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PERSONAL HEALTH
In addition, at the request of local factories, lectures were given to staff and
apprentices on anti-smoking education and on sexually transmitted diseases.
Throughout the year there was a sustained effort to involve an increasing
number of the department's staff in health education projects, resulting in
greater participation by medical officers, dental officers, health visitors,
midwives and home nurses.
Talks and discussions were arranged at six youth clubs on such topics as
drugs, personal relationships, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking, and
accident prevention. At one of the youth clubs a health visitor arranged a
course on child care and management which was very well received.
On the selected health education topics promoted during the year health
visitors designed and made displays which were exhibited in the Council's
clinics.
Lectures on health education have been given, during in-service training
courses, to residential child care house parents (Home Office course), to play
group leaders (Social Services) and also to Scout leaders.
Some of the benefits of health education were brought to local authority
staff, the Health Department clerical staff having lectures on emergency
resuscitation, and all women teachers being offered a lecture by Dr. Maurice
Sutton on "Cancer, particularly cancer of the breast". The response from
those wishing to attend was overwhelming, and the lecture had to be
repeated on three separate occasions.
Schools
Much of the work of the Health Education section takes place in schools,
and teachers continue to use the Section for reference and teaching aids.
Lectures were given by the Health Education Officer at Trent Park Teachers'
Training College, and a five week course of lectures for teachers on "New
Aspects of Sex Education" was arranged at the Teachers' Centre. Designed
to assist teaching in all aspects of sex education, the course was well attended
and well received.
In the junior schools, dental health programmes were arranged in 39 schools
and anti-smoking education has been given to the third and fourth years
(10-11 years old) in 25 schools.
In the Secondary Schools the following lectures were given:
anti-smoking (10); sexually transmitted diseases (13); contraception (14);
drugs (3); birth (2); personal relationships (2).
Those on sexual subjects are given only at the request of the head teachers,
authorised by the Chief Education Officer, and with parental consent.
Instruction in mothercraft, given by Health Visitors, has continued in schools,
pupils at one school taking the National Association for Maternal and Child
Welfare Diploma Course and Examination.
Four Secondary Schools arranged "Learning to Live" courses for various age
groups, and the Health Education Officer was invited to contribute.
In all schools, the teachers are encouraged in involvement and follow-up
work.
Hazelbury Secondary School deserves a special mention, as throughout the
summer term, the second year students were given one whole morning each
week on health education. The project, entitled "Disease and Its Relationship
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