View report page

217
April to July but at no time reached severe proportions. Chicken
Pox caused a little trouble during the first half of the year. Scarlet
Fever, Diphtheria and Mumps at no time exceeded the average,
Mumps in fact gave rise to very few cases.
School closure has been proved in urban districts to have no
influence on the spread of an epidemic. It is definitely disadvantageous
in as much as a valuable means of keeping a close watch
on the children is lost.
Medical Inspection in Schools.
Some rearrangement of duties has been carried out, as the
assistant medical officer who left at the end of 1931, and who spent
3/11ths of his time on school work, was not replaced. The deputy
medical officer, Dr. Watson, relinquished some of his other work
and devoted 5/11ths of his time to medical inspections; Dr. Falk
devoted 2/11ths; Dr. Jenkin-Lluyd 3/11ths; Dr. O'Connell
7/11ths; whilst Dr. Draper acted as a part-time medical officer for
half the year, devoting 4 sessions a week to school medical inspections.
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 II. 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 8,532 children
were examined as compared with 7,457 in 1931, and 5,994 parents
attended the examinations. The percentage attendance of parents
in the entrants group was for boys 80 per cent. and girls 82 per
cent.; in the intermediate group, boys 69 per cent., girls 77 per
cent.; and in the leavers group, boys 48 per cent., girls 61 per cent.
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 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,