EDUCATION IN ENGLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18768, 23 January 1923, Page 7

EDUCATION IN ENGLAND

TEACHERS DOING PARENTS’ WORK. ■ceom Oue Own Eoerespondent.) AUCKLAND. January 22. Uiose parents who recentlv raised objections to compulsory tooth brush drill in i/ie schools on the ground that its enforcement was (he business of parents rather than of teachers will probably be surprised to learn something- of Ihe methods now being employed by the educational authorities of the large cities in England and America, an interesting description of which was given by Dr Ada Paterson (school medical officer, of Wellington). Dr Paterson returned bv the Makura last week from a 12 months’ (rip abroad, in the course of which she learned manv interesting things about the, way in which the olu system is being scrapped for modern and progressive methods. She spoke of schools m England and Scotland where the chi dren are not only taught to clean their teeth, but are washed and bathed; where hot meals, arc served in the school dininr room from a central municipal depot, which turns out. thousands of dinners every day; where attendants accompany the little scholars to and from school; and where they are put to bed for a rest period every day immediately after lunch. The latter procedure is not nart of the curriculum of the ordinary oublic schools, but of special schools for ailing children to which a hospital department and. clinic is attached n hose are but a few of the features of a system which aims at building up the bodies of weak children, and developing to the fullest possible extent the faculties of the snb-noimnl. Of course, it is all costing an enormous amount of money, but it is considered that the results entirely compensate for the expenditure. "Mu'-h ns w e have spent on education in Now Zealand, wo have not even begun to approach the standard of expenditure that now obtains in Britain.” remarked Dr Pate'soil. ‘‘Money for all these innovations is found by the municipalities, supplemented by a Slate grant, as the results are certainly proving very beneficial to the children. 'I ho authorises receive splendid help from an organisation of voluntary women workers kndwn as the Invalid Children’s Aid Associa I ion. Some of them work in tne clinics attached to the schools; some give help in the homes when the mothers are worn out and unable to carry on; and others volunteer for secretarial duties, man again they do all kinds of work in the schools themselves, such as washing and bathing the little ones, assisting the'school medical officer by following nn bis work In (Ho homes, and seeing that his instructions are carried out. They arrange country holidays for litlle children from the towns ami see that they obtain proper food and clothing.” The development of (be open air school was dwelt upon in an interesting manner by Dr Paterson. Glasgow was mentioned as having a particularly lino type of building, capable of aduistment to nnv vagarv of wind and weather, and provided with heating apparatus for winter use. The children at these schools are also being nrovided with wraps for cold days. The holding uf rest periods for deli'-afe children was n feature of school life whieh greatly impressed the doctor. ‘‘l have seen 200 or 500 of the Hide ones lying outside on verandahs, on their stretchers, in weather far more severe than anything we experience in New Zealand,'’ she said, “and they certainly appeared to lie benefiting bv it. The terrible housing renditions of (bo great industrial cities of England are having (heir effect on tlie children of the nation, and the authorities are fnllv alive to this peril. Tbev cannot, immediately relieve the position with regard to housing, so thev c'-e doing all iney can to mitigate its evil effects by giving the children the b“ft conditions possible in their sohool life, with cleanliness, plenty of fresh air, and wholesome food.”