MEDICAL INSPECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15163, 6 October 1913, Page 8

MEDICAL INSPECTION.

OF SCHOOL CHTLDEEN. TEACHERS' VIEW FOOTS. A meeting of the South Canterbury branch of the Educational Institute was held in the Technical School, \. Timaru, on Saturday morning, Mr D. McCaskill, BA, presided over a fair .attendance of members. Mass Tizard and Miss Turnbttll were elected members of the Institute. The meeting agreed that the branch nominate Mr McMorran, WeClington, as President of the New- Zealand Educational Institute for 1914. MEDICAL INSPECTION. The caairmaa said the principal business was tae consideration, of tne question, oi medical inspection. Most. of the headmasters had received parceJs - of cards, and some had received weigning machines, bat the caras which were to be sent to the parents had not come to hand yet. It would bo practically impossible to fill up the forms required, till all the forms were to hand, bupgosmg that they had them ail, they; were told it would take baT-f an hour per pupil to fill them an, which meant in the cose of the larger schools at any rate, thai there was not tsme from now to the end of the year to examine all the children and fill in the particulars asked for. The ques,tioa to decide that afternoon was what they were going to do in the matter. He noticed that in Wellington the teachers had decided to approach the Education-Board in the matter. They could adopt that course or agree to leave the matter over altogether meantime, seeing all the forms had not arrived. Continuing, the chairman said he did not see how teachers could be asked to deal with several matters in the inspection. Personally ho was not capable, and he.did not fhi-n\r many teachers would profess to be capable, of testing the breathing, teeth and the glands. He moved that the Institute appoint a sub-oommifctee to wait on the Board at its next meeting to dkcuss the matter of medical speciion, and ascertain what is expected of the teaoljars this year. Mr Dalgtiah, in seconding the motion, said he had adopted the same policy as Mr MeGaskifl, in rerard to medical inspection, and had don* nothing. The headmasters had been iiaving parcels dumped down at the school, but had not recewcd any communications as to what was to be done With the contents. He had~come to I*e conclusion, on examination that equipment must Be a part of the medi■cal inspection outfit, and had put it away carefully. There had been a WQghcng machine dumped down at his school a little before last Christmas, and on opening the' box no found the machine broken. The a»paratua now seemed -fco be complete

with the exception of the cards to be sent to the parents. He referred the members to the Gazette notice, which stated that the head teacher of any publie school, or any other deputed by him, may mate such medical and physical examination of pupils of the schools as is required to supply the information, referred to, and may require the parents or guardians to give all reasonable inj formation in connection with such examination. He drew (attention to the word "may," which implied that there was a choice, but clause 2 of the schedule stated that the information "shall be" in respect of several matters. | He estimated it would take about half ,"an hour to inspect a child, and there was ! a great amount of clerical work to be i done over and above that. In the case I of large schools, it -would easily be seen i that this would prove a serious drawI back in the matter of time. -The In- ; specter-General was always complaining \ that the average age of the infants had gone up so much, and there was not a sufficiently rapid progress, but he (Mr Dalglish) did not see how the infants [ were to be got through sooner if the j teachers 1 time was to be taken up in this manner. It should also be borne in | mdnd that, many of the schools were | not "the best places to cultivate good | .health. . A sub-committee of the North < Canterbury .Institute had expressed the I opinion that the scheme was impraetic--j able, as tecahers had neither the expert i knowledge nor the time required to j carry, it out" properly, t Mr.MoLeocl thought if they saw an examination conducted by the medical inspector, they; might find it. easier and quicker than they took it to be. Mr MeCaskili expressed the opinion that the Board would meet them favourably in the matter. Mrs Newnam was inclined to think that parents would highly resent some of the questions asked. At present some,parents resented the children being told to have their teeth cleaned. Mr McLeod said he could see some I advantages in the scheme despite its I 'drawbacks.- The time was the most dif- ' ficult matter to remedy. Getting the re- ' cords and clerical work done would ini volvo much trouble and time, but there was one beneficial aspect, and that was in the matter of educating the children and parents. The.public had an idea that anything wag good enough for a child, but he thought medical inspection would educate the people as tc what was best-for children and incidentally might have the effect of improving the condition of many of the Retools. He thought in that respect it was a, step in the right direction: Mr Stewart agreed with the principle of medical inspection, although, the j scheme suggested seemed to Eim un_ j •workable. It was another evidence, he I thoujjkt that a Council of Education anould be set up. Mr McCasVilFs motion was carried, and Messrs Dalglish and Palmer were appointed to meet the Board.