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88
School Hygiene.
Ventilation.—All the schools are ventilated by what are
known as "natural'' means. In some of the schools means
of ventilation are excellent, and in most they are fairly good.
Every effort is made by the Committee to remedy any defect,
but in some of the older schools this it not always easy, the
construction of the schools not lending itself to any satisfactory
scheme. During the year improvement has been effected in
some schools by making it possible to open more windows and
also providing for through ventilation of classrooms. Generally
speaking the Teachers are watchful that the air in the Classrooms
is kept fresh and wholesome, and are alive to the great
importance of proper ventilation. The old idea that all that
is necessary is to flood the Class-rooms with fresh air in the
short intervals when the children are out of the room, and
keep most, if not all, of the windows closed when work is in
progress dies harder in some minds than others. I do not deny
that in some conditions of the weather it is impossible to
always use the natural means of ventilation to their full effect,
and I am also aware that some parents attribute every "cold"
the child has to "sitting in a draught" at school, but I do
maintain that, where it is impossible to keep the
atmosphere of the Class-rooms reasonably sweet and
wholesome and without injurious draughts (provided there is
no overcrowding) either the means of ventilation are badly
arranged or they are not being properly used.
The need for this abundance of fresh air is no "fad,"
but is of vital importance, not only from the point of view
of health, but also of education. Most interesting experiments
have established the fact that the brain works far better in a
pure atmosphere than in a vitiated one, and it is not difficult
to demonstrate that the "mental response" as it is called,
is materially affected by even slight degrees of inefficient
ventilation.