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The aim of the Senior Health Education Officer was not to impart
specialist knowledge but to help teachers and girls to see the significance
of everyday actions and their effects upon health.
Other Activities
'Growing Up Talks' — The series of two talks to fourth year primary children
and their parents continued and the need to discuss the many aspects of
growing up seems to be as great as it was when the series began eleven
years ago.
'Dental Health Education' - Co-operation continued with the Principal School
Dental Officer as new and established schemes for dental health education
in schools. (See Dental Service P. 23 ).
Inservice Training - Health Visitors — The help and enthusiasm of Health
Visitors and Public Health Inspectors has enabled the Health Education
Section to offer and sustain a wider service to schools. This is very skilled
work and only those who ask to do so take part in this aspect of health
education. During the latter part of July, August and September lecture
demonstration and practice talks are arranged for new members of staff.
Techniques of teaching and lecture demonstrations of the talks or lessons
which they may give in any particular syllabus are given and all available
visual aids which might be used, though not necessarily, are properly and
accurately presented. Before actually teaching in a classroom, the work is so
arranged that they observe one of the Health Education Officers in the classroom
situation first, noting the reaction of the pupils to the new topics. Only
then do they begin to give their own lessons doing everything possible to
involve the teachers who have the responsibility for supervising further work
or integrating the subject matter with other studies.
The Future
With so many changes in syllabi and organisation in the near future the
preservation of the present close co-operation and frequent consultations
between Health and Education Departments will be vital.
INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS
Children who are not making progress in an ordinary school are referred
to the School Health Service to determine whether special education may be
necessary. A test of intelligence is carried out not only when there is any
suggestion of educational subnormality but also during the investigation of
a large number of other medical problems.
231 children were examined during 1969. The classifications arrived at,
together with recommendations made, were as follows:—