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(e) External Eye Disease and Defects of Vision.—Children suffering from these conditions are
examined by the Clinic Medical Officers and treatment or glasses prescribed. Treatment, for which
there are facilities at the Clinics, is given free, but the provision of glasses and their repair is charged
for in accordance with the Council's economic circumstances scale. The Council's Consulting Ophthalmic
Surgeon attends each Clinic once a month, and any special cases are referred to him by the Clinic
Medical Officers.
(/) Ear Disease and Hearing.—Children suffering from ear disease or deafness are examined
by the Clinic Medical Officers and simple treatment given, special cases being referred to the Council's
ear, nose and throat specialist or the parents given a medical notice advising them to consult their own
doctor.
(g) Dental Defects.—An account of the treatment of these defects is given in the report of
the Council's Dentist attached hereto. A review of the present arrangements for dental inspection
and treatment, together with recommendations for the improvement and extension of this service, is
given in a special report presented to the Children's Care Committee on December 9th, 1925, which
will be found in Appendix L.
(h) Crippling Defects and Orthopcedics.—No general scheme for the treatment of such defects
has yet been adopted, work of this kind being at present limited to the provision of instruments in
necessitous cases and the maintenance of crippled children in special institutions, such as the Heritage
Craft School Chailey, Sussex, and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Great Portland Street.
These institutions provide not only treatment for the medical conditions of the children, but also
education, being certified for this purpose by the Board of Education.
Open-Air Education.—(a) Playground Classes.—As a rule classes are not held in the playgrounds
of the schools, although in the warm days of summer a few schools give open-air lessons.
The majority of the school playgrounds, however, are not suitable for such classes. When the weather
is fine physical exercises and organised games are always taken in the playground.
(b) School Journeys.—These are frequently taken by the upper standards in the majority of
the schools, such places as Kew Gardens, the Zoological Gardens, or the local parks being visited.
(c) School Camps-There is no system of school camps in operation, but many children take
advantage of the camps organised by the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, etc.
(d) Open-Air Classrooms.—There are no open-air classrooms in any of the schools.
(e) Open-Air Schools.—A full account of the position at the end of 1924, with regard to this
question, was given in my last annual report.
For the financial year 1926-27 a sum of £200 has been provided in the estimates for the
provision of an open-air school. In January the Board of Education's Circular 1,349 was received,
drawing attention to the lack of open-air accommodation for defective children in some areas. In
October the School Medical Officer was instructed to report on a site in Pound Lane as regards its
suitability for the purpose of an open-air school, and in view of the report made the Children's Care
Committee came to the conclusion that this site was not large enough for this particular purpose. At
the present time another and larger site is under consideration.
Physical Training.—The Board of Education's syllabus is used in every school, and this
part of the curriculum is carefully supervised. Children are frequently referred by Head Teachers
and parents to the School Medical Officers for advice with regard to physical training, and games and
special instructions are given for the correction of certain defects (e.g., kyphosis, scoliosis, flat-foot,
etc.) by such means.
In the girls' schools special attention is paid to the teaching of folk and country dancing. There
is a strong local folk dancing society which holds inter-school competitions. Dancing is taught in
some of the boys' schools and an effort is being made to increase the teaching of this side of physical
training. Sports are well organised in both the boys' and girls' schools. Periodical matches are
held throughout the year, and there is also an annual athletic competition between the schools.
Swimming is also well organised and efforts are being made to develop this by the provision
of more swmming baths. An annual swimming gala is held in the King Edward Open-Air Bath.
Co-operation of Parents, Teachers and Attendance Officers.—The co-operation of
parents in the work of the School Medical Service is increasingly satisfactory. This continued improvement
is largely due to the excellent work of the Health Nurses, ably seconded in many cases
by the Teachers, with whom they keep in close touch by means of the weekly visits they pay to the
schools whenever possible. The remarkable improvement noticeable in the standard of cleanliness
and tidiness of the children in some of the schools during the past few years would have been impossible
without the enthusiastic co-operation of the Head Teachers concerned. Similarly the co-operation
of the School Attendance Officers with the School Medical Service continues to be of the greatest
advantage to both departments. The cordial relations that exist in nearly all cases between the
parents and the Health Nurses are largely the outcome of the visits paid by the latter to the children's
homes in connection with defects which have come under notice and in connection with their work
among the children prior to their admission to school.
Co-operation of Voluntary Bodies.—(1) Invalid Children's Aid Association (Willesden
Branch).-—The objects of this Association are:—
(1) To visit regularly the invalid and cripple children of this district.
(2) To help the parents to procure competent medical advice and to act upon it.
(3) To obtain admission for the children into suitable hospitals, convalescent or nursing
institutions.
(4) To supply surgical instruments and appliances, and supervise their use, and to lend
spinal carriages.