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There were 358 audiometric hearing tests carried out at Southgate Technical
College, and four students were found to have a hearing loss.
During the year, a joint circular was issued by the Ministry of Health (Circular
6/68) and the Department of Education and Science (Circular 9/68) regarding headworn
hearing aids. It is intended to issue these through hospital hearing aid centres
to school children aged seven years and upwards, for whom they are suitable. When
they are available, they will be supplied first to children over fourteen years of age,
then to those aged eleven to fourteen years, and finally, to those aged seven to eleven
years.
Foot Inspections
School nurses make regular foot inspections to discover the presence of plantar
warts and other contagious skin conditions of the foot. Plantar warts can be
contracted wherever children walk barefooted, particularly in damp places. During
this year, 65,479 foot inspections were carried out and 1,287 new cases of plantar
warts were found.
(See Statistical Tables 45, 46, 47 and 48)
INSPECTIONS FOR CLEANLINESS
Under Section 54 of the Education Act, 1944, a local education authority may
authorise a medical officer to cause examinations of the persons and clothing of
pupils at school to be made whenever, in his opinion, such examinations are necessary
in the interests of cleanliness, and to take appropriate action to secure the
cleansing of the person and clothing of pupils. School nurses make head inspections
of children, mainly to discover verminous head conditions. Certain families are kept
under constant observation because of repeated infestations.
Of the 80,261 children examined for infestation, 65 were found to be in a
verminous condition and 22 required formal action in order to secure cleanliness.
(See Statistical Table 49)
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Under Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, it is the duty of every local
education authority to make arrangements for securing the provision of free medical
treatment for pupils for whom primary, secondary or further education is provided
by them at any school or county college or any other educational establishment
maintained by them as are necessary for securing that comprehensive facilities for
free medical treatment are available to them, either under the Education Act, 1944,
or otherwise.
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