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137
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE

MEDICAL INSPECTIONS
The main function of the School Health Service is to promote the
health and welfare of the School child in order that he may derive the
maximum benefit from the education provided. The basic "instrument"
used to achieve this end is the medical inspection of children with the
purpose of:-
(i) detecting actual defects present and,
(ii) eliciting signs indicative of developing defect which could
interfere with a child's educational progress.
In the pre-school period arrangements are made to see and examine
children with special emphasis on their general developmental progress.
These examinations culminate in the important pre-school one carried out
on as many children as possible at the age of 4½ years—special care being
taken at this stage to ensure that each child has had all protective immunisations
completed before starting school.
These pre-school medicals lead into the periodic medical inspections
carried out under Section 48 of the Education Act 1944. This section
makes it the duty of a local education authority to provide for the medical
inspection at appropriate intervals of pupils in attendance at any school
maintained by them and the authority may require the parent of any
pupil in attendance at such a school to submit the pupil for medical
inspection in accordance with arrangements made by the authority.
Although the Act itself provides a legal obligation on the parent to submit
the child for examination, the parent is free should he so desire to refuse
treatment.