HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16607, 3 December 1919, Page 3

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

STATEMENTS BY INSPECTORS, IN AUCKLAND DISTRICT. Inquiry was recently made by_ the 1 Auckland branch of the Educational ! institute, from tho Education Hoard, ! as lu a statement which had been made iio tlio eliect that- in tiio Auckland education district there wore an abI normal number of detective children in I schools. I On this question tho senior inspector, I Mr. E. K. Mulgau, suumicted to tho hoard a series ol reports which ho had received from his,stall. Ono inspector said time tho statement was exaggerated. Thoro were a low abnormal children in every school, but ho had not noticed any deterioration in the physique of the pupils. In his opinion the pupils of to-day wore stronger and more healthy than those of a docado ■ ago. I Another inspector said the statement j might bo true as regards teotli and i throat troubles, but it that was nil (that was meant, it was badly express- ] I ed. Exception should bo taken to the | I word "abnormal.” A largo number of 1 children suffered from minor physical . ' delects. Careful and regular medical | inspection, co-operating with remedial , action on tho part of parents and ' teachers, should do much to cure tho : defects complained of. : The third official reported that the number of children sutlering from physical defects was small—ho did not: think it was greater now than in 1 former years. _ ! A fourth inspector said *that excos- I sivo farm work, such ns dairying, had j injurious- effects upon children’s eyes, | chests, and nutrition. Insufficient at- j tentiou was paid to ventilation in ! schools, and there was a’ tendency on 1 tho part of teachers to sacrifice the j work of physical drill on any excuse. Yet another inspector said it had never appeared to him that tho proportion of abnormal children was greater in tho Auckland district than in other districts that ho knew. _ _ ; A sixth inspector was of opinion that tho statement was somewhat misleading. If defective teeth were considered, there was much in the charge, and children in dairying districts wore suffering from insufficiency of sleep. A considerable number of children who ought to bo in special schools for defectives were still allowed to attend primary schools. Tho most prevalent complaint ho had noticed was defective eyesight, duo largely to the want of ] control by teachers of tho attitude ] I adopted when writing, while bad light- j i ing was a contributing factor. Again, i ho had noted in late years a consider- I able increase or cases of goitre among | , girls aged from 12 to 20. He suggests j that over-strenuous sports, basketball | ; in particular, wore largely responsible l for tho trouble, and that such strenu- { cus exertions have a bad effect upon the heart ncl ion of some girls. As to his own view of tho matter, j Mr. Mulgan undertook to present a re- I port to the board at its next meeting. I In tho moan time ho would say there j was absolutely no ground for tho statement that there were in tho Auckland district an abnormal number of deflective children. It was highly improper for anyone to make such a statement when there were no statistics to support it, and no evidome to warrant it. I A largo number of minor physical do- i fects could be found in children, but j not to a greater extent than in any i other district in New Zealand, or in other parts of the world. Before pro- I senting his final report on tho subject | he would obtain information from the | medical inspectors, and ho suggested that it would bo advisable to send a circular to teachers, drawing attention to the questions involved. _ The hoard deferred further consideration until receipt of the senior inspector’s report.