HEALTH IN THE SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12545, 14 July 1906, Page 8

HEALTH IN THE SCHOOL.

Wo aro glad to sso that tho Chief Health Officer for tihe colony is taking up the question of health, in tho echo:-!. Dr. Mason's adldtreas to tho Educational Institute at Duraedm, reported in another column, wdOil b& rcadl witOi mucth interest, end we hopo will bo productive of good results. Dr. Mason, iiko Dr. Truby King, suggests that toaohors might ncto tJhe ohaMren wiio scran. to be ailing, or physically below par, and tJbaifc these might be examined by a raadioal man, to bo joftitly paid by tho Eduo&tdion Boards aaiid the Heaklh Department. That come eueh plan should bo adopted has been frequently urged; ire theeo columns. In out opinion tiho Health Dopartmiant dhould' leave given its attention to tho schools immediately after its inception. At present tihero is no doubt tlliat, so far from the education system benefiting tOio health of tihe children, our echools are direotly responsible for creating eye-strain, for increasing coaistitultdcr.al tendencies to weakness, and for helping infectious diseases "to sprdaxr. On the o-tihor hand, medical inspection' might bo tihe moans of indaioimg tho education authorities to adopt sudh reforms as adjustable d<?sks, and l better ventilation aflid to give more attention to tihe physical development of the children. It might also do good in checkLng epidemics and nipping in tho bud many oa«rs of 6criotis illness by drawing the parents' attention promptly to tho need of medical attendance. Tho suggestion that it is necessary to make fresh appointments, thus entailing additional expenve, wo fear, \yill tend to de>!ay tho adoption of this much-needed inform. Wo h;ivo no desire to throw an unfair amount of work on tho medical officers of health already established in the principal centres, but so far .wo hive seen no official statement, which <uftpct>cg of the id«i that they might take up tho inspection of on the lines suggested by Dr. Mason es part of their regular work. If this necessitates abandoning a little of the regulation red tape no harm will bo done. If, however, their present official duties so fully take tip their time, that they cannot reasonably bo aske<l to do what is suggested, we think tho reform ehould be carried out oven if it costs more than tho sum suggested by Dr. Mason. Expenditure of this, kind would bo recouped to tho community in fewer doctors' bills, to say nothing of lessoned suffering, and a lighter death rate.