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l6
The total number of children excluded from school
during the year for ringworm was 17.
A new.school has been built in Drill Hall Road, off
Graham Road, which will afford accommodation for 640
children. It comprises on the ground floor-six class
rooms, two cloak rooms, and a hall; and on the first
floor—Teachers' rooms, two cloak rooms, six class rooms,
and hall.
There is a detached building at the rear of the school
which can be used as a cookery and manual training
department.
The lighting and ventilation of the school has been
well attended to, and it is heated throughout by hot
water. The sanitary arrangements are excellent, and
the playgrounds are spacious, asphalted and well
drained.
It is not stated in the information supplied whether
many children were found to be affected in any degree
with cateral curvature of the spine. In some schools the
proportion has been found to be somewhat large, as much
as 14 per cent., and to be due more to lounging or leaning
upon the desks and bad positions when working at
these, than to faults in the construction of the desks and
seats. The general position of the child when working
at the desk is to sit with the left side turned towards the
desk and the left elbow or arm resting on it, and, on
examination, it was found, with very few exceptions
indeed, to be the left shoulder that was elevated. Of
course I do not allude in this connection to very pronounced
cases of curvatures, but to those of a slight
nature and capable of correction. It is evident that
teachers should insist upon correct postures for children
while at school and firmly repress any tendancy to lounging
at the desks.
At the same time, although not perhaps so important
as correct posture in preventing trouble of this kind, the
desks ought to be modern and so arranged as to make
the best use of lighting in the class roomi.
COWSHEDS, DAIRIES, AND MILKSHOPS.
Regular inspections have been made of these and
reports thereon furnished to the Council. Excepting
minor defects, they have generally been kept in a satisfactory
condition. We have now only two sets of cowsheds,
one building having been closed since my last
report. There are 42 milch cows kept in these sheds in
the district, and the bulk of our milk supply comes from