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51
HENDON EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL MEDICAL
OFFICER FOR THE YEAR 1921.
To the Chairman and Members of the Hendon Education
Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Medical Inspections undertaken during the year
revealed a standard of health which is, on the whole, very
satisfactory. There is still room for improvement and I
feel confident that as time goes on further improvement will
be brought about, but taking things as they are at present
I think there can be no doubt that the health of the school
children of Hendon compares very favourablv indeed with
that of other districts throughout the country.
One of the main objects of the School Medical Service,
to my mind probably the main object, is educational—the
education both of children and parents in the importance
of attention to health. I believe that this object is being
pursued with a fair measure of success and that a gradual
process of education of this nature has been inaugurated
which will have a cumulative beneficial effect on the health
of the people.
So far from the sense of parental responsibility being
lessened I think that it is actually being increased as a result
of the health activities of the Education Committee and
that parents are being led to take a greater interest in the
health of their children, and more pains to preserve it, than
they have done in the past. There are exceptions, no doubt,
but as a rule parents show a gratifying appreciation of the
work of the School Medical Department and a readiness to
adopt the advice given.
I am particularly anxious that people should look on
the school doctors and nurses,not as part of a soulless official
machine forcing them to do certain things to and for their
children, but as sympathetic advisers to whom they can
confidently turn for help and counsel in matters which concern
the health of their children. There are encouraging
signs that the parents are coming to regard us in that light.
Before proceeding to the details of the year's work I
should like to draw attention to one or two points.