"DIRTY SCHOOLS."

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1919, Page 4

"DIRTY SCHOOLS."

ADVERSE REPORT BY DR. GUNN. CARE OF THE TEETH. WORK AMONGST SCHOOL CHILDREN. The following extracts from Dr. Gunn's report were placed before the Taranaki Education Board yesterday by the senior inspector:—

"I must remark again on the want of cleanliness in the schools, dust everywhere, and often collections of old books, cardboard blocks, etc., piled up on and in cupboards and often stacked on the floor. There is no extra room in classrooms for these tilings, and teachers should be instructed that all such rubbish collecting dust and dirt is a source of danger not only to the health of the children but to their own health. "I am much indebted to the Chairman and members of the Board for their interest and help in arranging a "tooth brush drill"; now each day the teachers and children (200 in number) spend from 7 to 10 minutes at this drib, and the advantages from this daily teeth-cleaningare too numerous to mention. I only wish it were possible to have this carried out throughout the whole district; there are hundreds of children in Taranaki who never clean their teeth, and, the dirt and septic matter in some of thesemouthsalmost makes one sick to look at thum I am quite sure that much benefit has resulted from the providing of cocoa at lunch time —children require three good meals a day, and too little attention is paid to the quality or caloric value of this mid-day meal. I am anxious that all teachers should institute in the schools the organised luncheon, and by this I mean whether cocoa is given or not all the children who bring their lunches to school should be collected together and a definite place arranged for the eating of lunch—in line weather out of doors—in wet weather in a schoolroom.

In a cevering letter, the inspector said: —"While it can hardly be said that there is a general lack of respect for cleanliness in the schools, it is sufficiently evident that in many cases more consideration to the a-voidance of the accumulation of dust on the floors and furniture is necessary on the part of both schoofcommittees and teachers.

I desire to take the opportunity to emphasise the benefits to be derived from the efforts of the medical inspectors. It is gratifying to find that so many parhave attended the schools during medical inspection, and also to note that many parents recognise the importance of acting on the advice given. This is especially emphasised in Dr. Gunn's reference to two schools in her detailed l eports. She states in one case: This school has never been visited before by a medical inspector; tlie condition of the children's mouths is awful; children with a mouthful of decayed septic teeth, some of,them quite loose, others birrowed into the cheeks, causing inflammation and abscesses—many with the first teeth still m and the second teeth behind them in an irregular row; many cases of enlarged tonsils. Dr Gunn stated: Moat of the children who were examined last year and notified re defects have been attended and have clean mouths. It is evident that where the parents support the teachers., results of great importance fol-