View report page

61
The 1946 National Survey on growth and development of children continues
and school nurses are still in contact with young adults who were included in
the survey and have been examined from time to time.
Health Education Eight health visitors attend schools to give weekly
talks to senior girls on the care of young children. Senior girls from five
schools attend at various day nurseries, each girl spending approximately one
week in the nursery.
Medical Rooms On the whole, these are satisfactory. When they are
not, it is often not possible to carry out the necessary radical alterations
owing to the lay-out of the school buildings, and the very pressing demands
on the rest of the school's accommodation. Between times, the medical room
often has to be used for other purposes.
Infectious Diseases in Schools
Dysentery: Sonnè dysentery occurs sporadically and in minor epidemics
in the schools of all our large cities and London is no exception. In Hackney,
apart from sporadic cases, there were minor outbreaks at two primary schools
and the necessary measures to limit the spread were taken. In connection with
this, there are two important factors.
Firstly, we are heavily dependent on the co-operation of family doctors
in ensuring that a child being treated for dysentery is quite free from infection
before being allowed back to school. The family doctors in Hackney
have co-operated very well in this way.
« Secondly, the facilities for children to wash their hands properly after
using the water closet are woefully inadequate in many schools. In spite of
valiant efforts by school staffs, it is well nigh impossible to ensure that a
child climbs up to four flights of stairs to wash his hands after using the
toilet (such is the case in at least one school). Until adequate facilities
are provided, the odds are heavily stacked against a significant decline in
the incidence of sonnè dysentery in school children.
Tuberculosis: In 1965, there were two cases of potentially infectious
tuberculosis in members of school staffs. In both cases, all the children
who had been in contact with the person concerned were offered a Mantoux skin
test in order to discover those who might have contracted the infection. The
latter were then given hospital appointments for further examination and a
chest X-ray. I am glad to say that these further investigations were all
negative.
The rest of the school's staffs were all strongly urged to get their chests
X-rayed.
Diphtheria: Shortly before the change-over in local government in April,
1965, a small child in hospital with chicken-pox was found to be harbouring
the diphtheria organism in his throat. The child had been admitted from 205,
Morning Lane, and thorough investigations of all the child's contacts there
were undertaken. Several carriers were found and isolated. The investigations
were extended to a local school where many of the contacts and carriers were
pupils. Further carriers were discovered and isolated. No further cases
or carriers were found.
This incident underlines the continuing need of the school child for a
high level of immunisation against diphtheria.
Special Educational Problems
Many school children present complex problems of progress and behaviour,
and the solution to these problems can only be satisfactorily attempted when
the various agencies or workers involved work closely together. These can
include teaching staff, school doctor, educational psychologist, child care
officer, school enquiry officer, probation officer, school care organiser, etc.