View report page

72
EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS.
The Bye-laws governing the employment of children in Middlesex
are as follows :
No child is permitted to be employed under the age of 13 years.
Total weekly hours of employment must not exceed 16 during
school holidays.
There must be no employment before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
A child may be employed before school from 7 to 8 a.m. for the
delivery of milk or newspapers, but shall not be employed for more
than 1 hour (after school) between 5 and 7 p.m.
On Saturday 4 hours work is permitted and on Sunday 2 hours
between 7 and 10 a.m. for delivery of milk and newspapers.
There are a number of undesirable employments which are
prohibited for children, e.g. sale of liquors, work in slaughterhouses,
window cleaning, etc.
225 pupils were medically examined to determine if they were
fit for employment. In 2 cases permission was not granted.
8 children were examined and found to be fit to take part in
entertainments.
EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS.
21 teachers were medically examined on appointment to
determine physical fitness for their duties.
INFESTATION WITH VERMIN.
Once again there has been a further improvement during the
year in the standard of head hygiene.
In the course of 53,959 examinations only 225 pupils were
found to be infested, i.e. .42%. This is a marked improvement
over last year's figure of 338 and the 1950 total of 493.
We may compare this figure of .42% with
Birmingham 8.6% in 1951.
London County Council 3.2% in 1950.
Bournemouth .7% in 1950
Acton 1.4% in 1951.
England & Wales 6% in 1951.
In five cases a compulsory cleansing order was served. This
is only done when the child has been repeatedly found to be verminous
and all efforts to help and educate the parents have failed.
The school nurses are always willing to advise any parent as
to the best methods of treatment and prevention of infestation,
and stocks of insecticidal lotions are kept at the clinics.