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12
I recommended your Council to close the schools at the following
places, and for the times mentioned:—
Higher Wheelton National School, January 29th to February 17th.
Whittle South Hill, February 13th to March 11th.
Wheelton Council School, March 20th to April 10th.
Anderton St. Joseph's School (Infant Department), June 25th to July 16th.
Coppull National, September 16th to October 7th.
Ulnes Walton, October 1st to October 21st.
„ „ further closure to November 5th.
Coppull Moor, October 7th to October 28th.
Coppull St Oswald's, October 7th to October 28th.
Eccleston, October 28th to November 25th.
„ further closure to December 9th.
Heskin, November 27th to after Christmas.
Charnock Richard, November 15th to after Christmas.
Mawdesley R.C., November 22nd to after Christmas.
In one or two instances I think it would have been better to have
closed the schools for a somewhat longer period, as the epidemic had not
sufficiently subsided when the schools were re-opened.
In most of the cases the information on which I acted arrived too
late for me to successfully adopt the advice of the Board of Education—
to exclude only the children suffering and the inmates from the same house
—or to exclude all from the same class.
I have to thank the Teachers in the various schools for the great
help they have rendered me in giving me much information, and supplying
me with lists of cases of disease.
Whooping Cough caused five (5) Deaths during the year. All these
Deaths occurred in the last four months, and two (2) were registered from
Brindle and Coppull respectively, and one (1) from Rivington.
The Inspection of School Children will probably be inaugurated
during the coming year, and ought to prove of great service in the early
detection and removal or amelioration of many physical incapacities
undiscovered or neglected by the parents. In addition to relieving the
present physical defects, and thus rendering the life of the child happier
and more complete, the improvement in health, and the consequent
sharpening of the mental faculties are likely to make the young people,
on leaving school, better fitted for the battle of life, and more capable for
any work that may be their lot to do.
The Board of Education, acting under Section 13 of the Education
(Administrative Provisions) Act, 1907, have issued a Memorandum in which
the duty of providing for such inspection in County areas is laid upon the
County Council, and the County Medical Officer of Health is to be the
responsible head and supervisor of this inspection, with such assistants
as may be thought necessary for the adequate carrying out of the work.
The Board have decided that not less than three inspections of each
child will be necessary during school life—the first at the time of entering
school, the second at or about the third year, and the third at about the
sixth year of school life.