View report page

EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN
In accordance with the Bye-laws made under the Children and Young Persons
Act, 1933 (amended by the Education Acts), it is necessary for a certificate to be
issued by a medical officer in the service of the local authority that employment
will not be prejudicial to the health or physical development of the child, and will
not render him unfit to obtain proper benefit from his education. The 332 children
examined for employment certificates and fourteen for entertainment certificates
were found to be fit. Power also exists under Section 59 of the Education Act, 1944,
to prohibit or restrict the employment of a child if it appears that such employment
is prejudicial to his health or is rendering him unfit to obtain full benefit from his
education. No action was needed under this section during the year.
CHILDREN IN CARE
There are five homes, with accommodation for 67 school children, under the
control of the Children's Officer. These are visited about six times a year—during
school holidays—by a medical officer who advises on diet, general health matters
and hygiene of the homes, and medically examines children on admission and
annually. Each child is on the list of a general medical practitioner for medical
treatment.
At the request of the London Borough of Barnet, two of that authority's homes
which are situated in this Borough and which provide accommodation for 21 children
are also medically supervised by our medical officers.
Statutory medical examinations and general medical care of children placed in
foster homes are dealt with by general medical practitioners.
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Sonne Dysentery
All schools are asked to notify the department immediately there are more
than two or three children in one class showing symptoms of digestive upset with
or without diarrhoea. There were outbreaks of Sonne dysentery in two primary
schools affecting twelve and fifteen children respectively and sporadic cases occurred
in thirteen other schools during the year.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
The Secretary of State for Education and Science issued further guidance, in
Circular 3/69, on the need to protect school children against infection by adults
suffering from tuberculosis. Although existing practice was largely consistent with
119