LONG BUS TRIPS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4814, 24 July 1939, Page 2

LONG BUS TRIPS

EFFECT ON HEALTH? FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. NORTH TARANAKI VIEWS. Do long daily trips in school buses affect the health of children? The question was raised at the annual meeting of the North Taranaki Primary School Committees’ Associaition, and varying views were expressed. The first comment came from Mr. A. K. Robertshaw, president of the North Taranaki Teachers’ Institute. Teachers in consolidated schools were wondering if the long daily travels of children in buses were af-

fecting their health, he said. Particular concern was being felt in regard to the five-year-olds. -

;They had to get up and have their breakfasts early and then travel 15 miles or so in buses which were not particularly well ventilated and not particularly well sprung. The youngsters had not hot mid-day meals and had to wait about after school for the bus and another long trip. When they reached home they were very tired. Position Watched Closely.

Mr. P. C. Hill said that at Okato, on to which three schools had been consolidated and to which five or six buses ran, the position had been watched closely.

On his own road, before consolidation the children had to leave home

at 7.30 a.m. or earlier and walk some miles. They arrived home again at 5 p.m. tired out and ready for bed. Now they caught the bus at the school gate at 8.30 in the morning and were home at 3.30 in the afternoon. The children no longer had to walk miles, often in mud and slush. He was confident that consolidation had meant a 100 per cent, improvement in the health of these children.

Hot Lunches

What the teachers in the consolidated schools were wondering about, said Mr. Robertshaw, was the effect on the health of the children over a period of four or five years of two long trips daily in the bus and no mid-day hot meal. Later in the meeting a remit was

put forward by the Opunake delegates, which urged that where schools are consolidated provision should be made at the school consolidated upon for facilities to enable hot lunches to be given pupils from a distance attending the school. Mr. S. G. Smith, a member of the Taranaki Education Board, said that he was very anxious to be sure that in forcing consolidation nothing was being done that was a danger to the health of the children. What was the use of school medical inspections and doctors if something was being done that was injurious to the health of the children? He thought the time would come when hot lunches would have to be provided for pupils travelling on school buses. It was pointed out that at the Welbourn School an electric range was

provided and parents were circularised pointing out this facility and urging them to give the children lunches which could be heated up. Mr. P. C. Hill (Okato) said that many schools provided hot drinks. That was very different from a hot lunch.

The remit was passed and it was also urged that at all schools where a number of children remained for lunch a luncheon room be provided. In view of the increased number of pupils travelling by motor bus due to the consolidation of schools it was decided to ask the Minister of Transport to consider amending the legislation to make it an offence for vehicular ti’affic to pass a school bus which has stopped for the purpose of setting up or putting down passengers.