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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 tnat 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.
Reference to the Statistical Table on Page 65
emphasizes the number of defects discovered. Bearing
in mind that these defects are nearly always diagnosed
in the early stages and observation or treatment instituted
at once, periodic inspections will be seen to represent
the truly preventative aspect of School Health Work.