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Hygiene inspections were carried out on 21,375 (1970—19,716) pupils by school nurses and
136 (1970—74) children were found to be infested with vermin.
The periodic medical inspections are carried out three times during the child's school life
i.e. on entry, during the first year in Secondary School and on reaching the school leaving
age. The parent is not only advised of medical examinations but cordially invited to attend.
The "school leaver" inspection is of particular relevance regarding the child's future since
the Careers Service depends on the School Health Service for guidance regarding any employment
restrictions.
Over and above the periodic and special medical inspections which includes vision testing by
Snellen's card the Service is responsible for:
1. Vision testing on Keystone apparatus carried out by a specialist school nurse, each child
being tested at the ages of 6,8 and 10. The colour vision test on Keystone is added for
the last group of children to enable advice to be given about appropriate employment.
The Ishihara test for colour vision is given to all boys on leaving school since normal colour
vision is essential for certain occupational fields. 22 boys failed the Ishihara test in 1971.
2. Hearing is tested clinically by the school doctor during Medical inspections. In addition all
children are screened routinely by "sweep audiometry" at the age of 7. If hearing loss is
suspected in a child of any age, an audiometric test can be requested by a Local Authority
or family doctor, teacher or Health Visitor.
NURSERY EDUCATION
The general arguments favouring early education apply to a handicapped child with even
stronger force. The importance of the early years in a child's intellectual development is now
widely recognised. It is also known that a child's development proceeds in a definable sequence
and that, if the acquisition of an early skill is impeded, later stages of intellectual development
may be retarded or even precluded. It is therefore vitally important that positive steps should
be taken at as early an age as possible to minimise the adverse effects of handicapping conditions
on a young child's emotional, social and intellectual development. Nursery education can play
a crucial part here, not only by helping the child directly but also indirectly by helping his
parents to develop a constructive attitude to his handicap. At the other extreme to rejection,
there is the more subtle danger of over-anxious protection which can deny a child the experience
on which his development depends. Nursery education also provides an ideal opportunity for
prolonged and systematic observation of a handicapped child, so that as part of the process
of comprehensive assessment already referred to, a precise estimate can be made of his future
educational needs.
The Borough has one nursery school and three nursery classes attached to Infant Schools.
This is insufficient to meet the demand even of children very much in need of organized activity
and education. The Principal School Medical Officer recommends children for whom nursery
school admission is indicated on medical grounds. The co-operation received by the Health
Department from the Chief Education Officer in the face of great shortage of nursery places
is very much appreciated.
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