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17
than the onset of puberty. Parents are often reluctant to raise
a matter which is obviously one of embarrassment to their sons
and the school medical officers are particularly vigilant in
ensuring that medical recommendations are diligently pursued.
Orthopaedic Defects
There was a significant rise in the number of cases of flat
feet which were referred for treatment. This is somewhat surprising
since the facilities for physiotherapy treatment were
restricted during the year owing to staff shortages. Many
medical officers regard the treatment of symptomless flat foot
with some suspicion. Certainly, attention to the tone of all
muscles by the encouragement of more general physical education
seems preferable to intensive and prolonged remedial work when
the condition is well developed. The discovery of large numbers
of younger schoolchildren with flat feet argues the need for
preventive action in earlier years.
Children suffering from milder forms of spasticity (cerebral
palsy) are encouraged to attend ordinary schools and no complete
record of their disabilities is kept. 66 children with more
severe forms of the condition were known to the service on
31.12.65 and they were receiving education as follows:-
35 were attending St. Giles' School
5 were attending St. Margaret's School, Croydon
6 were attending Residential Schools for Physically
Handicapped children
3 were attending St. Christopher's School
4 were attending Spastic Centre full time
10 were attending Spastic Centre part time
1 was attending a Unit for Partially Hearing Pupils
1 was attending a normal private school
1 was receiving Home Tuition
Psychological Defects
Special surveys have drawn attention to the steady increase
in the number of psychological defects which are now being
revealed by the School Health Service. Indeed some workers consider
that the discovery of such defects is the major task of
the Service in modern conditions. The observation that more such
defects were identified in Croydon by the school medical officers
need not, therefore, occasion much surprise. The number of children
referred for treatment was similar to that in the previous
year but there was a significant increase in the number of
children supervised by the school medical officers themselves.