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Selective medical examinations on starting school.
1Beaconhill Children's Centre, Cramlington, Tyne and Wear.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Routine school medicals may be outdated. Abolishing them could free up resources for targeted health support for adolescents, disabled students, and underserved children needing essential health surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Educational Medicine
Background:
- The practice of selective medical examinations for children entering school has been implemented in Cramlington for five years.
- Data from the 1984-85 school year are presented in this report.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the 'routine medical' examination for school-aged children.
- To argue for the abolition of the traditional routine medical examination.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from selective medical examinations conducted in Cramlington.
- Review of the concept and practice of 'routine medicals' in the context of educational medicine.
Main Results:
- The 'routine medical' is presented as an outdated concept in child health surveillance.
- Abolition of routine medicals could redirect resources to more critical areas.
Conclusions:
- Resources allocated to routine school medicals could be better utilized for specialized support.
- Prioritizing health support for adolescents, disabled children, and deprived children is recommended for improved educational outcomes.