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71
Medical inspections are carried out systematically, advice
is given to the parent and child, defects are remedied, and the following-up
of cases is rigorously carried out. The fault is not there.
It is obviously due to a lack of a defined responsibility for physical
or bodily education at this stage of school life.
We know that these children are taught a certain amount of
drill or dancing and this may or may not have a permanent effect
upon the child. How often though, does the child receive any
lessons or training in personal hygiene, a matter which is going to
affect the whole of his or her subsequent life ?
When week after week one sees these girls at an inspection,
and notices that the skin is not as clean as it should be, the underclothing
not clean although the girl is quite old enough to wash
it herself, and that the teeth are in a dirty condition, seldom if
ever brushed, one can only assume that practical hygiene is not
taught, or at least, not pressed.
There is undoubtedly a lack of balance between mental and
bodily education and until this is remedied and we take the whole
of the child and his interests into consideration, we cannot, as a
medical and educational body be said to fulfil our purpose.
The environmental improvement in the surroundings of the
children is far too frequently negatived by superstition about many
matters and education of the children and a determined effort
only can break this superstition. For instance, when one suggests
to a mother that the girl is not as clean as she ought to be, the
mother replies that in her opinion too frequent bathing is weakening.
This type of statement is by no means confined to the poorer mothers
In other cases, in discussing the diet of these growing girls, one
frequently finds that most unsuitable and unbalanced food is being
demanded by the girl. Time and again mothers remark that they
would be grateful if the girl were taught at school how to look after
herself because she pays no attention to the parents' advice. The
mother usually has younger children to look after and expects a
girl of 12 and over to look after herself.
These facts are surely convincing enough to urge the necessity
for the teaching of practical hygiene in our schools. The average
healthy child is interested in the subject but the interest is
liable to wane unless she is encouraged by her teachers and stimulated
by the competitive spirit among her fellows. Herd instinct
is snobbish and among school children this is especially true.
We have the firmest belief that if children at this most
impressionable time of their lives are made to care for and to value
their bodies their chances of becoming good and healthy citizens
will be increased.