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44
smoking on health, gave an opportunity to suggest a longer
series of health talks for senior children. The syllabus for
these is described in the school health section of the report on
page 5.
During the year many students, e.g.:- Doctors taking the
Diploma in Public Health, Health Visitors, Student Nurses,
W.H.O. fellows and teachers have visited the section and discussed
some of the aspects of health education; this subject is
receiving a stronger bias in their training now and it is important
that they should learn to keep an open mind about
testing new ideas and ways of approaching modern public health
problems. It is difficult for those who have been in the field
for a long time to change from comfortable routines and didactic
methods; the change spells uncertainty and insecurity; but
change also means progress. Research has shown that in spite of
wide differences in kinds and rates of learning, there is a
capacity for significant change in ideas, attitudes and modes of
behaviour at all ages.
To stimulate further interest in the educational aspect of
public health work two short informal sessions have been held in
the department. The first was a film on the topical subject of
the manufacture of poliomyelitis vaccine which was shown just
before this year's vaccination clinics began. The second was a
display of available visual aids and a showing of teaching film
strips and provocative sound film strips-which are useful for
promoting informal group discussions.
An increasing number of members of the staff is borrowing
equipment and trying out new ideas, but subjects which it is
thought people ought to know about are not always those which
they want or need to know about. For example a Health Visitor
was asked recently to give a talk to a Young Wives' Club on
Mothercraft. She guessed that most of their children would be
past the very young infant stage, so dealt with two problems
concerning children a little older. Firstly infectious diseases
and secondly, she showed a sound film-strip which posed the
problem of a widowed mother-in-law living with her son and
daughter-in-law and two young children. In this instance the
group was not at all interested in the complications and effects
of this arrangement on the management of young children, but had
a lively discussion on the problems, needs and care of older
people.
Five displays and two exhibitions have been prepared during