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3.—THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
School Hygiene.
The School buildings and sanitary arrangements are periodically
inspected, and a complete survey of the schools is made from time
to time. Every school in the district is visited at least twice a
year by a Medical Officer.
Dinner Hour Arrangements.
Spring Grove Central School continues to be the only school
where children can obtain a hot dinner at low cost, the meal being
supplied from the attached Cookery Centre. Such an arrangement
here is of great value as children are drawn from all parts of the
district, and it is impossible for many of them to return home for
the mid-day meal.
In a number of schools certain children bring food of various
kinds for their midday meal, and this is consumed in the classroom
or the hall. In some cases the Head Teachers give facilities
for making cocoa, etc., These meals are frequently unsuitable,—
in the case of the poorer children, both from the point of view of
quality and sometimes quantity; and in the case of the more pampered
children, unsuitable in quality, chiefly in the direction of
fancy cakes, etc.
4 MEDICAL INSPECTION
A routine medical inspection was carried out during the year
at every school in the district, and a re-inspection followed after a
period of approximately three months.
The age groups selected for inspection are those laid down by
the Board of Education, viz.—•
1. All new entrants (5 year old children).
2. Intermediates (8 year old children).
3. Leavers (12 year old children).
4. Other Routine Inspections.
Children attending the Spring Grove Central School are
examined yearly.
The total number of routine medical inspections carried out
during the year was 3018, compared with 2467 in 1929. The
Board's schedule of Medical Inspection has been followed in all
cases.