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To the Chairman and Members of the
Walthamstow Committee for Education.
Mr. Chairman, Lord and Lady McEntee, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present in the following pages a report
on the work of the School Health Service in Walthamstow during
1951. The following matters appear to call for some comment.
Dr. Mary Sheppard resigned her appointment on grounds of
ill-health after nearly 30 years of conscientious service to the people
of the Borough.
Some progress was made with sanitary improvements to the
schools, but unfortunately financial stringency has severely limited
the programme.
Dental staffing remained good when compared with similar
areas but even so, the Dental Service continued largely as a
" Casualty " Service. The Senior Dental Officer makes an inter
esting comparison between the dental condition of 5 and 6-year
old children examined in 1936 and 1951 at the same school.
Towards the end of the year child guidance for the pre-school
child was begun at a welfare centre.
The chest x-ray examination of teachers on appointment had
to be suspended by the instruction of the Local Education Authority.
A special programme of visits was arranged for foreign
delegates, at the request of the Ministries of Education and Health.
Dr. Watkins contributes an interesting report in regard to
his attendance at a Course with regard to " The Care of the Deaf
Child
Reference is made to the work done at the four special schools,
particularly those for the Partially-Sighted and the Deaf, which
serve a large catchment area.
Once again I have to thank all the Members of your Committee
for their consideration, the Borough Education Officer and his staff
for their help, and the good work of all colleagues in the School
Health Service.
I am,
Your obedient Servant,
A. T. W. POWELL,
Borough School Medical Officer