[Report 1958] / School Medical Officer of Health, Chester City & County.

  • Chester (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1958
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1958] / School Medical Officer of Health, Chester City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The Medical Officers also report on defects in School Premises in addition to action taken through other channels. The Staff of School Nurses and Superintendent are concerned with the preparation in the school for the Routine Medical Inspections, and re-inspections, and for the special ‘hygiene and cleanliness’ visits they pay to all schools. They assist in special examinations, and visit pupils at home. They have direct contact by telephone or letter with the pupil’s own doctor —a very valuable asset. The Speech Therapist and Principal School Dental Officer have reported later in this report. The Programme of School Medical Inspections Normally every school—Infant, Primary and Secondary—under the Education Authority is visited at least once per year for School Medical Inspection, and once per term for Hygiene and Cleanliness. It has been possible previously to finish the inspections in the Primary Schools in the Easter term, so that all pupils are examined just before they start their Secondary Education in September. The Entrants Inspection for children as soon as they enter school takes place therefore in the Michaelmas term, and this leaves the Spring term for the Third Age Group (‘leavers’). Other Routine Inspections (e.g., at eight years, or older children) are fitted in as time permits, but it can be seen that the School Medical Officers are fully occupied with the three essential Routine Inspections from the beginning to the end of each term. The advent of B.C.G. Vaccination in 1955 reduced the amount of time which could be spent in the schools. Some of this time was already taken up with Diphtheria and Whooping Cough Immunisation at the termination of each School Inspection. In 1957, the addition of Poliomyelitis to the immunisation procedures made it even more difficult to keep up with the programme. But it is hoped that, whatever deficiencies occur in 1957 and 1958, they will readily be made up when the rush for Poliomyelitis Immvmisation is over. General There were 35 Schools having 45 Departments in the City. No. on Roll Nursery Schools ... 2 Dec., 1957 80 Dec., 1958 80 Infants’ Depts. 161^ 6229 6014 Primary Depts. Secondary Modern 16J 5 2441 2660 Secondary Grammar 2 882 890 Direct Grant 3 1013 1018 44 10645 10662 The average attendance of Pupils in Primary and Secondary Modern Schools was 90%. (Last year the attendance was 88-8%.)