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Dental Health Education
One aspect of the dental auxiliaries' work in dental health education, which has been found to be
especially useful, is to give individual instruction at school dental inspections to those children whose
dental hygiene is inadequate. These lessons are followed up after a couple of weeks to see what
improvement has resulted. Our one auxiliary can only cover a limited area of activity, and her effort has
to be used where the need seems greatest. Accordingly, among others, the children attending special
schools have seemed especially in need of this extra care. Children do not seem to lack toothbrush and
paste, this is now rarely the case, but they are too lax and ill instructed in using them.
PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
The School Health Service, in conjunction with the Council's other health services, is responsible
for the control of all infectious disease in schools.
Outbreak of Typhoid Fever
A 14 year old boy attending one of the council schools was diagnosed as suffering from typhoid fever
on the 23rd December 1967. He had last attended school on the 15th December and 34 class pupils and
teachers were excluded from school until they were shown to be free from infection by laboratory tests.
Obtaining the necessary specimens proved difficult as the school was closed for Christmas holidays and
the teachers in particular were dispersed. Consequently, none of the teachers and only 12 of the children
had been cleared by the commencement of term on the 9th January, but all were subsequently cleared.
Regulations as to Infectious Disease
These Regulations are based on current Ministry of Health policy and set out the types of infectious
disease together with exclusion periods. All head teachers have a copy.
HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Health Visitors now undertake regular sessions of Health Education in both junior and senior schools.
Those involved with senior school talks have been on day-release courses in Health Education Teaching
at Chiswick Polytechnic.
School Leavers' Course
Southall Grammar Technical School held its first school leavers' course for 90 pupils in July, and
the Health Department was invited to assist. Members of the Health Department gave lectures and the
course ended with a series of discussion groups and an open forum.
SCHOOLGIRL MOTHERS
8 cases were referred to the School Health Service during the year of which three girls did not return
to school after their confinements.
43.