CHILD WELFARE WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 14 January 1928, Page 5

CHILD WELFARE WORK

LANTERN LECTURE BY PR. ADA PATERSEN TEACHERS' SUMMER SCHOOL n Some- aspects of child welfare work in New Zealand with reference to other countries for the purpose of illustration, were dealt with oy Dr. Ada l'atersen (Supervisor of School Hygiene) in her lecture to the Teachers' bummer School students at the School of Music last :iight. There was a good attendance, and the whole address, especially the section illustrated with lantern slides, was very interesting. Dr. Patersen said that no educational conference such as the Teachers' Summer School would bo complete without special consideration . being • given to the. child from the physical point of view. Medical workers nowadays attached a great deal of significance to the difference between human beings, and it 'was known that for life to be successful the environment must satisfy the needs of the individual. So the best capacities and special requirements of each child must be realised. There was considerable argument as to whether the world was getting better or worse, and the speaker was glad to be able' to '■ quote the opinion of so great a thinker as "H. G. Wells that in one respect at least—the care of the lives of the children—the world'was growing much better. Dr. Patersen read an extract from Mr Wells's book, "New Worlds for Old," 'describing the squalor and generally bad conditions in which many people with their children lived 20 vears ago. School medical work originated, in Belgium and became very complete in Germany and the United States. It was adopted* in England in 1907. The reason for this.work being started was the realisation bv the authorities that many of the children who came to school were in a state of health quite unfitting them for studies. At the time of the Boer War there was' sort of stock-taking in England of the national physique, and the large percentage of men rejected as medically unfit caused the seriousnesss of the position to be realised. In New Zealand school medical work was started in 1912, and the speaker was one of the first officers appointed. Dr. Patersen said she had been interested to see the progress made since then, and she remembered her first visit to Dunedin when the Society for the Protection of Women and Children sent an officer to the school to see that- the children were not being hurt in any way. At the present stage of the work the children were given three complete examinations during their school life—one when they first came to school, one in Standard 11, and the last in Standard VI. There had had to be some variation in this system according to the amount of time the medical officers were able to spare. More attention to the remoter country schools was needed, but. the medical staff was linmited both in time, and money. One of their main objects was to get into touch with parents and all those responsible for the welfare of children. The parents were now giving splendid co-op-eration, but much depended on the manner in which the teacher represented the impending visit before the medical officer arrived. Dr. Patersen asked the teachers to help the medical staff with health propaganda, and by enabling the medical officers to meet as many of the parents as possible. In addition to the routine of examining the children the medical officers were trying to find out certain information, chiefly the incidence of tuberculosis amongst children and also the conditions of life of rural children. There was no doubt that school environment was one of the most important things in moulding the child's taste and character,, and it was specially important in the case of. those children whose home life was squalid or unattractive. Too many children came from such homes .to an equally dreary looking school, and the speaker appealed to the teachers to make their schools as bright and cheeTful as possible. It was important that the childlen should come to a place with soipe suggestion of culture and beauty. The question of organised lunch was also of great importance. Teachers were quite aware that many luncheons were of absolutely wrong food value. At one school in Auckland wonders had been done by a woman teacher with a class of children suffering from mal-nutritio'n. She instituted regular inspection of luncheons, interviews with parents, and soon the children were bringing brown bread, lettuces- and fruit for their mid-day meal.

The remainder of the lecture was taken up by a very interesting series of lantern slides which Dr. Patersen' secured during a trip abroad in 1922. They showed what was being done for the 'health of the children in many countries including France and Britain. The slides of outdoor in Scotland were of special interest. One of the most striking features was the use being made of sunlight for children suffering from mal-nutrition and for the general health of those attending school. The results as shown by comparative pictures were quite amazing. Dr. Patersen remarked here that sunlight must bo taken scientifically and not in large doses to begin with. 'One authority said that a blister caused by sunburn was a major technical blunder. Another matter dealt with pictorially was the combative work being done in Prance against tuberculosis by removing children from infected homes and boarding them out in the country. A similar plan was at present working in New Zealand.