CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 68, 18 September 1917, Page 4

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS

AN IMPORTANT REPORT.

Spme striking features are contained in the annual report on the Medical Inspection of Schools and School Children far ; the past year, which was submitted by .the Minister of Education (Hon. J. A. Hanan) to Parliament last night. The reper't is of special interest- to parents and those interested in child welfare. It shows the splendid wor.k "being accomplished by this branch of the Education Department, and gives valuable information on certain subjects. Special reference is made to the "following up" work being done by th« . school nurses in ensuring that the physical defects and ailments of children revealed By medical examination are being attended to in a greater degre« than has been the case in the past. Referring to defective eyesight, the report states that there is an average of 7 to 10 per cent, suffering from defect of vision. The report adds that it is such a common experience to find complaints of headaches and requests to have eyesight examined among children in the board schools that " it behoves us to ask very carefully whether we are producing defects of eyesight through conditions we might remedy.'' The report also refers to lighting, the paper used, and seating accommodation, all of which have a direct bearing on the subject of health.

An excellent series of photographic reproductions showing physical deformities in children before corrective treatment,;: and the beneficial results after a year's ■ course, is shown. A paragraph to be noted states that some children are hani dicapped by overwork. In one. City : school, in Standard VI., 10 out of <W boys are ■wage-earners.; in Standard V., 29 out of 64; and in Standard IV., 9 out :! of 61. Many of these boys have no leisure time, and are physically and mentally weary during school hours. A long list is given showing hours of work and wages received by school boys in three classes of one other school ■ in which investigation was made of the work {Key were erm^oyed upon. Appended to the reports are copies of circulars iseueel to the medical' inspectors, outlining the action that should be taken to preserve teeth, suggestions to parents in respect to visitation of homes, bathing, feeding, and clothing of childran, and treatment of those Buffering from contagious, diseases. DENTAL TREATMENT ADVOCATED Discussing the report, Mr. E. P. Hudson said he considered that the sanitary condition of schools should not be left wholly to the School Committee. He had in his mind a case in which presumed neglect brought about an outbreak of scarlet fever. Mr. Ell considered that medical inspection should include the visits of properly qualified , dentists. He wanted .to know if the Wellington Hospital Board , was doing the same as at Auckland and Christchurch, .and providing free dental treatment for children. , 4 Mr. T. W. Rhodes urged that it was absolutely necessary to deal with the inspection of backblocks schools. He had visited a school, he said, where three dozen children were crowded into a tumbled-down shed. Mr. J. C. Thomson urged the necessity of having travelling dentists to visit the backblocks schools. . Mr. G. J. Anderson supported this view, saying that it was no good for the State finding means to discover defects unless it provided means to have those defects remedied. How, he asked, did the State propose to find treatment for children whose teeth had been found defective, and who were not within reach of a hospital? Mr. C. H. Pqole considered that fuller consideration should be given to the eyesight .of children." WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED! TO DO. The Hon. G. ' W.; Resell urged the necessity for sanitation and dental care as far as the health of the children was concerned. He mentioned that his Department was prepared to find £2500. With a subsidy of 4s a child per year it would be possible to deal with 25,000 children in a year. Mr Anderson: What is the Department prepared to do with respect to eyesight and adenoids?' The Minister: Those are not matters that have come under attention. PARENTS UNEASY.' Mr Forbes said the Minister neect not fear that the House would refuse to vote any sum of' money . required for the medical inspection of children. There seemed, however, to be a Jack of coordination between the Education Department and the Public Health Department, besides the difficulty experienced by school committees of seeing that the school buildings were kept in a sanitary condition. The House did not want to have two Departments that were not working together The worst outbreaks .had taken place in.the last winter, and parents were getting very uneasy They did not want the country to get alarmed in this respect. Mr. W. H. Field stressed the necessity for the care of children's teeth.

The Hon. D. Bud.do drew attention to the necessity for rectifying the deficient eyesight of children. "This report is no doubfc a valuable one," said Mr. J. A. Young, "and it is one that we must necessarily criticise in the blind." It was, he said, a great economic question to the State. He referred to the large amount of dental treatment that soldiers had to undergo. He suggested that "travelling clinics," fu,Uy equipped, should be established to i travel the country. | QUESTION OF MONEY. The Hon J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) pointed out the difficulty that existed in .regard to obtaining- doctors and the good results that had followed in regard to the work of the school nurses and inspectors. He was prepared to admit that some of the schools were open to objection, but it was a question of money. If Cabinet would allocate him the money no one would have greater pleasure in remedying the shortcomings than he would have. It was intended to establish a travelling dental clinic as soon as, dentists were obtainable. The report was laid on the table.