The Ensign. SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1911. SCHOOL SANITATION.

Mataura Ensign, 28 January 1911, Page 4

The Ensign. SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1911. SCHOOL SANITATION.

At the Scientific Congress held in Sydney recently Dr Roth called attention to th 3 insanitary state of many schools in the Commonwealth. As a result of his address the section of the congress decided to recommend the State Governments to make scientific inquiry into the ventilation of classrooms and that the inquiry should be directed by Professor Masson, Professor Lyle, Dr Norris, Dr Sutton, Mr Tate, and Professor Osborne. No doubt such a committee would supply the Ministries of the six States with very valuable suggestions. How the Treasurers would regard those suggestions is another matter. Given an educated public opinion and the money would be voted. The New Zealand Government would be well advised to give attention to this very important subject. There is no possible reason why the school buildings of the future should be insanitary or ill lit. Most people now realise that health counts, also that stucco and architectural ornaments do not. So there is a fine opening for architects who have courage to design schools in which the children, while protected from the weather, will, as regards the purity of the air they breathe, have all the advantages of working in the open air. School-made and schoolspread diseases should disappear, or should be reduced to insignificant proportions. Many schools in the Domiirion have not proper means of ventilation. The windows are placed in such a position that a cold-air douche falls upon the children when they are opened, and as a consequence colds are contracted. 111 the larger schools mechanical apparatus should be employed for ventilation purposes. By this means a current of pure air would be constantly onssing through the rooms. Both pupils and teachers would then be spared the fatigue which follows confinement in close rooms, and better work would result. Dr Roth also called attention to the value of big playgrounds. The assertion that Great Britain's battles v. ere won in the playground is merely a telling exaggeration of the truth. Boys will become effeminate if they are robbed of the moans of developing muscle, and the effeminate is but one remove from the morally nasty. In the country there are the hills, the rivers and broad expanses to lie scoured. In '■ome of the densely-populated cities, " v l' onlv of the Commonwealth but also of this Dominion, playgrounds look like magnified fowl runs, : ncl the (1 ildren are huddled toi/ethcr as are i oultry in a do llar's back yard. In Wellington this want of room is manifest in nearly all the. schools in the city and suburbs. Ol course it would be impossible to provide a large playground for each school in such a city, but a ground of moderate size should be acquired in the immediate vicinity of every school. Proper ventilation should, however, bp provideci in all school liiibliiiirs. Another matter which deserves the attention of school committees is the thorough cleansing oi the rooms. These require to be washed out frequently. Dust accumulates on the walls and in the crevices, and disease germs are liable to lodge theie also. By a smalt expenditure the necessary labor to adequately cleanse every school could be procured. The children of a commu iity are its great asset, and 110 money should be grudged which is judiciously spent in promoting their health —physical, mental and moral.