SCARLET FEVER EPIDEMIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3898, 27 November 1928, Page 32

SCARLET FEVER EPIDEMIC.

DEFIANT SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

BOARD EXPRESSES DISAPPROVAL. CHRISTCHURCH, November 23 Strong disapproval and criticism of the action ot tbe Linwood Avenue School’ Committee in keeping the whole school open contrary to the instructions of the Health Department that it should close tlie lower classes because of the prevalence of scarlet fever was expressed at to-day s meeting of the Canterbury Edu-' cation Board. It was stated by one member that by keeping the school open the members of die committeeTlaid themselves open to the possibility of being charged with manslaughter if any of the children had died of scarlet fever. The Appointments Committee made a very brief report to the board on the’ position. It merely stated that “a report was received regarding the action taken in connection with the expulsion of certain pupils from_ schools in the Christchurch metropolitan area.” Mr C. 8. Thompson said that the position was more important than the com-' nuttee had led the board to suppose Wa s the board satisfied with the position? De-’ finite instructions had been disobeyed. A door was being opened for a recurrence of the incident.

The chairman (Mr W. H. Winsor): You are referring to the Linwood Avenue ochool? Mr Thompson : Yes. Mr C. Kirk (the secretary) said that the question had been dealt with fully in the newspapers and a verbal report was made to the committee.

The chairman said the position was that about a fortnight ago Dr Telford rang him up and asked Mr Kirk and himself to call and meet Dr Valintine. He had gone with Mr Kirk and thev had been shown a number of figures dealing with scarlet fever. Both the doctors were apparently concerned over-the position, and had asked them to close the schools. They told the doctors that it would be a very unfortunate time to close the schools then because of the proximity of the examinations, but they reluctantly agreed to close the lower classes. He was not aware at that time that there were so many children of 10 years of age in the upper classes. The chairman went on to say that he was rung up by many chairmen of school committees about the board’s action, and he was told that in half a dozen schools there was no sickness at all; but, as chairman of the Education Board, he would not sav whether the decision was right or wrong. The committees had an order to close. If they chose to break that order it was their own affair. Continuing, the chairman said that so far as the Linwood Avenue School was concerned the members of the committee had taken the responsibility of keeping the school open upon themselves. He had told them that their duty was to go ahead and do as the de- - partment had instructed them. “ When the Linwood Avenue School Committee kept the school open and forced the children to go back to school against the order of the Health Department it took a very serious action,” said Mr W. A. Banks. “If a child had died of scarlet fever when it went back to school the committee could have been held responsible for that child’s death. There is little doubt about that.” The chairman : Yes they were very foolish. I told them the same thing. “ If there is a definite ruling from the Health Department it should be followed,” said Mr C. S. Thompson. “ I am chairman of a school committee, but I would never take on my shoulders the responsibility for the life of a child which is such a valuable thing compared with a few weeks of lost- schooling. The question is, What are we going to do about it?” Tlie chairman: I don’t think we can do much. We might reprimand the committee. The following motion, moved by Mr R. Wild, was carried unanimously: — ‘ That in all cases, affecting the health of the community, when definite instructions from the Health Department are issued through the controlling authorities for education in any district, it is the duty of school committees to obey such instructions, seeing that non-com-pliance may place a very heavy responsibility upon those concerned.”