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1ll
Swimming and Sports.
Instruction in swimming is given to the children from all
the Schools, and many proficient swimmers are among the
scholars. Organised games and sports are in vogue in all
the schools, and two large playing fields for the use of the
children in the Elementary Schools are being provided.
Physical and Breathing Exercises.
These are included in the Curricula of all the Schools,
in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of
Education, and special attention is given to those children
who have any tendency to mouth-breathing.
Children's Care Committee.
Friendly visits are made to the homes by the members
of this Committee in those cases referred to them, and every
effort is made to induoe or assist the parents to obtain the
proper advice and to follow it. This Committee also endeavours
to secure the welfare of children under school age,
and I believe much useful work is done in this connection.
Uncleanliness—Head and Body.
Of the 1,525 children examined by the Medical Officer,
19 were noted as having dirty bodies, and 52 bore witness to
the chronic attention of fleas. In the routine inspections of
heads and general cleanliness by the School Nurse, these
proportions are higher, as in many cases it is quite obvious
that there has been a little cleaning up for the doctor's
examination; 142, that is about 9.3 per cent., were found to
have nits in the hair. The cases were distributed in the departments
as follows:—Of the 542 boys examined in the
upper schools, 8 had nits in the hair (=1.4 per cent.); of the
434 girls in the upper schools 87 had nits (=20 per cent.);
of the 290 infant boys, 5 (=17 per cent.); and of the 259
infant girls, 49 (or 16 per cent.), had nits in the hair. These
figures are a considerable improvement on last year, when 14
per cent. of the children were shewn to have dirty heads.