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47
In this report some of the more detailed statistical information, which
appeared last year, has been omitted, but this will be found in the report of
the Medical Adviser of the Inner London Education Authority.
SCHOOL MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
The pattern of the service since its inception at the turn of the century
has changed steadily over the years. Now at its best, it can provide a
sensitive service for the early detection of any deviation from normal health,
whether it be physical, developmental or emotional. It is still not generally
agreed whether the routine or the selective approach to the medical examination
of school children provides the better service in detecting and dealing with
health problems. In this borough the selective medical examinations of the
7 plus" age group continued in 11 schools and it is likely that at least one
more school will join this scheme in the near future. The schools' staff,
doctors and nurses who have taken part in this scheme are, in general, satisfied
that it has increased the efficiency and interest of the work. Of the 554
children in this age group in the 11 schools concerned, well over half (317)
did not need to be examined i.e. they had not caused concern to parent, teacher,
nurse, doctor, care committee worker, etc. It is still difficult, however,
to assess the efficiency of this system in detecting departures from the normal,
as the number of children involved is still relatively small.
Routine medical examinations of the infant, junior and senior school
entrants and school leavers continued in the remainder of the schools in the
Borough totalling 13,881 examinations out of a total school population of
34,509 (May, 1966). In addition 4,220 children were re-inspected in order to
follow-up some defect observed by the school doctor at a previous examination.
Apart from this, there are many other reasons for a child to be medically
examined at school, in particular where the school staff consider that a child
may need some form of special education. In these cases the Head Teacher
enters the child's name in a special book kept for this purpose, which is seen
by the school doctor at each visit to the school.