WELFARE OF CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 12

WELFARE OF CHILDREN.

THE AUOKLAND CONFERENCE SECOND DAY'S SITTINGS. ASPECTS OF EDUCATION. The Child Welfare Conference organised by the .Auckland branch of tho National Council of Women, was continued yesterday in the University Colloge Hall. There were good attendances at both the afternoon and evening sessions. Among the speakers in tho afternoon was Dr. Ada Paterson, Director of I School Hygiene, who dealt with some aspects of the health of school children, particularly diet. It was desirable, she said, that every classroom should ba potentially at least, an open-air room. New school buildings were approaching this ideal, which was to obtain the maximum benefit from sunlight and fresh air, though not necessarily a maximum of sunlight in school hours. It was desirable that less reliance should be placed on psychological analysis of individual children, and more on the beneficent influence of a wholesome and happy environment. Dr. Paterson read her last report on the "nutrition class" for physically backward children at the Auckland Normal School, and quoted an opinion that it would be well if all children could be treated in this way. She also described the health camps for children at Wanganui and elsewhere. Motions were' carried, advocating the construction of open-air schools and tho giving of definito health teaching to school children. Dietary sheets for children were distributed by Dr. Paterson after the address. In the evening Mr. J. W. Shaw, of the Auckland Training College, addressed the conference upon the aims and ideals of primary education. Ho said that primary school teachers had neither high salaries nor social position ahead of them. Ho had found in many of them a genuine missionary enthusiasm, an intense desire to use, their powers to the best advantage of their country. It was necessary that a primary education system should have high and unrealisable aims, vague— also changeable. A purely vocational objective would produce only an entirely efficient nation. When that day came there would be no need to inquire, "Is thcro a bell?" for the answer would certainly be in the affirmative. (Laughter.) The shrine of the child's own personality must bo preserved inviolate, while fitting him for community service. The conference passed a motion by Dr. Hilda Northcroft, commending the work of tho primary schools for citizenship and deprecating any reduction in the education vote on grounds of economy. Mr. H. E. Longworth, director of physical education, addressed the conference on the use of physical exercises in school, explaining how they were employed to prevent the development of postural defects and to make breaks in the continuity of mental work. He said that the use of exercises had greatly reduced physical defects, but there was much more to be done. It was resolved that, in the opinion of the conference, more time should be given to physical exercises and that in citv schools better facilities should be provided for team games. The conference will conclude to-day.