View report page

97
than to be unattended at home, and on the other hand, it is doubtful
whether more harm than good is not being done by the facilities
thus afforded for the employment of married women.
Secondly, the aggregation of infants in schools tends to assist in
th spread of measles and whooping cough, and to the infection of
children at a somewhat earlier age than would take place if the
age of school attendance were raised.
Forty-eight fatal cases of measles were recently enquired into.
In eleven instances parents had moved, or for some other reasons
the information could not be obtained; in eleven instances the
history was indefinite ; eight fatal cases were probably infected at
school", while in eighteen other instances, measles was introduced
into the household by some other school child who was suffering
from the diseases and subsequently infected the deceased.
Similarly of 33 fatal cases of whooping cough; one was
stated to have been infected at school, and fifteen were stated to
have been infected by another member of the family who caught the
disease while attending school. In the remaining seventeen other
instances, no connection with school could be traced, or no statement
could be obtained.
Were the school age raised, epidemics of measles and whooping
cough would still occur, but those infected at school would be older
and less likely to suffer severely, and the introduction of measles
and whooping cough into the family would, in most cases, occur at
less frequent intervals so that the ages of the susceptible children
not attending school would be rather greater. In the case of measles
and whooping cough the question of age incidence is of vital importance,
as practically all the. fatal cases occur in children under five
years of age.
Thirdly, in the past the work in the baby rooms has not been
conducted on satisfactory lines. Too much formal teaching has
been attempted, free movements have been restrained, and overcrowding
has frequently been permitted. The hours of school
attendance are also, in my opinion, too long for infants, who should
be encouraged to sleep during part of the morning or afternoon at
this early age.
The whole question was fully considered by a Sub-Committee,
who were more impressed by the educational value of attendance
under live years of age. than I have been, and the following recommendations
of this Sub-Committee were adopted by the Council:—
" I he Sub-Committee are convinced that while in many
" parts of Croydon the baby school is a boon to both parent