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88
Each case of notified disease is regarded as possibly connected
with other cases of the same disease, which, owing to their mildness
or the absence of some of the characteristic symptoms, have
been overlooked by the parent or the teacher, or both.
Inquiries therefore are made at the patient's home and into
the condition of the children who have been in contact at school
with the scholar who has fallen ill.
Teachers are instructed in the symptoms of onset of the chief
infectious diseases, and are directed temporarily to exclude children
showing any symptoms suggestive of any of these diseases until
medical assurance can be had that they may attend school without
harm to themselves or danger to other scholars.
The Head Teachers are at once informed of cases of notifiable
diseases occurring in children attending their departments, and
"contacts " can therefore be forthwith excluded.
The Attendance Officers inform the School Medical Officer of
any children who have recently been kept at home with illness of a
suspicious character, or concerning whom circumstances suggest
the possibility of infection.
A register of the non-notifiable diseases, Measles, Chickenpox,
Whooping Cough and Mumps is kept in the School Medical
Officer's Department. The entries in this register are made
from notification forms sent by school teachers. The accuracy of
these notifications is verified by the Attendance Officers, who consult
the Medical Officer in all cases of doubt. The return of these
diseases for the year 1913 appears in the table, page 90.
It has been stated that the greater control exercised over the
spread of infectious and contagious diseases in schools has caused
a decreased average attendance; but, whereas during 1912 there
were issued 817 exclusion forms under Article 53 (b) of the Code,
and the average attendance expressed as a percentage was 84, yet
during the year 1913 the exclusions under this heading reached the
number of 955, and the average attendance similarly expressed
rose to 88. Particulars of the exclusions are given in a table on
the next page.
These exclusions were independent of suspensions from
attendance which took place in connection with the notifiable and
other diseases that are carried out by the School Teachers in
accordance with printed regulations.