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Medical Inspection.
39
Prevention of Cruelty to Children, against the parents
for wilfully neglecting the child ; and in the third, the
Local Education Authority, provided they have the
means of cleansing in the way of suitable premises and
appliances, may forcibly remove and cleanse the child,
and if the parents allow the child to get into such a
condition that it is again necessary to cleanse, they
may be prosecuted.
The first method is that usually favoured, but its
greatest drawback is that the child must be excluded
from school and the length of the exclusion before legal
action can be taken seriously affects the school attendance,
especially where there is a large number of dirty
children to be dealt with. Action under Section 12
of the Children Act is disliked by the Justices because it
is difficult for them to construe "verminous condition"
as coming within this section which brings in its wake
serious penalties. In Scotland Local Education Authorities
do not meet with this difficulty, for by the Education
(Scotland) Act, 1908, neglect to exercise due care
of a child in this respect is deemed wilful neglect likely
to cause the child unnecessary suffering within the
meaning of the Children Act. If this provision applied
to England the procedure would be easier and action
more effective.
Section 122 is difficult to operate by most Education
Authorities because of the necessity of making special
provision for cleansing. Even after the Local Authority
has expended money on cleansing, the small penalty
for further neglect, ten shillings being the maximum
which can be imposed by the Justices, does not act as
a sufficient deterrent to the parents.