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213
ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMME OF EDUCATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF EDUCATION CIRCULAR
1444—JANUARY, 1936.
On 6th January, 1936, the Board of Education issued to
Education Authorities the above Circular entitled " Administrative
Programme of Educational Development." In that par.t of the
Circular dealing with School Medical Service the Board suggested
that Education Authorities would do well to survey the needs of
their areas and to consider what further steps should be taken to
remedy any deficiencies which may be discovered in their present
arrangements.
As certain of the recommendations contained in the Circular
could be carried out only in conjunction with the Local Sanitary
and Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities, the Medical Officer
of Health and School Medical Officer submitted a special joint
report on the matter to each of the three Committees of the Council
concerned.
Report of Medical Officer of Health and School Medical
Officer, September, 1936.
Nursery Schools and Children under Five.
Section 21 (a) of the Education Act, 1921, defines the
type of children for whom provision may be made in nursery
schools (" which expression shall include nursery classes ")
as those—
" whose attendance at such a school is necessary for
their healthy, physical and mental development."
Circular 1444 states that in normal circumstances children
under five years of age benefit more from being in their home
surroundings under parental care than at school, and suggests
consideration of facilities for the admission to a nursery school
or the infants' department of an elementary school of children
found to be delicate or those whose mothers are unable to give
them at home the care and attention they need. From a health
point of view it is recognised that other conditions (e.g., bad
housing, overcrowding, etc.), often make the home an unsatisfactory
environment for the pre-school child, and that many
young mothers lack the knowledge or ability to train their
children properly.