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269
report was referred by the Committee to the Head Teachers, who
kindly invited the School Medical Officer to address them on the
subject. It was then referred to the Head Teachers' Association,
whose Committee are at the time of writing deliberating their
decision.
" Under modern conditions of living in crowded towns, the
importance of inculcating a sense of personal and communal
health cannot be too strongly urged. The greater number of
persons are dependent for their livelihood upon their physical
fitness, and any adverse conditions of environment or of incorrect
modes of living react upon the individual, leading ultimately to a
reduction or total abolition of earning capacity. In times of particular
industrial stress and of keen commercial competition, that
country leads whose population is the fittest mentally and
physically to bear the strain. The greatest commercial nation in
the world at the present time—the United States of America—
realises this fundamental issue, consequently to a continually
increasing extent are Welfare Schemes being founded not only
by large manufacturing firms, but by the great insurance companies,
and the systematic teaching of health is taking a definite
place in school programmes. The Insurance Companies have
found'on statistical evidence that funds spent on the propagation
of knowledge concerning healthy modes of living brings in
high interest in the freedom from sickness and the prolongation
of the lives of their clients.
A recent enquiry in certain Croydon scnools, conducted on
behalf of the Board of Education, showed that although the
teaching of hygiene is on the curriculum, there is no systematic
course taken, the methods and extent of the teaching varying
widely in the different schools. In most of the schools, however,
some indirect teaching is given and put into practice whenever
possible.
The teachers in the Elementary Schools are keen about the
health of the children under their care and very observant of
incipient defects. It would appear the systematic teaching of
hygiene is not undertaken because the subject does not receive
official prominence in the curriculum, though it is only just to
state that some head teachers believe indirect teaching to be
sufficient and even preferable to a systematic course.