HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23052, 1 June 1938, Page 14

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

INFREQUENT INSPECTION DARGAVILLE COMPLAINTS CHARGES BY RESIDENT [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] DARGAVILLE, Tuesday Pupils in country schools surrounding Dargaville have not been inspected by the health authorities for the past five years according to a statement made by Mr. Arthur Cates, when the question of backward children was under discussion at a meeting of the Dargaville-Arapohue branch of the Farmers' Union. "It is a prehistoric position in which the children are placed, and it appears to me to be a bad position when we have a health service in the North that is not operating," said Mr. Arthur Cates. On Sir. Cates' suggestion the meeting decided to write to the Minister of Health, Hon. P. Fraser, asking why an inspection had not been carried out in this area. It was also decided to bring the question before the Teachers' Institute, Messrs. Arthur Cates and Alfred Cates being (appointed as the branch's representatives. "Those in touch with tho matter know that special classes for backward children would be useless and the only method would be that of accommodating them in a hostel, where they could be built up physically and mentally," said Mr. Arthur Cates. The Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, in reply to a letter from the branch, stated that an investigation was being made of the problem to find out what was necessary for giving practical assistance to these children.