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life, the child is not, in the opinion of those best qualified to
judge, capable of assimilating- knowledge other than that which
is not likely to overtax its mental capacity, such, for example
as the kindergarten system provides. It is admitted by many
educational experts that children who begin to attend School at a
later age than 5 years can reach a higher standard of attainment
in a much shorter period than those who had been at School at
ages from 3-5 years. The deleterious effect on the health and
development of children at the early ages at which they now
attend Infant Schools, owing to the discipline and restraint to
which they are subjected is considerable. To anyone conversant
with child nature this is not surprising, as it is unnatural to
subject a child' of tender years to the enforced discipline and
constrained postures to which it has to submit in School
life....."
"It is, however, with the spread of infectious disease that,
as Medical Officer of Health, I am most concerned, and I am
strongly of opinion that in this connection the continued existence
of the Infant Departments in the Public Elementary Schools is
undesirable. As already pointed out, the over-crowded condition
prevailing in most Schools in the Metropolitan Area is an
additional danger, inasmuch as this state of things is bound to
predispose the children to take any infectious disease which may
be about. More especially is this the case in the Infants'
Departments, crowded as very many of them are with a highly
susceptible material. Most of the common infections are, as is
well known, readily taken by children under 5 years of age, and
for each year after this period the tendency to become infected in
many of these diseases steadily diminishes.
"Further, the danger to the life of the child attacked pari
passu is also greatly lessened; a double advantage is in this way
gained in protecting children in the earliest ages from exposure to
infection.. . . ."
I may be permitted to quote here the opinion of Dr. Cunzte,
of Weisbaden, who, at the second International Congress on
School Hygiene, London, 1907, said, " May I express from a
German point of view our great and sad surprise that you in
England have to deal with this question to such an extent. In
Germany it is stricdy forbidden by law to admit children under
6 years of age to Public Schools, and even up to 6½ years the
child will be rejected for another year if its condition of health be
not fully satisfactory. In Germany the poor widows and mothers
of large families are so wisely supported by Public Authorities
that they do not need to do outdoor work; 'they are thus enabled
to devote their time to taking care of their children—I should
hope that all nations may follow our principles—keep the child in
its home and family as long as possible."