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6
This phase of the work has undoubtedly appealed to this Committee who,
during the past year, has spent some time considering the various ways in
which the weakly and defective child could be benefitted. The following have
come into operation during the past year:—(1) The opening of another minor
ailment clinic at the North end of the district, (2) the reservation of three
places at a residential open-air school at the seaside for weakly boys, and
(3) the formation of a special class for the partially blind and the myope—this
latter opens on January 6th, 1925.
Other projects include a similar residential school for weakly girls,
a complete scheme for orthopaedic treatment, an improvement in the
arrangements made for the operation of tonsils and adenoids, and an
open-air school.
The above will be discussed under their appropriate headings.
As occurred in other parts of the country, the birth-rate for Edmonton fell
during the years of the war and during 1919: this meant a diminished number
of infants being entered on the school registers year by year: the diminution
during 1924 was masked by the decision of the Committee to admit children
younger than five years; practically it meant that children who were
4½ by April 1st and October 1st could attend school for the summer
and winter respectively.
The year 1920 was characterised by a heavy birth-rate which will be
reflected in the increased numbers in the Infants' Departments during the
coming year. Since then, however, the rate has fallen rapidly, and that for
1924 will probably prove less than 70% than that for 1920.
Nursery schools have not been established, but with the presence of a
thriving Day Nursery in our midst, and children being admitted to school at
4½ years, one cannot say that there is a great need for such.
GENERAL HYGIENE.
The past year has not been characterised by a serious outbreak of any
disease.
Scarlet fever and diphtheria have occurred in sporadic fashion until the
Autumn months, when the incidence of both increased.