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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. JenkinLloyd
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 7,457
children were examined as compared with 8,426 in 1930, and 5,230
parents attended the examinations. The percentage attendance
of parents in the entrants group was for boys 80 per cent, and
girls 84 per cent.; in the intermediate group, boys 68 per cent.,
girls 76 per cent.; and in the leavers group, boys 45 per cent.,
girls 56 per cent. The diminution in the number of routine
medical inspections made was due to several factors, the chief
being an increase in the number of Clinic sessions held so as to
keep pace with the demand and keep the waiting lists down to
reasonable proportions. As would be expected the percentage of
parents attending 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 emplovment. 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.