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46
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
The Inner London Education Authority is responsible for the school health
service, but by virtue of an agreement required by Section 32 of the London Government
Act, 1963, there is joint use by the Authority and the Borough Council of
professional staff, premises and equipment. The Medical Officer of Health is the
Principal School Medical Officer of the Inner London Education Authority for the
area and responsible to that Authority for the day-to-day running of the service.
In this report some of the more detailed statistical information has been
omitted, but for those who are interested it can be found in the report of the
Medical Adviser to the Inner London Education Authority.
SCHOOL MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Both the number of children examined in routine medical examinations (13,531)
and the school population (35,891) showed no significant change during the year.
250 7-year-old children were given "selective" medical examinations in
junior schools, roughly the same number as last year. The children are
selected for examination by the School Doctor, Nurse and Head Teacher after
questionnaires have been completed by the parent and school staff.
Here it is interesting to note that over the past 4 years in Hackney there
has been a change in the types of defects which the selection process tends to
highlight. For example in 1965 there was a preponderance of eye and ear defects,
swollen lymph glands and "other disorders" (the latter comprising mainly bedwetters),
whereas in 1967 and 1968 the categories appearing most prominently were
psychological development (very poor progress in school), and emotional stability
(including difficult behaviour), with epilepsy also showing up clearly.
Although too much should not be read into these facts, as the numbers
involved are small, they seem to suggest that the selective process involves
the School Medical Officer, and stimulates his interest, in the problems
of a child's intellectual and emotional development more effectively than
the routine examinations. Many children with minor physical defects (e.g.
innocent murmurs, undescended testes, minor skin disorders, poor posture etc.)
may not be examined by this method, a fact which places greater importance on
the thoroughness of the examination of five-year-old school entrants.
It is to be hoped that more Junior schools will be able to participate in
the "selective" method during the coming year.
It was gratifying to note that a local private school asked to be included
in the Borough School Health Service. We were able to arrange this without too
much difficulty although of course the school pays a fee for the services provided.