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23
CO-OPERATION OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICERS.
In this district there are now two Attendance Officers, and they
have the entre to the Health Department where they can ascertain
the health status and fitness for school of any particular child.
The function of these Officers is to maintain attendances, consequently
they take no part in aiding the work of medical
inspection, nor do they engage in following-up save in the recovery
of fees for the treatment of Tonsils or Adenoids or for the supply
of glasses, but they do render valuable help in securing treatment
for children absent from school for alleged medical reasons. If
there is no doctor in attendance and the parent is unwilling to
seek one, the case is referred to one of the School Clinics and a
report is rendered to the Secretary of the Education Committee.
Again, in instances where children are absent on account of sore
throats or because of some rash, prompt reports by the Attendance
Officers have frequently directed attention to early cases of
infectious disease.
CO-OPERATION OF VOLUNTARY BODIES.
During the year the National Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children rendered assistance 111 cases of neglect, and
help has been obtained for some cases from the Hounslow, Heston
and Whitton Philanthropic Society, the Isleworth, Spring Orove
and St. Margaret's Philanthropic Society, the Shaftesbury Society
and Ragged School Union, and the United Services Pund.
BLIND, DEAF, DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC CHILDREN.
Periodical returns are made by the teachers of children judged
to be abnormal. Arrangements are then made for a special
medical examination, and based upon this, a report is made.
During 1926, examinations were conducted in respect of 66 mentally
abnormal children.
There are no special schools in this district for the defective.
In 1922, the Board of Education was approached to see if a
concrete proposal for the formation of a Defective School 111 the
area were brought forward, it would be considered, but the financial
state of the country was such, that no hope was entertained in
this direction, although the proposal put forward involved a very
small outlay.