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The same arrangements as appertained in 1936, continued.
The Leaver group (13th birthday) are examined the first term ; the
Intermediates (8-9 years) the second term; and the entrants
(5 years) the last term. An effort, somewhat hampered by illness
among the medical staff, has been made to carry out reinspections
more frequently. It is still far from complete.
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 7,855 children
were examined as compared with 7,312 in 1936, and 5,711 parents
attended the examinations. The percentage attendance of parents
in the Entrants group was for boys 86.0 per cent., and girls 87.0
per cent.; in the Intermediate group, boys 70.0 per cent., girls
77.0 per cent.; and in the Leavers' group, boys 42.7 per cent.,
girls 58.7 per cent. 12,399 re-inspections were made as against
12,122 in 1936, and 8,719 in 1935.
There has been an increase in the number of parents who
attend the medical inspections with their children.
The present set routine medical inspection at fixed age groups
is in need of revision and a more fluid system adopted.
A better method would be for the school medical officers to be,
in actuality, the medical officers of the schools allotted to them,
and each term they would examine scholars whose physical or
mental progress was slow, or who had shown a higher rate of
absenteeism than the average for the school. In this way a closer
contact would be maintained, though it might happen that a number
of children would have fewer medical examinations than at
present. For all children, careful height, weight and nutritional
index records would be compiled term by term, together with the
medical history. Children who had returned to school after a
severe illness, would be thoroughly re-examined. Every child on
first entry into a school would have a more complete examination
than is now done and from thenceforth the medical history would
proceed on the above lines. For such a scheme to be successful it
would require the close co-operation of head teachers, but as such
co-operation is practically always forthcoming, there is little to
apprehend on this score. The present requirements of the Board
of Education would not be met by such a scheme, as no routine
groups would be selected. Until some change is made in the
requirements, a scheme as suggested above cannot very well bo
put into operation.
The total percentage of parents attending was 72.9, as against
72.6 last year.