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and apathy is passing, and that it would be unwise for any authority
to commit itself to heavy expenditure for a passing social disability.
There is, of course, one other consideration, and that is the
fact that nursery schools can be so run that they take the place of
creches, and so release a large number of women for industrial life.
This, however, is an industrial, and neither a Public Health nor an
educational question.
(c) Care of Debilitated Children under School Age.
Orthopaedic treatment, dental treatment and the treatment of
minor ailments is provided for the children under school age by the
Public Health Committee, and the Education Committee provide
such treatment for all children up to the age of school leaving.
THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO PUBLIC
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
(3) SCHOOL HYGIENE.
A new infants' school (St. Joseph's), has been opened during
the year, which has to some extent relieved the overcrowding at
St. Ethelburga's.
The fact that no facilities exist, except at the Special and
Park Modern Schools, for the drying of children's clothes and boots
was brought before your notice in the last Annual Report. This
is an urgent matter, and should have your serious consideration
forthwith. It is difficult to understand how schools ever came to
be built without such elementary provisions being provided for
maintaining the health of the children, and it is difficult now
to repair the disastrous apathy of a past generation to the fundamental
principles of healthy childhood, but the problem is not
insoluble if sufficient money is available, and I am happy in
believing you fully realise the necessity of making quite sure that
whatever education your children receive at school shall not be
paid for by them in ill-health.