CHILD WELFARE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22629, 18 January 1937, Page 13

CHILD WELFARE

Sir, —With reference to the letter of "Another Parent 1 ' in the Herald of January 13 and the suggestion that a trained and experienced nurse be employed at each primary school all the year round, the Government already has before it a proposal that each school in New Zealand shall have a permanent clinic attached to it (even if only a small room), and that there should he a qualified person attached permanently to each school for the purpose of examining the children for general health, teeth, eyesight, mental trends, etc. This permanent official vvould be responsible for the physical education of the children and for special talks in health, hygiene, nutritional physiology, etc. This would be in addition to the ordinary periodical visits of the travelling clinics of tfie enlarged school medical service with its doctors, nurses, dentists. psychologists, endocrinologists, etc. On November 10 last, in the House of Lords. Lord Horder reminded us that fitness can never be attained by physical measures, be they educational or recreative; more basic imperatives are nutrition, hygienic housing, pure air and the right use of leisure. The Karl of Listowel, on the same occasion, said that increased attention to sports or physical education alone could never hope to mitigate the effects of a bad diet. In regard to infantile paralysis and to similar diseases, Professor Mellanby made it plain some years ago that liability to any infectious disease can at once he reduced by the introduction of a. proper diet. Cygnet.