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125
EDMONTON EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
REPORT of the School Medical Officer for the
Year ended December 31st, 1914.
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"The wisest masters are those who debate least."—
Deucalion.
Town Hall, Edmonton,
29TH July, 1915.
To the Chairman and Members of the
Edmonton Education Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I herewith submit my third Annual Report as School Medical Officer. It
is not one which affords me much satisfaction, as it relates only to a trifle
more than half the year as regards routine medical inspection, which ceased
when the School Medical Inspector, Dr. Rock, left for war service on July 13th.
From July 13th, 1914, to February 1st, 1915, you—deliberately and against
the advice of the Board of Education and your own expert Officer—abandoned
the routine medical inspection of the children in the public elementary schools;
the valuable work on specially-referred children was only continued by myself
undertaking it in addition to my own duties, already increased by the war
(see the foreword to my report as M.O.H.).
At your adjourned special meeting on September 29th this resolution was
passed:—
" That circular letters, orders and instructions to the teachers,
attendance officers and heads of other departments should pass through
the hands of the Secretary to the Committee."
It is not a wise resolution, as no difficulty should be placed in the way of
the School Medical Officer communicating directly with the other members of
the school service; it savours altogether too much of the " Circumlocution'
Office " satirised by Charles Dickens,
The education of the Belgian children amongst the refugees at Millfield
House has been looked after by Roman Catholic nuns, who speak Flemish.
I desire on behalf of my staff and myself, to express our thanks to
Mr. Heap, the attendance officers, and the teachers for their co-operation.
The good work of medical inspection can only have its best results when we
are all united in promoting the welfare of the children.
SIDNEY C. LAWRENCE,
School Medical Officer.