Schools and Health.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 27, 23 May 1914, Page 5

Schools and Health.

NURSERIES FOR CHBLDREN SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS[Per Press Association.] Wellington, May 22. Some startling disclosures in connection with the health of school children in the Wellington district were made at to-day’s meeting of the Education Board, when the medical inspector, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, submitted her report on the inspection ' of nineteen of the schools under the Board’s jurisdiction. She showed that in the case of some schools, 50 per cent, of the pupils suffered from malnutrition —in other words, from starvation. Tins, of course, was due to the ignorance of the parents. It was pointed out that many children hurry over their breakfast, eat their lunches on the way to school, and then are thus practically condemned to eight or nine hours of fasting. The report disclosed an extremely serious state of affairs. “Nineteen schools wore visited,” reports the inspector, “and 914 children were examined, of which 45 were special cases. Four hundred and seventy-eight children were examined in the .ordinary routine, and of these only 12 were found to have no defects; 238 had defects other than dental, and the large 'number of 137 showed evidence of malnutrition. The defects are classified as follows :—Skin disease, 21 ; defective teeth, 232; obstructed breathing, 131; enlarged glands, 110; external eye disease, 4; defective vision, 54; external ear disease, 2; defective hearing, 55; defective speech,. 9; non-vaccination, 264; circulatory disease, 7; respiratory disease, 5; nervous disease, 1; tuberculosis, 3 (and 3 doubtful); stooped shoulders, 91; curvature, 7 ; fat chest, 42 ; pigeon breast, 3; other diseases, 10. The report condemns the present stylo of ventilation in use in all the schools visited. “With regard to country schools, where outhouses have tlie pan system, and there is difficulty in getting the # pans emptied,” proceeds the report, “I do not see why the elder boys and girls should not be taught how this work should be done. The schools might ■be pro-vided-'with white enamel buckets, easy to carry, and, easy to clean, and if the,work is done ioach week there is nothing disagreeable. At the worst it 'is nothing compared with some *of The 'pi acos in their own homes, and surely if these children wore 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 the country places, and probably they would all profit by such directions.”

The report provoked considerable, discugsi'oh, which was taken in committee.

Mr J. G. W. Aitken moved:— “That the Department be informed that, sthe Board ‘considers that the medical inspection should be" carried further,- and that taints should be given to parents as to the nature of the food which should be given to children.” This, was passed unanimously. HEALTH CONFERENCE OPINION. (Br Elbotbto Telegraph- Copykioh'! [United Press Asbooiatjon.] London, May 22. At the Health Conference, Lord Chelmsford deprecated the elementary schools being turned into' nurseries for children whose parents could not attend to their feeding and upbringing. The education authority was not the right body for these matters.