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3
Health Education
Efforts continued to include this subject as part of general education
as outlined by “Health Education - Patterns for Teaching" (Elliott & May)
of which copies were distributed to all Croydon schools in 1967. That such
knowledge should be made available is clearly even more essential in the
current permissive society than at any previous time. Children should at
least know the alternatives and the risks, and the response of the majority
is encouraging. It is not easy to balance the youthful urge to test old ideas
and try new ways, with safeguards for health, and a long and perhaps unexciting
life. The pattern suggested does achieve this approach, and was thus
commended.
Co-operation with other health services.
There have been established in Croydon, as in many comparable areas,
close links with the hospital and general practitioner services. This policy
of working within the ambit of local hospital schemes, thus avoiding
unnecessary duplication and perhaps conflicting advice to parents, has
always been supported by the Committee. One would hope that these and
other advantages gained by leaving personal services to local control would
not be lost in any new administrative structure. The original proposals in the
1968 "Green Paper" were therefore viewed with some concern.
Infectious Diseases
The two yearly cycles of measles outbreaks have for many years proved
a great nuisance in primary schools. The issue of an effective vaccine resulted
first in an approach to Head Teachers for assistance in offering this
protection, and I regretted asking for another interruption of school routines.
However, as usual help was readily forthcoming, many thousands of children
were given the vaccine, and the anticipated outbreak at the end of 1968 began
with about one-sixth of the number of cases usually notified. There
seemed good hopes that a method of preventing measles had been found.
Children taken ill at School
This problem has apparently grown in recent years, perhaps connected
with, and certainly aggravated by the increasing number of households having
no one available to receive a sick child during school hours. It seems to be
reaching a stage when support may be needed from the School Health Service.
As always I must thank members of the Education Department and Head
Teachers and school staff for unfailing cordial co-operation. The problems
of the Committee in meeting ever mounting demands are understood, and their
support in the maintenance and prudent development of essential services
are fully appreciated.