HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17328, 27 November 1919, Page 7

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

NUMBER OF DEFECTIVES, HIGH PERCENTAGE DENIED. INSPECTORS' OBSERVATIONS. Inquiry was recently made by the Auckland branch of the Educational Institute, from the Education Board, ps to a statei merit which had been made- to the effect I that in the Auckland education district there were an abnormal number of defec- • tive children in schools. On this question th e senior inspector, Mr. E. K. Mulgan, submitted to the board , yesterday a series of reports which he had I received from his staff. One inspector said that the statement was exaggerated, i I here were a few abnormal children in every school, but he had not noticed any deterioration in the physique of the pupils. In his opinion the pupils of today were stronger and more healthy than those of a decade ago. ' Another inspector .-aid the statement might be true as regards teeth and throat troubles, but if that was all that was meant, it was badly expressed. Exception should be taken to" th e word " abnormal." A large number of children suffered from minor physical defects. Careful and regular medical inspection, co-operating with remedial action on the part of parents and teachers, should do much to cure the deI fects complained of. ■ The ihird official reported that the number of children suffering from physical defects was small—he did not think it was greater now than in former years. A fourth inspector said that excessive , farm work, such as dairying, had Injurious effects upon children's "eyes, chests, and . nutrition. Insufficent attention was paid , to ventilation in schools, and there was a • tendency on t.he part of teachers to sacrifice ! of physical drill on any excuse. Yet another inspector said it" had never appeared to him that the proportion of abnormal children was greater in th e Auck- : land district than in other districts that he knew. : A sixth inspector was of opinion that th e statement was somewhat misleading. I If defective teeth were considered, there ' was much in the charge, and children in dairying districts wer e suffering from in- ' sufficiency of sleep. A considerable number 1 of children who ought to be in special schools for defectives were still allowed to attend primary schools. The most preva- ' lent complaint he had noticed was defective eyesight, due largely to the want of control by teachers of the attitude adopted when writing, while bad lighting was a contributing factor. Again, he had noted in late years a considerable increase of ( cases of goitre among girls aged from 12 to 20. He suggests that oveT-stremious ( sports, basketball in particular, were largely responsible for the trouble, and that such strenuous exertions have a bad ; effect upon the heart action of some girls. Ac to his own view of the matter, Mr. Mulgan undertook to present a report to the board at its next meeting. In the meantime he would say there was absolutely no ground for the statement that there were in the Auckland district an abnormal number of defective children. : It was highly improper for anyone to I make such a statement when there were no statistics to support it. and no evidence to warrant it. A large number of minor physical defects could be found in children, but r,ot to a greater extent than in any other district in New Zealand or in , other parte of the world. Before present- ( m* his final report on the subject he would obtain information from the medical inspectors and he suggested that it would - be advisable to send a circular to teachers i drawing attention to the questions in- . . volved. The board deferred further consideration _ until receipt of the senior inspector's re-