THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13637, 3 July 1908, Page 7

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AXD PUBLIC HEALTH. . In bis report to the Timant Main School Committee, last, night the beadmutitei, Mr JJaigiish, slaied that as scarlet lever, measles, and diphtheria, were fairly common in town, special care was being taken to inquire into atl suspected cases, and tue> health authorities of the borough were willingly helped in every way pussrb.e. bo lar he knew of only four eases, in three families, of searleo fever, three' cases, in two families, of rueasits, ana one case of diphtheria. In all tb<n,e cases the patients x^ l * under a doctors, care, and where they are not isolated ».it hospital, or o.herwise) the rest, of the fauiiiy were forbidden attendance at school. As these cases were ail in different s&ndards, and no connection could be tiaced between them, it aeemed quite clear that ihey were not caught or spread in tba scnool. If .the scnool authorities had the co-operation of paren s iu reporting coses promptly, and in keeping their children Irom communicating with families affected, there was every reason to hope that the.epidemic would not get a hold in the school, and they would et»cape the scarietfever and measles, as they -escaped the whooping cough epidemic last year. 'l'ho committee expressed satiMaction vri'h the care being taken by the' headmaster, and it was resolved on the motion of Messrs MeC'ahon and Olphert to endorse the resolution passed by the VVaimate County Council on the subject, and to forward a- resolution in the same terms or to the same effect to the Minister fur Health, and the chief health officer. The Tesolution referred to was. one* parsed by the Waimate • Coun.y Council at their meeting on April 29th la.st, on the motion of the chairman, Mr R. H. Rhodes, "That the Member for the district, be asked to introduce for the consideration of Parliament, the question of the advisability of providing in the Public Health Act with a view to better coping, with any outbreak of infectious disease, that a .copy of all notifications of the existence of such diseases received by a local body be sent to the of the school attended by children from the infected bunse; and that ail a.tendance at school, of children from such infected hotite be prohibited by the head master until he has received a medical certificate that tlie premises have been disinfected and, that the dinger of" infection has been removed from the patient; and that the Council, recognising the hardship that might be entailed on schoolmasters through the lowering of the attendance, would a!eo

'suggest the advisability of'.providing'that, such compulsory absence will not be need to the detriment of the schoolmaster's J)e; timiary interests so long as the prohibitory medical notification is in force." ; j