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are made of children who have previously been found with defects
and also of children who have been placed "under observation."
Parents are also asked to bring children to the Inspection
Clinic and advice is given there.
Age Groups Inspected. The Board of Education requires
Local Authorities to make provision for the Medical Inspection
of all children admitted to school during the year ending March
31st, and of all children between 12 and 13 years of age, together
with children over 13 who have not been inspected after reaching
the age of 12. An intermediate group, children between 8 and 9
years of age, must also be examined.
The 241 entrants comprised 115 boys and 126 girls.
„ 132 intermediates „ 47 „ 85 „
„ 201 leavers „ 47 „ 154 „
The number inspected and re-inspected under the heading
"Other Inspections" is 1,515 as compared with 996 in 1939.
Findings at Medical Inspections.
Uncleanliness. The degree of cleanliness of both head and
body is noted at the Medical Inspections and only four children were
found at these inspections who had to be referred for treatment for
verminous or "nitty" heads.
The School Nurses pay periodical visits to the schools for the
purpose of inspecting heads, particularly after a holiday period.
During the year under review the average number of visits
per school by the Nurses for these cleanliness inspections was 12.
The total number of examinations during these inspections was
5,020 as compared with 4,464 in 1939. 243 individual children
were found either to be verminous or to have so many nits in their
hair that notices had to be sent to the parents.
When children are found to be unclean they are excluded and
a notice is sent to the Education Secretary. A warning is sent by
him to the parent that if the child is not made clean within 7 days,
a prosecution will follow. The children have to attend at the Clinic
until they can be certified as being fit to attend school.