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159
staff and the Heads of Schools for their constant encouragement
and ready co-operation throughout the year.
L. R. L. Edwards,
Principal School Medical Officer.
SCHOOL HEALTH
There are 36 secondary (including 2 direct grant) and 86
primary schools in the Borough; also 3 special day schools for
educationally subnormal children.
In January, there were 43,722 pupils on the registers of the
maintained primary, secondary and special schools.
Routine medical inspections have continued to be carried out
in schools on all pupils in the following age groups: Entrants to
Infants' Schools: at 10 years of age and at 14 years old. At 8 years
of age all pupils are given routine tests of vision and hearing only.
A full medical examination is, however, undertaken at this stage
if for any reason it appears necessary.
In addition, special examinations are carried out at any time
during a child's school career if the Head Teacher, Parent or
Doctor is concerned about the health of a particular child.
The total number of children attending both maintained and
private schools, who were examined in the routine age groups was
12,023. As a result of these examinations the physical condition of
only one pupil (.01%) was found to be unsatisfactory, and 2.291
pupils (19.1%) were found to require treatment.
A further 3,714 children were given routine tests of vision and
hearing. As a result of which 86 pupils (2.31%) were referred for
treatment because of visual defects, and 33 pupils (.89%) were
referred for treatment because of hearing defects.
Further details of these examinations will be found later in
the Report.
A staff of ten Assistant Medical Officers devote approximately
50% of their time to work within the School Health Service. Each
Medical Officer is responsible for a particular group of schools so
that regular contact between the Head Teachers and their own
School Medical Officer is possible.
The schools allocated to each Medical Officer are grouped, as
far as possible, around the Child Welfare Clinics which the particular
Medical Officer also attends. This enables the Medical Officer
to see both the child and its parent at the Child Welfare Clinic until
the child becomes eligible for school, and then to continue seeing
them both at school. This continuing care is valuable as it helps to
build up a good relationship between the parent, child and doctor.