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staff is increased one cannot guarantee that all minor treatment given to
each child will be recorded, and that full records for all children
examined and found without defects are equally kept.
When a child leaves school his "Dossier" or half a dozen cards must
either be stored away or later passed on to his panel doctor, to whom
they would be neither useful nor helpful. In nine cases out of ten he
could base no judgment on the facts disclosed.
If there were less routine inspections, indexing and tabulations of
our school children, more time would be available for advice and treatment,
and the money saved could be usefully employed in other
directions.
It is a matter of great regret that on the grounds of "economy" the
Board of Education refused sanction for the Physically Defective Centre,
and have given instructions that the usefulness of the Myope Centre
as it exists must be curtailed, while maintaining and insisting on services
which could be very well scrapped.
I am pleased to acknowledge the valuable help given me throughout
the year by the Head Teachers and their Staffs.
Their hearty co-operation in the work of Medical Inspection and in
safeguarding the health of our school children was invaluable.
The Head Teachers show great discrimination in sending ailing and
other children to the School Clinic, and thus helped to strengthen my
views that under the control of the Teachers our school children maintain
a better standard of health and more freedom from Infectious
Diseases than when supervised only by the parents.
Mr. Longman, the Superintendent of Attendance Officers, has also
been most helpful.
Gifted with an instinctive liking for children, he appreciates the
objects of the School Medical Service, and he has freely and willingly
entered into the spirit of the work and given all the co-operation and
help which one could wish.
The School Medical Staff has served your Committee intelligently
and faithfully, and has always willingly rendered me every assistance
that could be reasonably asked for.
I beg to remain,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
J. J. CLARKE.