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(c) School Camps. School Holiday Camps both for boys
and girls have now become a regular institution. Their value has
been increasingly manifest the last two years. Efforts are being
made to repeat the innovation, but on a larger scale. During 1927,
191 boys attended the School Holiday Camp at Shoeburyness, and
170 boys and 210 girls attended the Dymchurch Camp for a fortnight
each. In addition 18 boys and 2 girls attended the Dymchurch
Camp for one week.
The selected children were all previously medically examined
by the School staff as to cleanliness, suitability, and freedom from
contagion, and the Camp was visited by the School Medical Officer.
(d) Four schools hold classes during the summer months in
the open air, on the flat roofs provided, and certain schools hold
classes in the neighbouring parks and recreation grounds.
(e) There is one Open Air Day School in the Borough at
Crosby Road Forest Gate, with places for 60 girls, from the age
of seven years upwards. The cases are recommended by the
School Medical Staff from their findings at Medical Inspection.
The children are again examined by the Chief Assistant School
Medical Officer prior to admission. The scholars are also periodically
examined, either at the School or neighbouring Clinic, and
a School nurse calls weekly to report cases that are not doing
well, these being seen at the Clinic, and cases that have recovered
are referred back to the Elementary Schools. There were 16
admissions and 20 discharges during the year. A marked feature,
following a period of stav at this School, is in the way of increased
tonicity of nerve and muscle and indirectly nutrition. In addition
to lessons in the open air at this Institution, the children have the
advantage of good meals, a drink of milk in the morning, plenty
of rest, spray baths weekly, breathing exercises and handkerchief
drill, tooth-brush drill and medical attention at a neighbouring
School Clinic as required. During the year 86 cases were so
referred to the Stratford Clinic, 266 visits in all being paid.
I am indebted to Miss Howship the zealous Headmistress
of the Day Open Air School, for the following reports upon some
of her pupils:—
Pupil A., age 12. Admitted 7/9/25, morose, defiant
untruthful, vulgar minded, too impatient and greedy to wait
for her own garden produce, she gathered it before it was ready
and then stole from other gardens. She had to be watched
lest her talk should injure other children's minds. To-day this
girl is happy, trustful and trustworthy. She is delighted to be
"mother" to a seven year old junior. She is a class monitor,
clean minded, honourable, amiable. Her garden shows evidence
of patience and hard work.
Pupil B., age 12. Admitted 7/9/25, a weak, down
trodden, unhappy child, had no self-confidence, thinking
always that she was being scolded. She made no effort to
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