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210
SECTION II.
MEDICAL INSPECTION IN SCHOOLS.
The four assistant medical officers devote the following proportions
of their time to this work:—Dr. Falk 2/11; Dr. Jenkin-Lloyd
3/11; Dr. O'Connell 7/11; Dr. Gavin 9/11. Elder girls in schools
are as far as possible examined by the two lady doctors. The
Deputy School Medical Officer assists with routine inspections when
the need arises.
The groups examined have been entrants, usually aged 5-7
years; intermediates 8 years; and leavers 12-14 years. These are
the three statutory groups. Examinations of children outside these
groups are classified as "others." Children brought forward by
head teachers, attendance officers, school nurses, etc., are classified
as "specials."
Table III. gives a summary of the number of children examined
in the various classes in the different schools together with the
parental attendance at the examinations. A total of 8,426 children
were examined as compared with 8,698 in 1929, and 5,644 parents
attended the examinations. Bather fewer children, 139, were examined
in each of the statutory groups. The percentage attendance of
parents in the entrants group was for boys 83 per cent. and girls 83
per cent.; in the intermediate group, boys 70 per cent., girls 72 per
per cent.; and in the leavers group, boys 34 per cent., girls 54 per
cent. As would be expected the percentage is lowest in the leaver
group, though this is unfortunate, for at this examination the medical
officer can give the parent advice as to suitable future employment.
With the present lack of continuity and co-ordination
between the school medical services and the medical examination
of young persons under the Factory Acts. advice given at the school
leaving examinations assumes some degree of importance.
The attendance of parents was satisfactory in the entrant and
intermediate groups, and was practically the same as last year. It
is always helpful to the examining medical officers to have one or
other of the parents present. If defects are found the need for their
rectification can be explained. In the nature of things this entails
the expenditure of time and consequently fewer children can be
inspected during a session, but the compilation of large numbers of
children inspected is by no means the aim of the school medical
service. Its aim is the early detection of actual or incipient defects