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49
Report of School Medical
Officer.
A.—General Review of the Hygienic Conditions
Prevalent in the District, etc.
There are nine Provided Schools in the District, with
18 Departments, and two Non-provided Schools, with 3
Departments.
Most of the provided schools are of modern design
and construction; one is a temporary building; the remainder
of the provided schools and the non-provided
schools are considerably older, and though not in accordance
with modern ideas as to design, are in excellent condition.
The surroundings on the whole are excellent, but 3
of the schools are rather cramped; it is, however, hardly
possible to improve this, as they are among the oldest
schools in the District.
Ventilation, on the whole, is good; one school is
warmed and ventilated by hot air, and complaints are
sometimes made as to the difficulty of properly regulating
the temperature.
Heating is, on the whole, good; one or two of the
schools are, however, inadequately heated in cold weather,
the method of heating being by closed stoves in a
corner of the class-room; children near the stove are too
hot, while away from the fire the temperature of the room
was 51 deg. F. only, as registered by the thermometer
on one occasion when I visited one of these schools.
The equipment generally, and the sanitation are
good; the latrine accommodation at one of the Boys'
schools might be improved.
Water supply is from the mains of the Metropolitan
Water Board; at the Crescent Road Schools all the water
passes through a cistern in the open air, but I would recommend
that taps be provided direct from the main for
the supply of drinking water.