SANITATION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 3

SANITATION IN SCHOOLS

ENFORCEMENT OF CODE TO BE SOUGHT Sanitation provisions up to code standards in all primary schools will be sought by the Canterbury School Committees’ Association through the Dominion Federation of School Committees’ Associations. During a discussion at a meeting of the association last evening, there were suggestions that some schools should sue the Education Board to test the regulations. Replying to inquiries, the Health Department advised that its inspectors checked school buildings and, where warranted, made recommendations for improvements to the education boards. The Education Department had issued a primary school buildings code in 1951 in which the lavatory and washbasin provisions for both children and teachers were defined. It was realised, however, the Health Department said, “that there is no easy and rapid means of bringing schools erected many years ago up to the standards of the recent code.” , Last week-end, a lot of money had been spent by the Navy, Army, and Air Force on exercises off Godley head, said Mr E. R. Hayman. School committees felt, that education and health were equally first lines of defence. The Health Department should enforce the code of sanitation. Mr E. F. Wilde and several others asked questions about the possibility of suing to bring attention, to the unsatisfactory sanitation provisions in older schools. The Dominion federation last year had obtained a promise from the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) to examine the grants for these purposes, but it was considered that a fuller answer was required, said the secretary (Mr A. Greenwood).