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37
Out of 2827 whole-time nurses employed throughout the
country in school work, 1,298 engage in this work only, while
1,529 are combined health visitors and school nurses. These figures,
of course, refer to rural as well as urban districts, and it is only
right to mention that in urban districts it is easier than it is in rural
districts to run separate nursing services for health and education,
but notwithstanding this, I am of opinion there is a definite advantage
in nurses having definite areas within which they are the competent
nurse to deal with all cases, both under the Maternity and Child
Welfare Scheme and under schemes approved by the Board of
Education.
It is estimated that in an urban area one nurse is required
for 2,500 school population, in addition to a dental nurse where
a dentist is maintained. It is, however, to be remarked that with
this average a certain amount of time would be spent by these
nurses on clinic work, but because these figures include both
progressive and backward authorities, I am of opinion it is only
right for me to advise you that the whole-time staff of two nurses
which this town at present enjoys must be looked upon as a minimum
and should not be taken as the basis for computations as to future
requirements.
During my visit to the Annual Conference of the Royal
Sanitary Institute at Sheffield in July, 1929, amongst other things
it was brought forward that:—
1. Ten per cent. of school children are more than two years
behind normal.
2. We overestimate the exhibition of mental ability as to
education and underestimate the virtue of behaviour.
We should not ask what a child can do but how he does it
and why.
3. Teachers should report difficult children quite as readily
as children backward in their school work.
4. Food fads are due to bad parentage.