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notifiable infectious disease reveal the names of certain Private
Schools, while sometimes Principals of such Schools ask advice
on matters of infectious disease. As regards the number of
children attending Private Schools, Section 151 of the Public
Health Act, 1936, states that, “The Principal of a school in
which any scholar is suffering from a notifiable disease shall, if
required by the Medical Officer of Health of the district, furnish
to him within a reasonable time fixed by him a complete list of
the names and addresses of the scholars, not being boarders, in
or attending the school, or any specified department of the
school.” In these rather indirect ways, ascertainment on the
whole may be considered fairly complete in Wembley.
Physical conditions in Private Schools are guarded only by
the Public Health Acts. Part III (Section 92) of the Public
Health Act, 1936, states that “any premises in such a state
as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance” may be dealt with
as a statutory nuisance.
As regards overcrowding, the power previously given by the
Public Health Act, 1875, appears to have been lost in the new
Act. The Board of Education, however, has stated as a
minimum standard that there should be 10 sq. ft. of floor space
for children under 11 years of age and 12 sq. ft. for children
over 11 years.
As regards sanitary accommodation, Section 44 of the
Public Health Act, 1936, states that (1) If it appears to a Local
Authority (a) that any building is without sufficient closet
accommodation; or (b)., the Authority shall by notice to
the owner of the building require him to provide a building with
such closets or additional closets, or such substituted closets,
being in each case either water closets or earth closets, as may
be necessary.
The Council have adopted the following standards in regard
to accommodation in premises used as Private Schools, and the
Medical Officer of Health has been instructed to report to the
Public Health Committee all cases where these standards are
not respected by Private Schools in the Borough:—
(a) Overcrowding.
Minimum standards of floor space per person:—
Children under eleven years of age—10 sq. ft.
Children over eleven years of age 12 sq. ft.
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