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102
and their medical officers of health and organised staffs, which
could have been supplemented with necessary additional
assistance, the County Council paying the cost due to medical
inspection. This would, no doubt, have led to a considerable
saving in expenditure.
The information gained by school medical inspection
would have been invaluable to the medical officer of health in
each particular district. There would be no overlapping of
duties by different authorities ; no dual control, a condition not
calculated to promote "economy," "harmony " or "efficiency."
We are at present required by the Local Government
Board to report officially upon all matters relating to the
sanitary condition of all schools, including the action taken by
the sanitary authority in relation to the health of the scholars
and for preventing the spread of disease.
The extracts quoted from the Memorandum of the Board
of Education contain the strongest possible arguments in favour
of inspection of school children being performed by the medical
officers of health.
Your Council have already approached the London
County Council upon this subject as the following communication
shows:—
30th January, 1908.
" Sir,
" I beg to inform you that this Council have had under
" consideration the question of the medical inspection of children
" in Public Elementary Schools, under Section 13 of the
" Education (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1907, together
" with the Memorandum dated 22nd November, 1907, issued
" by the Board of Education on the subject.
" This Council have received a report from their Public
" Health Committee, and on their recommendation have arrived
" at the following conclusions with reference thereto :—