specials ',
are now recorded under more specific descriptions and the source of reference is given for
the first time.
Since 1958 periodic general medical inspections have been analysed by year of birth to
conform with Ministry of Education requirements, but to facilitate annual comparisons
the year of birth has been turned into 'age' (by subtracting year of birth from year of
inspection) in the tables throughout this section of the report.
The Council's revised scheme for the medical inspection of school children came into
operation on 1 January, 1959 and one effect was to make the intermediate periodic inspections
a year later in the child's school life. Consequently fewer inspections were carried
out during 1959 than in 1958; in 1960 the normal pattern was resumed, but on the new
time-table. It will be seen from the following table that intermediate inspections now
are each spread over two age-groups because the school year begins in September.
Compared with 1958 there were 21,481 fewer periodic inspections carried out in 1960,
the largest drop being in the 11/12 age group, although that in the 7/8 group is considerable.
The 11-year olds in 1958 were, however, born in 1947—the well-known 'bulge' year.
The number of children seen at routine medical inspections in 1960 was 35.2 per cent. of
the school roll, compared with 31.4 per cent. in 1959 and 39.4 per cent. in 1958.
Another effect of the revised scheme was to abolish nutrition reinspections. Ordinary
reinspections showed a fall of almost 17 per cent. from the 1959 figure and fewer 'special'
inspections were carried out. It is of interest that of the 13,056 special inspections, half
were requested by head teachers, a quarter by school health visitors and just over oneeighth
by parents.