HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 6 July 1911, Page 3

HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

DOCTORS IN THE SCHOOLS. Ja the courso of an interview, Mi’. C. H. A. T. Opie, chairman of the North Canterbury Education Board, commented on the scheme lor the medical inspection of school children proposed at the Health Conlerence by tl;o Insiroctor Oeneval of Hospitals. Mr. OpL said that the North Canterbury Education Hoard had been askii]ft for some time for medical inspection in the schools, and had Been getting rather impatient that nothing 'in that direction had been done. Ihe experiment had been tried at the Gloucester Street school two years previously, but it had been found that so much time was tnkep tip in examining the children- that it had given rather a 'setback to' the proposition. He was sure that the present scheme could he carried out at a small cost, and one of the factors that would tend to lower the orist would ho that the teachers would lie required, to do a certain amount of the medical examination. From an examination an inspector could’ oftOiH'rec-ommend the most fitting occupation for a child in aftei life, and in Germany,’which had led the way in the medical examination of schools, . that was generally done. The proposal to charge a fee for each child examined was that a reasonable foe would he fixed. In reply to a nuestion as to the extra work that would be placed upon the teachci s, Mr. Opie said that they had been very generously treated hv the Government lately, and would doubtless he glad to help in any way that would he for the good of their pupils.