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particulars are obtained of those referred for treatment, but who do
not attend to obtain it, or who, having started, do not attend the full
course. Such cases are followed up by the health visitor, and where
the parents are co-operative, further appointments are made. If there
is no co-operation, then arrangements are made for the child to be seen at
school as one of the re-examination group. In the same way, those who
have obtained treatment are re-examined at the school, and where it is
found that adequate treatment for the condition referred has been
obtained no further steps are necessary in regard to that child.
The children needing to be kept under observation will be those
suffering from such conditions as enlarged tonsils, cervical adenitis,
minor heart lesions, postural conditions, etc. These will in general be
only minor departures from the normal, and in the majority of cases it
turns out that no treatment is required. As though at the time
they are seen the abnormal condition may really be the early stage of a
condition which is deteriorating, the children are seen again in some three
or six months, when most frequently they are found normal. These
inspections are carried out in the school, these children, too, being presented
as the re-examination group. Sometimes this period of waiting
would be too long. In such cases the child is referred to the minor
ailment clinic where he can, if necessary, be seen frequently at short
intervals until a decision about what is advisable is arrived at.
Cleansing.
The same arrangements were made for the systematic examination of
the heads of children attending the former elementary schools by the two
health assistants, working under the direction of the health visitors.
Of the 58,424 children examined, 1,167 were found to have infested heads,
a percentage of just under 2 per cent. The heads of most were found
clean on further examination. 163 children were treated at the Broadway
or the Alexandra Avenue Clinic.
Handicapped Pupils.
Under section 34 of the 1944 Education Act, it is the duty of every
local education authority to ascertain what children in their area require
special educational treatment. For that purpose, the parent of any child
who has attained the age of two years can be required to submit the child
for examination. The examination must be carried out by a medical
officer possessing adequate qualifications or experience in the particular
type of disability from which the pupil may be suffering. The only
courses of theoretical and practical training which have been approved by
the Minister for the special instruction of medical officers to carry out
the examination of the educationally submormal pupils are those conducted
by the London University Extension and Tutorial Classes Council
in conjunction with the National Association for Mental Health. Up to
recently a fortnight, the period has since been extended to three weeks.
The General Purposes Sub-Committee agreed that arrangements be made
for facilities to be granted to all the medical officers engaged in school
health work to attend the course.
The degree of mental retardation varies. Some children can benefit
from continuing to attend the ordinary school, especially if particular