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Recuperative Holidays for Children
Twelve children were recommended under Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, and of these
three were withdrawn. These holidays are provided at no cost to the parents.
Tuberculosis Occurring in Teachers and Pupils
The incidence of primary pulmonary tuberculosis amongst school children is very small. When
it does occur the source of infection is usually traced to some person within the child's own family
environment. It follows that the child in question is usually found to have the disease at an early
stage and thus there is little fear of a spread of the infection amongst the child's contemporaries at
school.
However, it so happened during the spring of 1965 that one child of secondary school age was
found to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis and after full investigation of her home contacts
the source of infection could not be traced. It, therefore, became necessary to carry out a full
investigation of her contacts at school. The child in question was thirteen years of age and it was
probably fortunate that the majority of her class contacts had already received B.C.G. vaccination.
The remainder of her class and other immediate contacts were Heaf tested, and only two of these
children gave a positive reaction. On further enquiry it was found that one of these two children had
had B.C.G. vaccination at a much earlier age. The other child was investigated at the Uxbridge Chest
Clinic and the findings were negative.
Developments in Health Education
Talks are given in schools on specific health matters by School Doctors and Health Visitors.
The topics include Smoking and Health, Personal Relationships and Teenage Problems generally.
These are informal discussions in which children are actively interested and this is shown by the
provocative and unusual questions which are asked.
The Effect of Employment Out of School Upon the Development and Educational Progress of
Children
There is no question that many children benefit by undertaking employment out of school hours
and earning money for so doing. Certain children, however, especially those undertaking a considerable
amount of homework, are possibly not able without harm to undertake such employment. It is
necessary, therefore, to keep a careful physical check on children who undertake employment out of
school hours to see that they are not harmed thereby.
National Child Development Study
This national study is concerned with children who were born during a certain week in March,
1958. During the summer of 1965, Dr. Neville Butler, Co-Director of the Study, asked for assistance
carrying out a further survey to determine the present physical, sociological and educational status
of the children already studied in 1958. Dr. Butler hoped to obtain the information from three
sources: an educational assessment, a parental questionnaire and a medical examination. Sixtythree
children were involved in the study, and the parents of sixty co-operated willingly, which is a
good indication of the parental interest shown.
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