“PERNICIOUS PRACTICE”

Evening Star, Issue 19791, 15 February 1928, Page 5

“PERNICIOUS PRACTICE”

SCHOOL BREAK-UPS DISTRIBUTION OF SWEETS The distribution ot sweets aud cakes at school break-ups, picnics, parties, etc., is viewed with alarm by the Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, who, referring to it as a “ pernicious practice,” brought the matter under the notice of the Education Board at its monthly meeting this morning. He reported that letters of complaint from parents had reached him drawing his attention to a pernicious practice that prevailed throughout the dominion —namely, the distribution of manufactured concentrated sugars and highlysweetened cakes at all school breakups, picnics, parties, etc. When so much thought was given and money expended by the Government in the host interests of the health of the children, it was much to be regretted that these efforts were nullified to a great extent by the mistaken kindness of local bodies, school committees, etc. Besides being very unfair to the department concerned, it must be extremely irritating and discouraging to sensible parents who were doing their best to bring up their children in a national healthy manner, he continued. It was considered that when local bodies, school committees, etc., realised the great harm that was done to the' health of children by such foodstuffs they would co-operate with the department in the interests of the children by eliminating such and substituting food to which exception could not be taken. Wth regard to the work of the department, it was surely absurd for the Government to train dental nurses for the purpose not only of providing expensive dental treatment for children, but also of instructing parents and children in the methods of preventing dental disease, if local bodies, school committees, and others were going to do their best to assist in producing the disease. Hon. I). T. Fleming: “The cake, shops will be going out of business.” He suggested that in such cases as, those under review fruit might be provided instead of sweets.

The Chairman (Mr J. Wallace); “But fruit costs about ten times as much as sweets at the time it is needed.” (Laughter.) Approval was generally expressed of the letter, and on the motion of Mr R. W, Todd it was decided that a circular along the lines of the department’s letter be sent to the school committees.