SURVEY OF CHILDREN’S FEET

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 128, 23 February 1939, Page 10

SURVEY OF CHILDREN’S FEET

“Premature Report” EDUCATION BOARD NOT CONSULTED A report published in “The Dominion” on February 16 that final arrangements for a survey of children’s feet, in the four centres, embracing primary and secondary schools, had been made by the footwear committee of the New Zealand Footwear Manufacturers’ Association, so that standards might bo laid down for lasts for children’s shoes, was referred to by Colonel T. W. McDonald at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board. The mother of a child of school age had waited on him, protesting vigorously that she would not allow the sanctity of the person of her child to be interfered with in such a way, said Colonel McDonald. It was surely wrong to say that final arrangements had been made when the board had not been consulted. The board would be wanting in its duty if it permitted such a survey without the sanction of the parents. It was a mis-statement of fact to say that permission had been granted, when it had never been asked and certainly never granted. Mr. C. H. Nicholls: Does ths report say that the board had granted permission? Mr. L. J. McDonald: I think both you and I, Mr. Chairman, know something about this. Mr. McDonald: I think Colonel McDonald’s statement is grossly extravagant and he ignores factors of which he is totally unaware. I’m not in any way responsible for the statement that appeared in the Press. The feet of our children are suffering—and it is a great deal worse than most people realize —because we have no basic knowledge to enable fundamental standard lists to be constructed. These would be in accordance with the measurements of the children’s feet. There has never been any intention of overlooking education boards. The committee of the footwear industry has obviously made a somewhat premature report of the whole position and because of a degree of careless wording. Colonel McDonald : Which justifies my complaint. Mr. McDonald: Yes, but not your criticism of the footwear manufacturers who, by their action, are making a definite contribution to industry. ,

Colonel McDonald said he was not attacking the industry but was merely stating what had been told to him. The Chairman, Mr. W. V. Dyer, said he had been appointed by the board to the footwear committee set up at the instigation of the Standards Institute and he had attended one or two meetings. On the committee were some very competent people. An approach had been made to the Education Department to obtain their goodwill and sanction for the survey and nothing was to be done without the sanction and aproval of the boards. The report was, therefore, quite misleading.

Mr. McDonald said the i ork was to be done, not by the school medical officers, but in their presence and under their direction.