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(c) The Care of Debilitated Children Under School Age.—
The physical condition of children under school age is watched
on the one hand through Welfare Centres, and on the other by
visits to the homes by health visitors working under the Maternity
and Child Welfare Scheme. Young children needing a course
of treatment in a convalescent home are referred, with a medical
report, to the Croydon Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Association,
a voluntary body which has been very successful in sending such
children away for convalescent treatment. 60 mothers and
102 children under five years of age were thus admitted to convalescent
homes during the year. Towards the end of the year,
arrangements were made whereby a sum allocated by the Council
for providing such convalescent treatment, under its Maternity
and Child Welfare Scheme, was handed over to the Croydon
Mothers' and Infants' Association, in order that the latter might
undertake the whole of the work, and overlapping might thus
be avoided.
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO THE
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
(a) No. of Schools and Accommodation.
In 1923 there were in Croydon :
(a) 20 provided schools, including 52 departments.
(b) 13 non-provided schools, including 22 departments.
(c) 2 Central Schools, including 2 departments.
The total provision in 1923 in the borough tor elementary
school children thus amounted to 35 schools, with 76 departments.
The number of children on the register on December 31st,
1923, was 24,041, as compared with 25,056 in 1922.
(b) School Hygiene.
During the course of the year arrangements were made for
systematic reports by medical officers on the hygienic aspects of
the interior and of the precincts of each school visited by them.
A visit is paid to each class-room, to ascertain the conditions as
regards ventilation, cleaning, lighting, arrangement and type of
desks, etc., while the opportunity is taken of making a general
survey of children in each class, and of picking out for special
inspection any showing evidence of such defects as mouth-breathing,
deafness, ear discharge, defective vision and eye conditions,
overstrain, etc.