London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Barking 1926

[Report of the School Medical Officer for Barking

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Children on the Physically Defective Register may be classified under the following groups:—

Atrophic and paralytic.Spastic.Tuberculosis (Surgical)Injuries.Congenital defectsSevere heart affections.Acute infections.Others (including marked postural defects.)
118913442

(9) OPEN-AIR EDUCATION.
(а) Playground Classes.—All schools including the Openair
School have playground classes during the summer months
when weather is suitable. Drill is also taken in the open when
weather permits.
(б) School Journeys.—No school journeys were undertaken,
although several visits were paid to places of educational interest.
(c) School Camps.—No school camps were held, but four
holiday camps were held as in previous years at Hainault for
necessitous children where short holidays of two weeks were followed
by improvement in general health and physique.
The children were medically examined by the staff prior to
going to camp.
(d) Open-air Class-rooms in Public Elementary Schools.—
Apart from the class-rooms of the Special School which belong
to the type of open-air rooms, none of the elementary schools of
the district possess open-air class-rooms. To some extent this
difficult}' is provided against in the classes of the Park Central
School now in process of erection.
(e) The. Authority possesses an Open-air School at Faircross,
situated centrally and upon probably what is the highest ground
of the district. During the year 186 children were on the register,
55 were admitted, and 95 sufficiently improved to permit of their
return to ordinary elementary school. The school combines
separate departments for delicate children and mentally and
physically defectives, such cases being found from routine and