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In connection with the above it should be noted that the
bulk of the work comes under (i.) and (ii.), and that (iii.) is
subsidiary to (i.) and (ii.) For example, when the homes are
visited in connection with enquiries into the social circumstances
of children requiring school meals an opportunity is
afforded for revising the "fair schedule," and again the same
opportunity arises when the homes are visited in connection
with absences from school. With regard to the work of
keeping records of attendances of Inter-London children it
should be noted that in this district this is not an increasing
but a diminishing factor.
The problem therefore before the Education Committee
is how best to organise the work under (i.) and (ii.) above,
i.e., the work associated with school attendance and school
meals, and the work under (iii.) will naturally fall into line.
School Attendance.—The School Medical Officer is
definitely interested in school attendance, and the Board of
Education have stated that he should be in a position to
supervise children absent from school on medical grounds in
order that on the one hand the children may return to school
as soon as they are fit to do so and on the other may not
return too soon to their own detriment or that of other
scholars.
This view of the Board is the outcome of recent legislation,
notably the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act,
1907, relating to School Medical Inspection. Prior to the
passing of this Act the question of attendance at school was
dealt with only by the school attendance officer, and his main
concern was to get the children into school without regard
to any other consideration. He was usually an untrained
officer, and doubtless had a difficult task to perform without
any professional assistance or advice. Under such circumstances
children were often lorced into school who ought not
to have been in school, and similarly children were allowed to
be in school who ought properly to have been excluded.