MEDICAL INSPECTION.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 4831, 8 May 1914, Page 5

MEDICAL INSPECTION.

SYSTEAI IN STATE SCHOOLS. RECOMMENDATIONS IGNORED. TOO COSTLY FOR PARENTS. When the annual report of the Pahiatua District High School Committee wa.s being submitted to the meeting of householders last night, the chairman (Mr J. D. Wilson) mentioned that as the result of the recent visit to the school of Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, medical officer, a number of parents had been notified of medical and.dental defects in their children. Subsequently, the headmaster (Mr J. Thomas) explained that Dr. Gunn, had both last year and this confined her attention to the Second Standard ; on each occasion shehad been assisted by the teachers, and the examination had occupied a considerable time. This year she had examined 22 children in the Second Standard, and pointed out various defects. In some cases she had re-examined the children inspected last year and found that the recommendations she made last yea rhad not been carried out, and naturally she was not pleased. Air Thomas pointed out that Dr. Gunn had not examined 10 per cent of the children. Air Thomas referred to the cost of having the medical defects remedied. He quoted one instance where the lowest fee was £3 3s. However anxious a parent may be for the welfare of his children, it was a financial impossibility in many cases to carry out the recommendations of the Health Officer. He suggested that a more reasonable plan would be for the parents to pay a nominal fee, and the local medical men and dentists to be subsidised by the Government. At present, he pointed out, there was only a very small percentage of return for file expenditure. He suggested that the meeting should pass a resoluion making representations to the Alinister for Education on the subject, as a good deal of the benefits expected from the medical inspection was only in the air at present. The Chairman agreed that a great deal of work was lost because a parent did not possess the means to carry on the recommendations of the visiting medical officer. It was largely a question of fees to he provided by the Government. The discussion dropped without definite action being taken.