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82
Under the Act the provision of medical treatment by the Local
Authority has been made compulsory, instead of optional.
No child may leave an elementary school before the end of the term during
which it reaches the age of 14 years, and the Local Authority may require it to
attend until 15 years of age, and (with the consent of the Board of Education)
may require it to remain even longer.
Part-time continuation schools are provided for children (who enter the
labour market) till they reach the age of 16 years and possibly until 18 years of
of age. Thus most children between two and 18 years of age and all those
between 5 and 16 years have now been brought within the purview of the
School Medical Service.
The administration of the Employment of Children Act, 1903, is transferred
from the Public Health to Educational Authorities.
This Act also compels Local Authorities to deal more effectively with
physically defective and epileptic children.
It is interesting to notice that Mr. Fisher, President of the Board of
Education, in one of his speeches at the House of Commons whilst passing the
Act through the Legislature, expressed the opinion that the medical functions
of the Board should be ultimately transferred to the Ministry of Health.
In December, both my Education Committee and Council passed resolutions
deprecating suggestions from other Local Authorities that further expenditure
in connection with this Act be suspended, until the finances of the country are
in a more satisfactory condition.
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS.
In my last report I strongly advised tbat the Attendance Officers should
be placed on the staff of the School Medical Officer and in cases of vacancies
arising that they should be filled by school nurses, whose training enables them
to investigate and appreciate the causes of absence which are mostly due, or
alleged to be due, to ill-health.
If the suggestion had been carried out years ago, I venture to say that the
year 1921 would not have arrived and found the Education Committee still
without a complete and up-to-date census of the mentally defective and
physically defective children in this area. I again advise you in the same
direction and to place yourself in this matter amongst the number of really
progressive authorities.