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150
Dr. Gordon-Smith discusses other aspects of health education in
schools in his main report on page 112.
Hygienic Conditions in Schools in the Division.— Mr. S. R. Daly,
Chief Public Health Inspector, reports as follows:-
"The sanitary circumstances obtaining in the Council schools
within the Borough of IIford continues to improve although there is
still room for improvement, particularly in those establishments where
the sanitary conveniences are situated outside the main school
building. This, of course, creates sanitary chaos when inclement
weather causes freezing up of the water supply, thereby entailing
the absence of suitable flushing facilities. It is suggested that
greater efforts be made to place these amenities within the building
itself. They would afford greater protection, more efficacious use,
and a stricter means of sanitary supervision could be maintained,
particularly in relation to the washing of hands after using, provided
of course there is a reasonably available hot water supply, towels
and soap. Consideration might be given to the provision of staff
sanitary accommodation in the same apartment as that used by the
scholars thereby enabling the teachers perhaps to inculcate the
elementary principles of hygiene in them. The provision of isolated
sanitary conveniences for teachers is both costly and provides no
education facility.
The school milk supplied in the waxed cartons has produced
few difficulties this year except that some of them have burst thereby
contaminating other containers but as the milk is not itself handled
it does not appear to be a great difficulty. Complaints have been
received regarding the disposal of the containers but I feel this is
a matter of less sanitary importance than the dangers previously
created by dirty bottles sometimes containing dangerous foreign
bodies.
It might be appropriate at this juncture to state that a survey
of sanitary circumstances in private schools has been made and
whilst there is no control over these establishments, it is considered
that the sanitary circumstances, particularly in relation to the provision
of sanitary conveniences, washing facilities and other sanitary
amenities, could be improved but this could only be undertaken if
the necessary regulations were made by the Minister. It is felt thai
private schools ought not to have an inferior standard of sanitary
facilities than obtains in local education authority establishments.