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ing of this Regulation has been purposely left somewhat
indefinite owing to tne difficulty in recruiting sufficient
school dentists. The Minister wishes to emphasise, however,
that in her view, the objective should be to inspect the teeth
of every pupil at least once a year—preferably more frequently—and
to offer prompt treatment to such children as
are found to need it.
Under the 1945 Regulation the Minister issued a
direction requiring Authorities to provide for the annual
medical and dental inspection of all pupils at mantained
special schools. This provision is changed in the new Regulations.
The requirements regarding dental inspection of special
school pupils are now the same as for pupils in ordinary
schools; medical inspection of special school pupils is dealt
with by requirements (in Regulation 10(l)(a) and (c)) that,
in addition to the three inspections prescribed for all children,
an Authority shall arrange for other inspections of any
pupils on such occasions as may be necessary or desirable
and that the attention paid to general health and welfare of
any pupil who is suffering from a disability of mind or body
shall include particular attention to his disability. In practice
Authorities will find it necessary to examine many handicapped
children more often than once a year, particularly
those whose disability is subject to change either for the
better or for the worse, or about the correctness of whose
placement in their present school there is some doubt.
The efficient conduct of the School Health Service
depends above all on the close contact of doctors and nurses
with the teachers and the children in the schools. They
should be regular visitors and the teachers should be
encouraged to bring forward to their notice both those children
who show particular defects and those whose general
condition seems to indicate the need for an expert medical
examination.
Approval of Medical Officers.
Regulation 11 continues the existing requirement that
Medical Officers shall be approved by the Minister if they
are being employed for the ascertainment of pupils needing
education in a special school as educationally sub-normal.
The requirement has been slightly modified so as to make
it unnecessary for an Authority to seek the Minister's
approval in the case of a Medical Officer who has already
been approved for similar employment by another Authority.
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