STARTLINGDISCLOSURES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8740, 23 May 1914, Page 6

STARTLINGDISCLOSURES

INSANITARY HOMES SCHOOL CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION. MEDICAL REPORT TO EDUCATION BOARD. Some startling disclosures in connection with tho health of school children in tho Wellington district were made at yesterday’s meeting of the Education Board, when the medical inspector, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, submitted her report on tho inspection of nineteen of the schools under the board’s jurisdiction. She showed that in tho case of some schools 50 per cent, of the pupils suffered from malnutrition, in other words, from starvation. This, of course, was due to the ignorance of tho parents. It was pointed out at the meeting that many children burry over their breakfasts, eat their lunches on the way to School, and are practically condemned to eight or nine hours of fasting. The report disclosed an extremely serious state of affairs. ONLY 25 PER CENT. OF HEALTHY CHILDREN.

Nineteen schools were visited, reported the inspector, and 915 children were examined, of whom 457 were special cases. Four hundred and seventy-eight children were examined in the ordinary routine, and of these only 128 were fount! to have no defects; 238 had defects other than dental, and the large number of 137 showed evidence of malnutrition. The defects are classified as follow: —Skin disease, 21; defective teeth, 232; obstructed breathing, 131; enlarged glands, 110 ; external eye disease, 4; defective vision, 54; external ear disease, 2; defective hearing, 55; defective speech, 9; non-vaccination, 264; circulatory disease, 7; respiratory disease, 5; nervous disease, 1; tuberculosis, 3 (and 3 doubtfiil); stooped shoulders, 91; curvative, 7; flat chest, 462; pigeon-breast, 3; other diseases, 10. ■ COUNTRY SCHOOLS CRITICISED. The following remarks are made referring to various schools: “ Kaiwarra.—A dirty, badly-venti-lated, badly-lighted old school; but it is quite useless to attempt to remedy any defects, is the position of the building is wrong, too close up under the hill.

“ Petone District High School. —The classes in some of these rooms are much too big—an open-air schoolroom, or several of them, would bo of tremendous advantage to this school. A great many of the children examined and reported on last year in the Petone High School, Peton© West, Lower Hutt, and Eastern Hutt schools had had no treatment.

“ Taita.—Out of forty-two children I found nineteen cases of malnutrition, and all of them children horn in New Zealand, and not from poor homes. “ Upper Hutt.—At this school also the number of cases of malnutrition was large—seventeen out of fortythree. There is a lack of sufficient ventilation in the new class-room. On a still day the new windows with ventilators top and bottom are not sufficient.

“ Eketahuna.—The water supply to this school should he hurried up, as the outhouses were built for an efficient one, and are very disagreeable without it. “Pahiatua.—This is certainly one of the most charmingly-situated schools 1 have seen—beautiful grounds and gardens in which teachers and children take a great interest. Tho school is also well off in having a supply of school-ground amusements see-saws and giant-strides, bars, etc., and in recess time these are ail occupied. This is surely much, better for children than lolling about the grounds. “ Masterton.—Not 30 per cent, of tho children examined last year had been attended to. The rooms in this school are much overcrowded, and in the old part of tho building are very dark and have tho windows at the children’s backs .and in the teachers’ eyes. Verandahs, used as extensions to these rooms to make them lighter and almost open-air schoolrooms, would bo a tremendous improvement. “ Lansdowne. —Hero at the other end of Masterton. 80 per cent, of tho children examined last year had been treated.” Tho report condemns the present stylo of ventilator at use' in all the schools visited. SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS.

‘‘With regard to country schools where outhouses have tihe pan system, and there is difficulty in getting the pons emptied (proceeds the inspector), I do not see why tho elder boys and girls should net be taught how this work should be, done. The schools might be provided with white enamel buckets —easy to carry and easy to clean, and if the work is done sack week there is nothing disagreeable. The awfulness of the worst in these schools is nothing compared with some of the places in. thejr own homes, and surely if these children were taught how easy it is to keep such places clean, and that it was not necessary to dig a hole sis feet deep, or to leave the ground vacant for months afterwards, they would improve their home conditions. A few simple directions might be sent to each teacher and to tho school committee in these country places, and probably they would all profit by such directions.” A REMEDY SUGGESTED. The report provoked considerable discussion, -whick was taken in committee.

Hr J. G. W. Aitkon moved; “That tho department he informed that tho board considers that medical inspection should’ be carried further, and that hints should be given to parents as to tho nature of the food which should ho given to children. ’ 1 This was passed unanimously.