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Recuperative Holidays
Recuperative holidays of two to four weeks’ duration are arranged under
Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, and medical examination showed considerable
benefit was experienced by the 14 children who went on holiday. Summer
holidays were arranged by the British Epileptic Association for children with
epilepsy and one boy was able to have a holiday through this scheme.
(See Statistical Tables 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56.)
DENTAL SERVICE
Under Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, it is the duty of the local
education authority to provide medical inspection at appropriate intervals for
pupils in attendance at any school or county college maintained by them, and every
local education authority shall have power to provide for such inspection of senior
pupils in attendance at any other educational establishment maintained by them.
Medical inspection, which is compulsory for such pupils, is deemed to include
dental inspection.
Under Section 4 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953, the
local education authority has duties and powers in regard to the provision of free
dental treatment, similar to those for medical treatment, but dental treatment may
only be provided by the authority through persons employed by the authority or
under arrangements made with the hospital service and not through the general
dental service.
During the year there was issued a joint circular from the Department of
Education and Science (Circular 23/66) and the Ministry of Health (22/66) on
the Local Authority Dental Services. The aim of the Circular was to describe the
action taken by the Department and the Ministry consequent upon the First Report
of the Estimates Committee in Session 1962/63, and to suggest ways in which
authorities might wish to develop and strengthen local dental services in the future.
The proposed future lines of development covered the recruitment of staff; coordination
of inspection and treatment for expectant and nursing mothers, for
pre-school children and for school children; frequent dental inspections; dental
health education; provision of modern, attractive and well-equipped dental clinics.
The circular also reproduced A Draft Model Scheme for the School Dental
Service which was first published in The Health of the School Child 1962/63 and
outlined in my report last year.
In March a review of the Borough Council Dental Services was undertaken
by a dental officer of the Department for Education and Science, in which the
Secretary of State commended the Authority on the high standard of its dental
services. The main points referred for consideration were a graded staff structure
for dental officers, the possible appointment of a dental auxiliary, the greater
development of the service for children under the age of five years and certain
minor structural improvements to premises and renewal of equipment.
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