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ment or advice may have harmful effects on the
individual s health.
Any person working in a school or college
who may be called upon to cope with accidents
or iIIness wou Id be well adv ised to quaIify and
maintain their proficiency in first aid.
Infectious Diseases
The following numbers of cases of infectious
disease are known to have occurred among
school children during the year
Chickenpox 701
Dysentery 61
Food Poisoning 1
German measles 305
Infective jaundice 10
Malaria 1
Measles 142
Mumps 56
Paratyphoid fever 1
Scarlet fever 64
Tuberculosis 11
Whooping cough 26
There were no cases of diphtheria or polio
myelitis. When pulmonary tuberculosis is found
in a pupil or teacher the Chest Physician is
consulted and where considered advisable
investigations of school contacts are undertaken
Protection against tuberculosis by BCG
vaccine is offered to school children of 14 years
of age or older and to students attending universities,
teacher training colleges, technical
colleges and other establishments of further
education The scheme is not confined to child
ren attending maintained schools but is available
to all children of appropriate age. BCG
vaccination may be extended to school children
from the age of 10 if circumstances make this
desirable. A total of 1520 school children and
students received BCG vaccination during the
year.
Health Education in Schools
There was an increased demand from head teachers
and heads of departments for special talks from
medical officers and health visitors. All such
requests were followed by a visit to the school
concerned to discuss the general syllabus, the
needs of the pupils and the school policy
cerning health education Wherever possible the
talks were given as part of the general syllabus
so as to avoid giving the impression that these
subjects were in any way special or unusual.
Increasing emphasis was placed on growth develop
ment and the needs of the individual and his or her
place in the community rather than on parentcraft
although this subject was taught as part of a domestic
science course or at the request of the head teachers.
During Mental Health Week films about mental
health were shown to senior pupils at Grammar and
Secondary schools and speakers were provided to
answer questions and stimulate discussions. Arrange
ments were also made for small parties of senior
pupils to visit the Adult Training Centre and the two
Junior Training Schools.
All the health visitor students in the Borough have
been involved in the teaching of health education.
Several students under the direction of the Field
Work Instructor have planned organised and given
a series of talks to pupils at a junior school in
Hanworth
Groups of schoolgirls were shown round the health
centres and clinics: this gave the health visitors the
opportunity to undertake informal health education.
Student Health. Polytechnics
The national trend of an increase in the number of
students undergoing full and part time courses in
Colleges of Further Education was apparent in
both the borough s polytechnic colleges. I am happy
to be able to say that the general health of the
students was satisfactory Further efforts were made
during the year to promote the preventive health
aspect of the service amongst the staff and students.
The student health and welfare team is still
handicapped by absence of a college nurse This
throws an unfair responsibility on the welfare
officers and restricts the time given to essential
welfare and lodging work. The accommodation of
students in the borough is an increasing problem
Poor lodgings with inadequate meal and studying
facilities eventually affect the student s mental and
physical health adversely There is a need for good
student lodgings at a price students can afford in
the borough
The number of students seeking help of their own
accord from the service remained much the same as
in 1967 however the number referred by staff and
parents increased by about 10% in both colleges
It is thus gratifying to see that members of the
academic staff are becoming increasingly aware of the
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