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Employment certificates are issued when a child has been found medically
fit to undertake a paper round, or work as a shop assistant on Saturdays etc.,
and have to be renewed every 6 months.
"Theatrical children" in this context means children who have been selected
by theatre managements to appear on stage, usually as part of a chorus.
VISION TESTING
This is carried out at the age of 6½ years and then at every subsequent
school medical examination. However, it is hoped to introduce a new vision
test for 5 year old school entrants next year, so that defects of eyesight can
be detected and therefore remedied earlier than in the past. The test has
been designed by Dr. Mary Sheridan and Mr. Peter Gardiner of Guy's Hospital.
It isa most reliable test when properly administered and depends on the matching
(but not the naming) of a few carefully chosen letters of the alphabet.
During 1966, 9,887 children had their vision tested, and of these 80%
(approximately) were found to have normal eyesight.
NURSING STAFF
Nursing Staff in the School Health Service comprise 8 full-time and 10
part-time nurses. Their duties include working inordinary or special schools,
in various clinics and treatment centres or in various combinations of these.
Two nurses have special additional duties in testing the hearing of school
children by audiometry.
A total of four school nurses staff the sick bay at Hutton Poplars Children's
Home. In addition to caring for children who are ill, they carry out treatments,
examinations and prophylaxis in the sick bay.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN SCHOOLS
DYSENTERY
Sporadic cases continued to occur, but fortunately there were no significant
outbreaks of the disease in schools during the year.
The co-operation of the family doctors in ensuring that a child is well
before allowing return to school after a bout of diarrhoea, and the alertness
of teachers to signs of an upset stomach so that the child can be sent home to
be seen by the family doctor are important factors in limiting the spread of
this troublesome illness.
But the most important factor of all is without doubt the unremitting
education of children to wash their hands after using the lavatory - a task in
which all concerned - teachers, nurses and doctors - can share.
TUBERCULOSIS
In January a 5-year-old school girl was admitted to hospital with
tubercular meningitis. In following up the family contacts it was discovered
that the husband of the child-minder who had looked after the child before she
started school was suffering from active pulmonary tuberculosis, and was almost
certainly the source of her infection. He was admitted to hospital for treatment
and his own children were admitted to hospital for observation. Of the
latter, one was found to be suffering from the disease and as a precaution the
school medical officer carried out skin tests on the child's class-mates at
school. All of these tests were negative.