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148
environmental, nurtural and congenital conditions, and the only
treatment which holds out any hope of lasting benefit is their
admission to residential schools of recovery for periods varying
from three to twelve months or longer.
Whilst there are many children who enter school in a fairly
advanced stage of invalidity from the above causes, there are also
a great number who exhibit early signs and predisposing conditions
and for whom the routine, hygiene and education in a day
open-air school, in addition to medical supervision and treatment
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 98 children suffering from glandular and
non-infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, and the 23 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 85 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 44 children, who come within
this category, receiving no education, and there are 85 children of
this type who have been allowed to attend the ordinary elementary