View report page

COUNTY BOROUGH OF CROYDON
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE PRINCIPAL
SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
FOR THE YEAR
1961
To the Chairman and Members of the Education Committee.
LADIES AMD GENTLEMEN,
In presenting this 58th Annual Report covering the wark of
the School Health Service I make a few comments on matters of
interest.
The number of children seen at routine medical inspections
was the largest ever recorded and reflects great efforts to deal
with all those covered by the Committee's scheme of four inspections
during a child's school life. This achievement would
be regarded with some scepticism by many authorities, including
the dief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Education, who doubt
whether routine examinations justify by results, the time and
work allotted to them. They suggest that defects in children of
any significance are now discovered by other means to an extent
which makes routine checks unnecessary, except for new entrants
and school leavers. For the intermediate age groups various
alternatives are put forward designed to allow greater attention
to smaller numbers who may have special needs, selection of
such children may be by Head Teachers, Class Teachers, School
Nurses. Medical Officer observing P.T. sessions, scrutiny of
Agisters for absentees, or by questionnaires to parents.