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Every endeavour is made to carry out medical inspections on the
same basis as at nursery schools. The following' figures relate
to the medical inspections undertaken at these classes: —
Number examined Defects found Percentage defective
338 78 23%
CONVALESCENT TREATMENT. Children are sent away
mainly through the Invalid and Crippled Children's Society and
the Invalid Children's Aid Association. They usually require
short-term treatment or a less bracing climate than that of the
Fyfield Open-Air School. Three hundred and ten children were
sent to convalescent homes during- the year.
IMMUNISATION. During the year a start was made
with immunisation in the schools on a large scale, as a complementary
service to the more important immunisation of
pre-school children. School children who had not been
immunised previously were offered the full treatment, while
those who had been done in infancy or more than two years
previously were offered refresher doses. The numbers thus
treated were as follows :—
Completed course of
primary immunisation 3,671 Refresher doses
4,112
In addition, a small number were treated at the Balaam
Street Clinic: —
Completed course of
primary immunisation Refresher doses
67 134
EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG
PERSONS. The greater part of the work undertaken by
children in this Borough consists of newspaper and milk
delivery and other errand-rounds. During the year 1947 the
number of children medically examined for fitness for employment
was 127: all were found fit to undertake employment.
During the same period, 16 certificates of fitness were granted
for girls to participate in singing and dancing under the Entertainments
Rules.
THE SCHOOL-LEAVER AND EMPLOYMENT. Information
regarding each child's fitness for employment, based on
the results of the last routine medical inspection as modified by
any subsequent special examinations, is passed on to the
Juvenile Employment Office when the child leaves school. This
scheme has now been in operation for 12 years, and now includes
more detailed reports, with the parent's signed consent, on
children suffering from a handicap of such a nature and severity
as to bring them within the scope of the Disabled Persons
(Employment) Act, 1944. These arrangements are more particularly
of advantage to children in attendance at special
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