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CO-ORDINATION.
In spite of the transfer of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Services from the local Council to the Kent
County Council, a satisfactory degree of co-ordination
of effort between the School Health Service and the
Infant Welfare Services has been maintained as a result
of the co-operative attitude of all members of the Staff
concerned.
Periodic Medical Inspections. See Table 1.
The successful carrying out of routine medical
inspections was made possible by the excellent cooperation
of Head Teachers and their staffs and it is true
to say that this is now regarded as an integral part of
the school curriculum. It is at these inspections that the
greatest number of defects are discovered and where a
great deal of information is obtained in regard to the
school children by discussions with the parents.
Generally speaking, it was found that entrants,
8-year-olds and 11-year-olds showed a uniformly high
standard of personal hygiene. Clothing was good and
clean and the incidence of skin diseases very low. In
only a few cases was it necessary to record a defect in
clothing or of footwear.
The attendance of parents at routine medical inspections
was good, being practically 100 per cent, in the case
of entrants, but as might be expected there was a falling
off in the case of senior children.
There is no great change in the findings at routine
medical inspections in the schools and the proportion
of children classified as A, B and C remains roughly the
same. Dental caries constitutes the principal cause of
defect with Ear, Nose and Throat conditions remaining
second on the list". Of the deformities, flat feet and genu
valgum are decreasing in frequency and scoliosis is
hardly ever seen.
School Meals—1950.
Average number of pupils in attendance:—
Primary Schools 7,341
Secondary Schools 3,106
10,447
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