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60
Doctors have talked to senior secondary and grammar school children
(usually school leavers) on some of today's medical problems which
are preventable, and most valuable discussions have arisen from these
talks not only on purely medical facts but the social implications. The
young are really misunderstood if it is thought that they pay no due
regard to their own behaviour, their own contribution to Society and to
the solution to some of today's problems; but the fact is that they are on
the whole most concerned with the misfortunes of others and are keen to
try and "put things right".
The part played by a health visitor is a large one - after the initial
planning has been completed she carries out a series of talks and
discussion groups as and when required by a school. The health education
section gets asked quite frequently to give individual talks on sex
education, venereal disease, problems of unmarried mothers, drug addiction,
all of which have been given so much publicity through the mass
media especially television. An example of this was the recent BBC programme
for teachers and parents which dealt with sex education for
junior schools. Both the health education officers have talked in the
schools and to parents which has been a valuable opportunity. Mrs.
Cannon's experience as a health visitor and as a qualified teacher enabled
her as a Health Education Officer to give advice, guidance and
suggestions both to staff and to lay audiences and she also carried out
valuable work in the schools.
Dental Health Education
Redbridge, in common with other progressive Local Authorities has,
the advantage of the services of our dental auxiliary who, as part of her
duties, carries out dental health education to all sections of the community.
Of her work in schools Mrs. Lewis writes
" 1969 was yet another year in the fight against dental decay in
children.
In schools my Welsh accent was a particular source of amusement,
when one small lad thought I had said to get "gnats" instead
of nuts.
It takes some explaining too, that eating apples and coconuts
does not include toffee apples and chocolate coconut bars!