HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 773, 23 March 1910, Page 4

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

■■■■ ; ; : -' : ;MEDICAIftNSPICT'iONf"'"' " : •-.-; The. question of the. compulsory medical inspection of : school,'children hae time -engaged, iihe atten.tion of the. WellingtonOEducation Board. ■An examination of between three - -atid four hundred- children,"-conducted : '.by two medical'meiii pf ; recognised,'stand;ing, - was some, time -ago, and, while'the report*, showed that the physical condition of "the children was on the whole good, there was disclosed quite' a. "considerable number ;of cases of defect proventible and remediable, but in.many instances previously:unrecognised.: .... '■;)■,' ■•...■:•.', ...-, - v :.';.';'•■

. "My'-.board: is ■strongly of. opinion," says -the chairman (Mr. R-. ■ Lee) in his anndalrepbrt to'tho Minister for.Education, -'.'that, :botli from humanitarian, educational, and national , economic considerations,' .'the.-'"establishment 'of -a well-considered-. State.-; system of - medical ' inspection: of'-r'schpol children is highly;.advißab]R,,ev.OT-if.'it';be begun 'on. a. very. , , small. scale .until. actual ■ ye- , quirenieht.is'.detei'minei'.by experience. My '.board is '..convinced "-that ;f rom the .point; of. yie.w : 'of . na : tipnal , efficiency it will .cost;'less.to. undertake; this work than:' not.vto; undertake.it.;.:. It is. found that the' boards of the Dominion are in substantial, ~ and -you. are aware that tho more progressivp Legislatures of other countries are. in advance;;' of iiNew-Zealand in*this" : matter. ThevStatoj'inspection'": j of; schools has "been'-underthkeri Mir , -.Tasmania, New South .'Wales,' Eiiglaiidi France, Argentino,- Switzerland,.; 'Japan;'"itnd, cither countries."'-S-' ,^:.I .': 1 ...; , > .