HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13491, 13 January 1908, Page 3

HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

NEW ENGLISH RULES. The Board of EducatiiJn (England) ha* issued a memorandum, by Sir li. Morant, on the medical inspection 01 children in public elementary schools. It is -explained vhat the document is of a preliminary chaiacter only, and concerns entirely the work of lue new Act at its initiation. At the same time, it is ueclared that the Board recognise the important*: of steady piogre:-i> m these matters, and have at present under consideration the practicability of the further adaptation ot educational methods to the phyoical and mental capacities ot the normal and abnomial child, ol special anthiopometnc and analogous investigations, and of improving tlie methods ol dealing with infectious disease in schools.. Among the matters mat are lecciving special attention are ventilation, training oi mentally and physically uericient or clipped enilareii, physical cttltuie for pupji teachers, ana a. number ol Kindred ..uojec'-s, on the correct understanding anu lieatment of which must necessarily uepenu in a huge inea.>uie the. success or i..!ierwise ol our vuucaiionai po.ity and worK. Un one point the memorandum is happily caiphaiic anu without ambiguity, is poiu.vu old tnal *" the lundamentai principles of the governing section (13) is the ineuical examination and supervision not only ol children known or suspected to be weakly, but of all children in the Cieiiiciitary ochoois. finally, on this poim. n- is insisted that even wiieti medical mspec.lon ol die elu tiled at regular intervals is pioviu-ed io;, when to that is added effective oversight ot tlie sanitation ol school buildings, .mu when weiytlmig else pu>sib.e lu.s b.ui done to prevent the spread of infectious disease, ' tlie scheme ivm bj sauiy iii-t-oinple.o ; ,,)ti dehci-nl unless it is siipp.emenud by systematic i;iipervisiou ol .ne p-isonal and home lite ol the child. ' It has lor long been recognised that if the children are to be taught the pijncipki> of hygiene the .students in every typ.; of training college must first of a il '».■ fan-fully instructed in them, and Mr Monnit declares that th.- Board are now paying special attention to this matter of luither preparing the teachers for tne wink ill which lliey aie io be engaged. The meiiifiraiidum mak-.-s i-oii.e suggestions fur removing the lriclion and ovirlappiug that ton oit-ii litanl and minimisepi ogre>-.-> iind will provide Kiuoi.th-wurking machinery and capable men for the auminisi ration of this Act, upon which so I much depend*.

A detailed slati men! nf tin- matters of which .special account shoti.d he tak.n is given in the memur;tii(!uiii. which includch a serif!- of rejjiihitimis for tin- observation of tllo-iC il<lll.lllislvl'ill<r t lie Act. 'l'lk.«!' provide fur not fewer than three inspections (lining the school lif.- of each child, dining >«.hoi:l horns ;iinl on school pi. mists, with <ltio cousidcration for convciti nee and circuii:*tancts. ;ni(l with 1 he necessary consideration for tin: susceptibilities of ;ill comemed. Where it is consider.d necessaiy the entries in the register which is to l»." k.pt are U> be regarded as conlidcntial. and ~n annual leporl is to be furnished I>\- u-.eh ,-chool nudkal <;iti

cer to the local -education authority and to the Board of Education. Finaliv, with a passing reminder iha'such minor details a» the provxson <•> baths and the necessary accessories, vliciv they do not already exist, arc important, the" memorandum recominenc'ii that with regard to the eves of the children theie should be early" correction of defective vfiiual acuity, but antecedent even to this tlie removal of unsatisf acton- condition.s of sckool life, which are a common cause of fatigue and. of ..injured eyesight, is recommended. The memorandum will be submitted to considerable criticism; but it appears to have b?en drawn up with a desire to remove all obstacles to progie n in the administration of the Act. and to promote the physical and mental improvement of those who are being trained for the bank of life. •—■■■!■""« .Li.? "