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105
Before extending these measurements to other schools, it has
been decided that at the end of about six months the children
attending the Oval Road and Princess Road Schools shall be
remeasured and reweighed. When this is done the children at each
age group will be arranged in order of weight, and the lower
quartile, i.e., the children who form the lowest quarter in each
group will be subjected to further special examination. By this
means it is hoped that attention will be directed to those most
requiring it. It is indeed, as a means of selecting children for
further examinotion that these physical measurements seem to be
most likely to prove useful. Were they extended to the rest of the
schools they would also serve to call the attention of the head
teachers to departures from health that might otherwise pass
unnoticed.
SCHOOL. HYGIENE FOR TEACHERS.— During the winter months,
Dr. Thomas has given two courses of lectures to head teachers on
Hygiene, with special reference to School Life. The lectures have
been thoroughly appreciated, and I hope that in future years similar
lectures will be given to assistant and pupil teachers, who might,
I think with advantage, be required to attend. The Committee
might also consider whether it would not be as well to encourage
the assistant teachers to pass some examination in School Hygiene.
TEACHING OF HYGIENE TO SCHOOL CHILDREN.—The
teaching of Hygiene in elementary schools, must, in the main, be
indirect. I believe that more can be done by a teacher with a keen
appreciation of first principles, and working in a clean and healthy
schoolroom, than by all the text books and syllabuses ever printed.
If the laws of health are to be brought home to children it must be
by practical example rather than by committing to memory a few
sanitary shibboleths. It was felt, however, that teachers should have,
some guidance as to the various points in relation to the care of the
body on which they should talk to their scholars. A
brief outline scheme was therefore drawn up in collaboration
with the Committee's School Inspector, Mr. Robertson, and
the Committee thereupon directed that this outline, together
with that issued by the Board of Education, should form a basis
of a scheme of instruction to be given in all the schools. I repeat,
however, that it will be very little good teaching about the
cleanliness of the homes if the school floors are as dirty as some
that I have seen in Croydon, or of fresh air, if ventilation of the
school-room is consistently omitted.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS.—T here are no features requiring mention
on this occasion. Any minor defects found on visiting schools are