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151
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Readers are referred to the comments on the school health
service on pages 4 and 5.
The population of the borough, estimated by the Registrar
General, was 144,480 at mid-1968.
In January 1969 the number of pupils on the registers of
maintained schools was 19,178 made up as follows;
Primary Schools 10,986
Secondary Schools 7,912
Nursery Schools 76
Special Schools 204
In addition it is estimated that 2,877 children attend
independent schools registered under Part III of the Education Act 1944,
and approximately 750 attend direct grant and independent schools .
which are served by the school health services.
The number of maintained schools in the borough on 31st
December 1968 was 55: 14 secondary, 38 primary, 1 nursery, 2 special.
One direct grant and one independent school were included in the school
health service under the terms of Section 78 of the Education Act 1944.
Staff
The medical officer of health and his deputy are also
principal and deputy principal school medical officer and were assisted
by two senior and three other medical officers, The services of
sessionally employed medical officers are also used to maintain the
programme of fixed appointments at clinics and as reliefs for leave and
sickness.
The health visiting staff consisting of a superintendent
health visitor, a group adviser, and twenty-three health visitors, carry
out the functions of school nurses, demoting about 20 per cent of their
time to duties in connection with the school health service.
Sessionally employed state registered nurses work with
medical officers at medical inspections in secondary schools,
immunisation sessions and general medical clinics, and are responsible
for vision testing of thirteen and sixteen year old pupils.
Periodic Medical Inspection
The figures given in this and all other sections of the
report relate to schools as classified by the Education Act 1944 and
are, broadly speaking, in accordance with the statistical requirements
of the Department of Education and Science,
During 1968 periodic medical inspection of all schools in
the borough was carried out in the appropriate age groups, 6,417
children being examined.