View report page

121
at the School Clinic, would go far in the prevention of a more
serious defect. These cases have not been classified in Table III
in view of the fact that there is insufficient accommodation for the
severer types of defect in residential open-air schools, and no openair
school is available for their reception. As reported on previous
occasions:—
"The provision of a day open-air school, erected on a
suitable site within the Borough, would tend markedly towards
reducing the number of definitely physically defective children,
with the result that, at no distant date, the present serious
need for a large number of places in a Physically Defective
Centre and a Residential Open-air School would be less
urgent."
In regard to the 75 children suffering from glandular and
non-infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, and the 6 children suffering
from active non-pulmonary tuberculosis, who are attending
ordinary elementary schools, it is obvious that all these cases would
benefit far more from an open-air school life and the liability of
relapses occurring would be almost eliminated.
It will also be noticed that 73 crippled children (many of
whom are suffering from severe heart disease) are attending
ordinary elementary schools only because no special school is
available for their reception.
It appears necessary to emphasise the added importance of
education in the case of those who are suffering from a physical
handicap. There are in East Ham 48 children, who come within
this category, receiving no education, and there are 73 children of
this type who have been allowed to attend the ordinary elementary
school under special conditions and with special precautions. A
Day School for Physically Defective Children is urgently needed
for these cases. Let us consider, for example, the unenviable
position of children who are, or have been, suffering from
tuberculosis:—
Under the regulations a notified case of definite tuberculosis,
whether pulmonary or non-pulmonary, cannot be denotified until
a minimum period of five years has elapsed since the date of notification,
and during this period the Public Health (Local Sanitary)
Authority is entirely responsible for the welfare of the patient,