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95
or higher) in all these cases except 49 boys' and 9 girls' schools. In many
girls' schools and a small number of boys' schools there is definite and regular
teaching of hygiene throughout the last three years of the school life ; in
some girls' schools and many boys' schools hygiene is prescribed as part of
the science teaching in perhaps one class only. While, then, the amount of
instruction varies very considerably from school to school, it is nevertheless
true that, in about 70 per cent, of these 199 schools, the subject does figure,
to a greater or smaller extent, in the syllabuses of instruction. Some syllabuses
in use in boys' and in girls' schools are comprehensive ; and in some cases the
teaching is imparted by a head teacher or a permanent member of the staff
having special qualifications, such as a B.Sc. degree or a diploma of the
Institute of Hygiene.
7. Under existing conditions there is clearly a divergence between boys'
and girls' schools in regard to the extent of instruction imparted in theoretical
hygiene. The position seems to be that hygiene is regarded by head teachers
generally as part of the science teaching, and the time customarily allocated
to science in elementary schools seldom exceeds 60 minutes a week. Now,
while in girls' schools nature study, simple physiology, hygiene, first-aid and
mothercraft are regarded as an appropriate group of ' science ' subjects, and
the science time distributed more or less equitably among them, the prevailing
tendency in boys' schools is to devote the science time very largely to nature
study in the lower classes and to simple chemistry and physics in the upper
classes. It may so happen, therefore, in a boys' school where quite good work
is being done in science, there is little teaching of theoretical hygiene in the
upper standards.
8. If the Chief Medical Officer's view be accepted that the practical
instruction directed to healthy habit formation already efficiently given in
London schools is not enough, and that theoretical as well as practical instruction
should be given in hygiene, the question arises as to how time is to be found
for this, especially in boys' schools. Is the time devoted to science, including
hygiene, to be increased, or is the hygiene teaching to be given in place of some
of the everyday chemistry and physics now being taught ? The schools will
require a lead in respect of this point. Although, in the Board of Education's
suggestions to teachers, the science course for pupils of 11 years and upwards
contains a section on the elementary study of the conditions for the healthy
growth of plants and animals, no reference in the section where this is elaborated
is made to human hygiene. The issue by the Board of Education of a special
handbook of suggestions to teachers on the teaching of hygiene is referred to
by the Chief Medical Officer, and will be awaited with interest.
" 9. It should be remembered that infant care is a subject of instruction at
the domestic economy centres where a good deal of practical hygiene teaching also
takes place. This, however, serves to emphasise the disparity between the treatment
of the subject for boys and for girls.
" 10. The Board are to publish ' forthwith ' a special handbook of suggestions
to teachers on the Teaching of Hygiene (Report of the Chief Medical Officer, Board
of Education, p. 77 to 80). I am loth to advise the addition of Hygiene ' as a definite
subject of the time-table every week ' without further information about the
Board's suggestions, though I am of opinion that greater definiteness and probably
a more generous allocation of time should be given to the subject of hygiene,
especially in boys' schools. The most practical course will be to await the issue of
the suggestions and then to confer with representative head teachers on the steps
to be taken."
Hygiene.
Junior Red
Cross Organisation
in
elementary
schools,
In a number of elementary schools Junior Red Cross " Links " have been
established. The following reports upon three of these " Links " in an Infants'
15435 G 2