View report page

158
schools in the town. In some measure this is to be
overcome by the proposed new building in place of the
St. Ethelburga's School.
In other schools there still remains a lack of suitable
accommodation for routine medical inspection, etc.,
and this refers essentially to the old factory type of
school which does still remain in three instances.
(4) MEDICAL INSPECTION.
At the present time routine medical inspections are
carried out in the schools as required by the Board of
Education on the following three occasions in the child's
school life :—
5—6 years " Entrants "
8—9 years " Intermediates "
12 years "Leavers"
It is my submission that one could perhaps with
advantage change the time of the leaving examination
from 12 years to 13 years, thus adding a fourth routine
medical inspection during the child's school life.
With regard to the examination of " leavers," the
advantages of examining them at the existing age group
are (1) there is not such a long time between the
intermediate and the final examinations and (2) it gives
a greater length of time for defects to be remedied,
before the child leaves school.
The advantages of examining these children at the
suggested later age are (1) that the advice of the
medical officer would thereby be more useful to the
Juvenile Employment Officer, because it is closer to
the school leaving age, especially now that this is
raised to 15 years, and (2) between the earlier age and
the later age, further defects may have arisen.