SCHOOL CHILDREN'S DEFECTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1916, Page 4

SCHOOL CHILDREN'S DEFECTS.

The attention that is being paid to the health of the school children in the Dominion should be productive of much good, not only in respect to brightening the lives of the young folk, but in improving the general physical status of future generations. At the recent meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute, Dr. Elizabeth Macdonald, who is keenly interested in the health of school children, delivered a lecture on the subject, and stated incidentally that special corrective classes had been formed in Wellington. It is as well that parents generally should realise what is being done to remedy physical defects in school children, for the matter is one of the utmost importance to them and to the State, and they should welcome, as well as do all in their power to forward, the scheme that is now in a forward state. In examining the pupils attending the State schools in and around Wellington, Dr. Macdonald found many defects, such as Hatfoot, faulty posture, curvature and fiat chest, but mostly in poorly-nourished sub-normal children. These eases are treated in a systematic manner being sorted out into classes of not more than twelve children, all of whom are thoroughly exj amined as to their general physical condition, a complete record being kept as ..well as photographs. Then begins the ■ practical work under teachers qualified for the purpose, the children being given ten minutes' special drill per day, designed to correct the defects and improve the children's health. The teacher* engaged on this work receive special

instruction by means of regular classes, the Swedish system being followed all the time, and the circumstances of each case receiving attention. Great success lias attended the treatment of children in Auckland, wonderful improvements being noted after six months' attention. The lecturer considered that the same success might be expected in Wellington and elsewhere, and as the scheme is designed to improve the health of a class of children who urgently need the removal of their defects it should certainly be discouraged. It stands to reason that the work cannot be carried out without the co-operation of the parents, and it is inconceivable that any rational and human parent would hesitate for a moment to give all the help required. The only requirements to I enable the children to receive the benefits of the classes are that they must wear light shoes, be loosely clad and be given every freedom, but Dr. Macdonald stressed the fact that where children were suffering from enlarged tonsils or adenoids, those defects must be removed, for it was no use giving a child breathing exercises when it could not breathe. The introduction of physical culture into school life is a distinct benefit to the State, and it cannot fail to prove a potent factor in greatly improving the race, making the normally healthy children stronger and .sturdier, but there has always been a difficulty in the case of defective children requiring special treatment. Now that a start has been made to deal with the defectives, the scheme should receive a thorough practical trial'and improved from time to time, and any money required for the purpose should be forthcoming without demur.