[Report 1934] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset (England). County Council.
Date:
1934
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1934] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/50 (page 26)
    SECONDARY AND CONTINUATION SCHOOLS. The six groups of children which are medically inspected in Secondary Schools are— (1) All entrants not previously medically inspected. (2) All entrants not examined since aged 8 years. (3) All children on reaching 14 years. (4) All leavers not medically examined within 2 years. (5) lie-examination Cases.—Those found defective at a previous examination. Special Cases.—Those referred by the Head Master or Mistress for examination for definite reasons. These groups have been altered to be better adapted to the needs of the Secondary Schools. Each school is insi^ected once a year, but it is not possible to pay a routine second visit; some special visits are paid from time to time. The arrangements for Secondary Schools are now working much more satisfactorily in every respect. A revised circular concerning the medical inspection of pupils was sent out in April to Head Masters and Mistresses. The information was issued to enable the pupils in the Secondary Schools to obtain most benefit with the least disturbance from the medical inspection of these schools. Special attention was also drawn to several points directly con¬ cerning the general health supervision of the pupils. During the year under review, the lack of continuity of examination and treatment between the Elementary Schools has been remedied, and application is now being made through this department for previous medical inspection cards by all the Secondary Schools. The number of children with possible defects presented to the Medical Inspectors during the year was only 44. This may appear to be a relatively small number, but is accounted for to some extent by the re-adjustment of the age groups for routine examination. Pupils are presented as “special” cases for any of the following reasons ;— (a) Doubt as to the suitability of a pupil for some portion or portions of the ordinary school work. (b) Suspicion of marked deterioration in a pupil’s condition. (c) Possibility of the existence of infectious or contagious disease. (d) Suspicion as to tlie existence of pliysical defects, such as defective eye¬ sight or hearing, or faulty posture. The number of “specials” presented must largely depend on the value attached to medical inspection and su])crvision by the teacliing staff. In this connection, the Senior Assistant Mistress is generally responsible for the girls in Mixed Schools.