"HEALTH FIRST"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 265, 3 August 1920, Page 6

"HEALTH FIRST"

SCHOOL CHILDREN'S WELFARE

THEIR CLASSROOMS, DIET, AND TEETH

THREE INTERESTING ADDRESSES

Mr. C. N. Haslam occupied the chair at the meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Education Institute held lost evening.

Tho chairman said that they had with them a representative of town-planning Meals in respect' to 6chool buildings in Mr. J. F. Munnings, who for ten years wa9 a Government architect in India. Mr. Munnings said that he had been fortunate in having had a good deal to do with school buildings, both before lie went to India in 1909, and in India. Probably no country in the world was giving so much attention to education and sponding so much money on school buildings as wns India. He had his first experience thero in tho province of Assam, and pointed out that there they had all classes of school buildings, from the bamboo huts with thatched roofs. But everywhere he went 110 felt that all school buildings depended more or less or local conditions. Standardisation did not work out quite satisfactorily, but what they could do was to standardise in details. For instance, schools for Wellington, with its steep hills and changeable climate, would hardly !>e planned on the same lines as in Christchurch, where the land was flat and tho climnte was slightly different. In Assam there was a population of 34,000,009, and the scheme of providing schools that was being given effect to when he was thero involved >£1,000,000. It would probably cost moro like .£2,000,000 now. In India they were creating their school grounds on a fine expansive scale, laid out in relation to the school. They mere paying a great deal of attention to tho playgrounds and gymnasia, the object in view being !>o make the natives less eftominate. To do this they wero dragging them out into the open, and inducing them to play ganies, and run about in the fresh air. In planning schools he believed in consulting everyone, believing that it was always best to invito criticism beforehand, oven if it was destructive, so that they would have the opinions of overyone concerned, even those of the pupils. He also spolto of tho value of proper lighting and heating—a proper system of heating where tho same air would not bo heated over and over again. He had a preference for tho open fireplace, because in addition to the fire heating tho room the chimney acted as a ventilator. Some systems certainly warmed the air, but in addition they must have ventilating flues. Broadly, his idea was that when a school was designed the grounds should be planned also, so that they would work from beginning to end to a matured plan. Mr. H. A. Rarkineon said that the grounds here were uot usually planned because there wero 110 grounds, (Laughter.) T'nere was a desultory discussion on the subject of school windows and corridors. The central corridor idea was not favoured in India. Mr. Munnings did not think that tho last word had yet Been said about school-building.

In reply to a question by Mr. J. S. Temiant, Mr. Munnings said that electric radiators were, of course, the best method of heating class-rooms whero tlio current was available, and he did not sop, when they got all tho hydro-electric schemes going, why all the (schools within tho wiring area should not be 60 Supplied. Dr. Wilkins, Chief Medical _ Officer to tho Education Department, said that he was glad Mr. Munnings had emphasised tho value of ventilation. Ho had been in class-rooms with windows on three sides, and yet the atmospheric condi' Hons wero awful, and he did not think that some teachers took sufficient advantage of tho conveniences for ventilation that were provided. Ho did not think that the low-set window was a disadvantage (in that it distracted the attention of the pupil), because it was good for the eyes to relax, by looking into the distance. 'Further, the most successful results had_ been attained by teaching in the open air. In fact pupils in a class-room who hnd been dull, had been sharpened by tuition in tho open air. Mr. Munnings was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his interesting remarks. Value of Diet. Dr. Wilkins spoke of tho overwhelming importance of the health of tho children here and in every civilised country. He did not think that sufficient attention was given to hygiene by tho teacher.!, who generally wero not nj> to dato in the tules of hygiene. -Dt\ Wilkins then read a paper in which ho set forth tho need ol' greater attention to tho mouth and tho food (which was of the greatest service in the preservation of the teeth and the health of tlio digestive organs). He stressed the value of tnait or • dried bread made of whole meal, and said that white bread was poor food. In Germany and Russia, where they ate coarse rye-bread they did not suffer from their teeth as we did. He had even known children ko past, jellies and trifle to satisfy their natural craving for the food elements to be found in brown bread. Wickets was more common in New Zealand than was generally supposed, and white bread was a contributing factor. Sugar albo had a deleterious effect on tho teeth and the general health, and the umount of sugar eaten in New Zealand was largely responsible for much of the ill-health. He also stressed the value of fresh fruit. Vegetables should be steamed and cooked quickly. Cabbage could bo cooked in three minutes, if finely sliced, and was much more nutritious than if cooked in the ordinary way. As it was the beneficial salts of the vegetables usually went down tho sink with the water. He also deprecated the amount of meat eaVn in New Zealand. It was a good plan to only eat meat once a day. Tea was injurious to children. It was a stimulant to the nerves, and children did not and should not need such a stimulant. It was had to drink at meals, yet in New Zealand many people washed their food down with drink. Eating cakes, biscuits and sweets betweon meals was highly injurious to the tfetli. Children should be taught to breathe through the nose, particularly during exercises— mouth breathing caused bad teeth and bronchial troubles. Three points he would emphasise wero: The cam of the teeth, a plain and wholesome diet, and that it lay with the teachers io safeguard the health of the nation of to--morrow.

An Artificial Age. Lieutenant-Colonel J. Hunter, Chiof Dentjil Director to. tho Education Department, said that in 1915 90 per cont. of file men who offered themselves for service needed dental attention, and 331-3 per cent, would have been rejected owing' to their defective teeth were it not for the treatment given thom by the Dental Corps. There were 200,000 children attending tho New Zealand schools, and from inspections made in the schools ho was sure that from 80 to 90 per cent, of tho 'children needed dental treatment. There was no disease that did moro mischief_thnn dental disease, nor was there a disease so common—so common that it was a caso of "familiarity breeding contempt." Perhaps if it acted <19 quickly as the recent influenza epidemic more notice would be taken of it. Its effects were slow, but terribly sure. Ho wanted tho help and co-operation of tlno teachers, knowing that without I heir hflp ho could not do much; indeed, if ho did not ffet it tho scheme would bo a failuro. Ho wanted their candid criticism— welcomed it. Ho said that we were living in an artificial age; our foods were highly concentrated, and the people were given over to luxuries. Half the shops in Wellington had been given up to the sale of luxuries, whicli perhaps accounted for tho presence of so many chemists' shops. Ho said that healthy teeth usually meant healthy bodies, and a healthy body meant n healthy mind. He read a circular ho intended In send out to all teachers, in which ho advocated toollibrush drill at. least week. The children would each have their own nnigs and brushes, which they would keep at homo and bring to ecliool once a week. Ho know tho present curriculum

was pretty full, but lie hoped that thiis attention to the teeth of the children would be worked in without any great inconvcnience.

The chairman thanktd Dr. AVilkins nnd Colonel Hunter for their addresses, and welcomed their appointments. He believed that most teachers plac.cd the hralth of the children first, and would lend their heartiest co-operation. Thley would like to oonsider the proposals anil discuss them at a later date, nnd ho asked that the oircular mentioned be placcd in the hands of the teachers at the earliest possiblo date.

Finally, in returning thanks, Colonel Hunter said that hie wished to say to the teachers that if they found that tho proposals under the schraie pressed unduly hard owing to the full school curriculum, he was almost sure that they would have influence enough to see thut something was cut out to make way for dental drill. The two greatest attributes a nation had were health and education, nnd he placed health first. A'nices: We agree with you,