[Report 1924] / School Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough.

  • Eastbourne (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1924] / School Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    • there are now 1,430 vacant places, i.e., excess of “accom- modation” over “number on the books,” and “average attendance” is 405 less than “number on the books.” The re-distribution of the child population by which the outskirts of the town, where new houses can be erected, are having the increase in child population, necessitates additional accommodation in St. Mary’s and St. Andrew’s Schools. In the former this has been arranged for, and in the latter is under consideration. In a large general series of examinations of just over a million chlidren in the Country generally, it was found that 19.4 per cent, were found to require medical treatment (not including those with uncleanliness and requiring dental treatment). In 1924, in Eastbourne, 18.6 per cent, of those examined were found to require treatment. In mj^ last report, I referred to the fact that since medical inspection and treatment had been undertaken in Eastbourne the only form of defect that had not been proportionately reduced was that of vision. This is the case throughout the Country, and a special Committee has been appointed to consider it. I can find no circumscance special to Eastbourne schools conducing to bad sight, but I suggest to the Authority the essential need of good lighting in all the schools, the importance of the nature and position with regard to light of school desks, and the importance of good print in all books used. In young children especially the less books have to be used the better. Parental prejudice against the use of spectacles has as usual been frequently met with during the year. The conditions as to cleanliness have greatly improved and home conditions are largely concerned in this. I am including in this report a comparison shewing heights and weights of children of the same ages for the year 1908, when the School Medical Service began its work, and the year 1924. The comparison is interesting and shews