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67
being examined as leavers, this particularly with the object of completing
the medical record for the employment exchange. Deferring the examination
as late as this deprives the child of the opportunity of having carried
out any treatment considered advisable. It is hoped, then, it will be
possible to arrange for the examination of this oldest group as an age
group, examining the children throughout the year, and re-examining
nearer the time of their leaving those about whom there is any question
of their requiring on health grounds to avoid certain occupations.
Whatever views might be held about the value of the routine
inspection carried out of children in a number of age groups, it will
be generally conceded that at least the entrants should be thoroughly
examined as soon as possible after their admission. There is, too,
advantage in the leavers being examined particularly having regard to
their future employment. In such cases, though, the examination ought
to be carried out sufficiently early in the school year for those found
to be in need of treatment to be able to have it. At least one other routine
examination should be carried out. Although the regulations require that
this should be in the last year of the attendance of the pupil at the primary
school, it is understood that there is advantage in this being held on the
child's admission to the secondary school as the school staff will know
more about the child's capacity for taking part in the more strenuous
physical activities. The question, then, is whether further routine
examinations should be arranged, which really comes down to the question
of whether the time of the medical and nursing staff might be better
employed in any other way than examining as a routine one or two
further age groups. In this district, particularly because of absences
on account of sickness, it has been difficult to adhere to the full programme
of four routine inspections. This has meant that those in need
of following-up have not all been able to receive this extra attention.
Naturally, too, in such circumstances children will not be presented as
freely as "specials." It is felt, then, that it would be more useful if
the routine inspections were limited to the three groups, and that the
extra time can be given to the re-inspections and the specials. The
children are under the close observation of their teachers. If full
facilities are available for the presentation of children for examination,
it is felt to be most unlikely that any child could be attending school
and be suffering from any marked deviation from the normal and not be
recognised and therefore presented. Then it might be made clear to the
parents that these facilities would be available for their children if the
parents wished an examination for any reason. As the inspection would
be more localised than the general examination, more children could
be seen than at the session for the examination of the routine age groups.
It is felt that the time of the school staff spent in this way on the examination
of " specials " and of those to be re-examined would be much more
profitable than if it were devoted to the examination of a fourth and even
more of a fifth age group.
The Board of Education, when it became the duty of a local education
authority to arrange for the examination of those attending what were
then known as the secondary schools, required the detailed examination of
those of 12 and of 15, and the more cursory examination of those of other
ages. There have been no revised instructions as to any changed practice