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having been made with an optician and a chemist. The glasses, on
being obtained, are verified by the surgeon and a further appointment
in 6 months or 12 months is made, depending on the nature of the
defect. It is a sign of the times to come across a boy who deliberately
says that he is not going to bother about glasses for his defective vision;
he is going into the trade followed by his father, and expects to be
better off financially than if he worried about his sight and the
possibilities of a further education.
A separate report by Dr. Corbett, the opthalmic surgeon, is given.
8g. Ear Disease and Hearing.— Arrangements are made
with the Walthamstow Dispensary for the treatment of these defects;
the children attend twice weekly. Many of these cases of ear disease
persist from year to year with little amelioration, in some cases due to
want of home attention. Having the ears syringed twice weekly will
not do much good ! The average attendance at the Dispensary was 35.
8h. Dental Defects. —A whole-time dentist has been at work
during the whole of the year, but is unable to cope with the large
amount of work; for that reason, children over 9 years of age are not
attended to at the Clinic, unless for some urgent reason; the whole
attention of the dentist is practically given now to children under that
age, this arrangement dating from the middle of 1920. Comparatively
few children are treated by private dentists, and unfortunately Walthamstow
is badly supplied with qualified dentists.
Table IV "D" gives details of the work of the dentist during the
year.
8i. Crippling Defects and Orthopædics.— Children
requiring high boots, instruments for infantile paralysis, etc., have
usually obtained these from a London hospital. In some cases the local
branch of the Invalid Children's Aid Association has helped financially,
and the Education Committee have granted help in two cases,
representing an expenditure of £23 10s. under Section 18 (l)b, of the
Education (Administration Provisions) Act, 1907.
9. OPEN AIR EDUCATION.
9a. Playground Classes have been held in some of the
schools on the initiative of the Head Teacher, in the past, but it is the
policy of the Education Committee to encourage these classes. In a
circular letter to the various Head Teachers, dated April 29th, 1921, it
is stated that "the Committee desire Head Teachers to make the best
use of the facilities afforded in their neighbourhood for open-air work.
A certain amount of ordinary school work can be better done in the
open-air than in the class-room. Physical geography, mensuration,
nature study and drill, can usually be taken out of doors, but other
lessons, oral and written, may be taken in the open-air when the
weather is favourable. The Committee recognise that a certain amount
of open-air teaching has been carried out in the schools, but they are of
opinion that the work already done is capable of extension. A fuller