HEALTH TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1328, 4 January 1912, Page 4

HEALTH TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

REGULAR COURSE WANTED. (By TeleEnoh.-Presa Association.! Timaru, January 8. The president of the Educational Institute (Mr. 0. D. Flamank), in urging the adoption of a definite course in hygictte in schools, said the necessity for it was indicated by the large loss of lives under one year. Tho majority of' infants were born healthy, but were sacrificed to tho ignorance of their parents. It was not much good urging the medical and dental examination of school children, unless parents were better instructed, save that through such examinations greater interest in the children's health might result. At present something was done in regard to healthteaching, but in a haphazard manner. It should bo dealt with in regular course's graduated by standards. Mr. Flamank suggested certain divisions of the subject as suitable, and said teachers should have' text books specially drawn up to aid them. Hygiene, too, should replace physiology as a subject for teachers' examinations. A considerable portion of the paper was devoted to advocacy of teaching the physiology. of sex to those of twelve years and upwards. The Homo was the ideal place for teaching this, but experience proved that the ideal was impracticable. The necessity for it was admitted, and the question was whether the teaching should be individual or collective. Previously ho had believed- in individual teaching, but after hearing the secretary of tho White Cross League give a lecture to boys, ho believed the collective method -was best. In order to make a commencement, ho suggested the appointment of two instructors carefully selected by the Education Department to visit the schools of the Dominion.