The School Health Check

In the picture, a school health check is taking place in the hall. A student is standing beside a height-measuring scale while a nurse in uniform stands next to her, holding a clipboard to record the readings. Other students are seated in a row of chairs behind, waiting for their turn. What I also noticed is that the students waiting look quite relaxed, so this is probably a routine screening rather than anything worrying.

I remember a visit to the dentist in Primary 3 when I had a tooth that needed filling. I was quite frightened because I had heard the drilling sound from the room before mine, and my hands were sweaty when I sat in the chair. The dentist explained each step before doing it, which helped a lot, and it turned out to be much quicker than I expected. Now I am no longer nervous about dental visits, although I still do not enjoy the sound.

Yes, I feel they are useful. Many problems such as poor eyesight, hearing difficulties or spine curvature develop slowly, so a child may not notice anything is wrong until it becomes serious. A yearly check catches these early, when they are much easier to treat, and it also means every student is checked rather than only those whose families think to take them. Most importantly, students themselves may not tell anyone when something feels wrong, so a routine check protects those who would otherwise say nothing.