The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1912. OUR SCHOOLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 83, 3 December 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1912. OUR SCHOOLS.

From a statement made the other day by the Hon. James Allen, the medical inspection of schools (although as yet it has not proceeded very far) reveals that not only is there a great deal of dental disease—a fact, already known to most people—hut that many of the children examined have been found to be suffering from malnutrition. At first, glance this appears surprising in such a laud of plenty, but Mr Allen probably found the explanation when he stated that this condition of affairs is largely due to the ignorance of parents in the proper dieting of children. The Christchurch “Press’ 5 holds that if Mr Allen is right in his surmise, it is'strong argument in favour of more attention being given to the teaching of the principles and practice of cookery in oui schools. Cases of spinal curvature and want of breathing capacity are found here, as well as at Home, and the new- system of physical training to be introduced in the schools should do much to correct these defects. Our contemporary further discussing this most serious question, says:—“We shall be disappointed, however, if, as the result of the Medical Inspectors’ labours, attention is not given, not only to the condition of the scholars, but also to that of the schools. Under any circumstances, there is no doubt that the herding together of children during their mofet tender years, is responsible for a great deal of ill-health. The author of a very interesting book just published, entitled, ‘The Doctor and the People,’ (H. de Carle Woodcock), points out that in England some schools are scandals as far as hygiene is concerned. Ventilation may not be entirely neglected, but it is ridiculously inefficient. We fear that the same thing may he said of schools in New'’ Zealand. Mr Woodcock points out that there are ‘congregation’ diseases spread by volatile infection, agents which, will give a. death-rate even if the children are taught in the open, and in some schools the conditions are such that this volatile infection is intensified to an extremely dangerous degree. In the schools of the present day, these ‘congregation’ diseases’have a curious habit of arriving, increasing in virulence, then lessening in virulence, then finally departing. Children, he considers, ‘toddle oft’ to school too early. Most of them, at least, have one attack of measles, and many have scarlet fever, and these diseases are most dangerous to the younger children. The death-rate amongst children, he considers, is higher than it ought to bo, partly due to the early age at which they are sent to school, partly also to the great size of the schools, and the absence of

open-air teaching. The system of medical inspection now inaugurated, and the physical training to be intro-' duced into the schools, should have a very material effect in lessoning the death-rate, and improving the*physique of the rising generation in Mew Zea-i ° ° , s land. We believe that if a system of i open-air teaching is added, wherever possible, to the beneficent, agencies referred to, the result will be a still further improvement of vast importance to the country. Mr James Allen will have his hands very full during his approaching visit to the Mother Country, but we hope he will bo able to make some personal investigations into the system of open-air teaching. In this way a means may be found not only of improving the health of the children, but of providing the increased accommodation which is necessary, without adding unduly to the building expenditure.”