STARTLINGN DISCLOSURES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14975, 23 May 1914, Page 12

STARTLINGN DISCLOSURES.

HEALTH i\f SCHOOL CHILDREN

MEDICAL REPORT TO WELLING-

TON BOARD

(press association - telki;r.vm3.) WELLINGTON, May 22. Somo startling disclosures in connexion with the health of school children in the Wellington district were mado at to-day's meeting of tho Education Board, when the medical inspector, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, submitted her report on the inspection of nineteen at the bchools under tho Board's jurisdiction.

She showed that in the case-of some schools. 50 per cent, of tho pupils suffered from malnutrition; in other words, ; from starvation. This, of course, was due to ignorance of tho parents. It was pointed out at the meeting that many children hurry over their breaklasts, eat their lunches on the way to school, and aro practically condemned to eight or nine hours of fasting. The report disclosed an extremely serious state of affairs. Nineteen schools were visited, reported tho inspector, and 915 children were examined, of whom 457 were special cases. Four hundred and seventy-eight children were examined in tho ordinary routine, and of these only 128 were found to have no defects. Two hundred and fifty-eight had defects other than dental, and the large number of 137 showed evidence of malnutrition, i'he defects wore classified as follow:— Skin disease ... ... 21 Defective teeth ... 232 Obstructed breathing ... 131 . Enlarged glands ... 110 External eyo disease ... ■ 4 Defective vision ... 54 External ear disease ... 2 Defective hearing ....'55 ' Defective speech ... 9 Xon-vaccinatiQU ... 2^l Circulatory disease ... 7 Respiratory disease ... 5 Nervous disease ... 1 Tuberculosis ... ... 3 Stooped shoulders ... 91 Curvativo ... ... 7 Fjat chest L 42 Pigeon breast ... .... 3 Other diseases ... ... 10 . The report condemned the • present style of ventilator at use in all tho schools visited. '.'"With regard to country echools, where the outhouses have the pan system arid there is difficulty, in getting the pans emptied," proceeds tho inspectors, "I do not see- why the elder boys and girls should not be taught how this work should be done. The schools might bo with white enamel buckets,. easy to carry, and easy to clean, and if the work is dono each week, there is nothing disagreeable. The awfulness of the worst in these schools is nothing compared with some of the places in their, own homes, and. surely if these children were taught how easy it is to keep such places clean, and that it was 'not necessary to dig a hole six feet deep, or to leave the ground vacant for months afterwards, they would improve their home conditions". . A-few . simple directions might he'sent .to each teacher and •to each School Committee in these country places and probably they would all profit by such directions." The report pTovoked considerable discussion, which was taken in committee. ." Mr J. G. W. Aitken moved: —"That the Department be- informed that the Board considers that medical inspection should be carried further, and that hints should be given.to parents as, to the nature of,the foodwhich should; be given. to children."- . . : This was passed: unanimously.