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REPORT ON THE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
DURING THE YEAR 1959
To the Chairman and Members of the Bexley Committee
for Education.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report on the
School Health Service for the year 1959, the thirteenth which
it has been my privilege to present.
During the year the School Health Service continued to
provide a full range of services, details of which are set out
in the body of the report. It will be noted that pure-tone
audiometric sweep frequency tests and B.C.G. vaccination
have now become a regular feature of the School Health
Service. As in previous years, the care of handicapped children
has proved both a rewarding and onerous task and details
of the work carried out may be found in part 5 of the
Statistical Tables on Page 73. Apart from a physical and,
if necessary, a psychological assessment by the School
Medical Officers, consultation has to be made in each case
with parents, general practitioners, specialist departments
of hospitals and close liaison is maintained with the County
Medical Officer and the Borough Education Officer to ensure
that all relative information is available before a recommendation
is made for the educational placement of the
child. If the handicapped child is to be dealt with to the best
advantage he must be afforded the fullest opportunity compatible
with his degree of handicap for living a normal life.
He should not be withdrawn from a normal environment
at home or at school unless his condition, after the most
careful assessment, warrants such a withdrawal. The enlightened
help and co-operation of teaching staffs makes it
more and more possible for this ideal to be realised.
The general physical status of Bexley schoolchildren,
as ascertained during periodic medical inspection, was found
to be satisfactory. Reference to Table A on page 67 shows
that, of 4,126 children examined, only 18 or approximately
52