[Report 1930] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1930
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1930] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/48 (page 33)
    Sir (leorge Newman in liis 102U rejiort li> the Board of Education devotes I'.l pages U> the sid)jeel of the teaching of hvgiene in schools. He notes with regret, after detailed iiupiirv. tlu' very inailecinato share wliicli this subject occupies in the school syllabus and tlu‘ inefft'cliveness of the teaching. He points out;— “Ignorance of children in regard to healthy living and their failure to acquire and jn-actise healthy habits is sipoiliug a substantial portion of our educational effort, and also providing in after life a. burden of disease, disharmony and incapacity which is extremely costly both in wastefulness and in remedy.’’ Later on he states:— “'i’here are three practical factors which control the teaching of hygiene ill schools. Eirst, the teacher must be properly trained to teach in this subject as in the others. Secondly, he must luive a scheme, programme, syllabus, or whatever it may be called. Thirilly, he must be required by his Authority to teach the subject, and suitable provision must be made for it in the curri¬ culum of every school. Now, presumably the first two of these three desiderata are provided. The teacher is trained at the Training College and the Board have issued a Handbook of Suggestions, and ‘a knowledge of its contents should be regarded as imrt of the necessary equipment of every teacher.' It seems that what is sometimes lacking is the definite requirement of the Local Education Authority that in every school of their area, and to every child for whose education they are responsible, hygiene shall be effectually taught.’’ The Education Committee will not need to be reminded that I share these views since for over 20 } ears I have repeatedly urged the primary importance of this subject, its neglect in our schools and the need for the Education Com¬ mittee to make its efficient teaching an essculial ]iart of the teaching in every school under their control. At one time it was urged that many of the teachers n ere not properly grounded in the subject. It has now, however, been for many years an essential part of their training course. Also for a. good many years my Dejiartnient has lieen conducting courses in hygiene and jihysiology for teacher’s, so this obstacle could or should have been removed. I do not know how far my strictures in the past are now deserved or w hether this subject is now being taught as an essential and always included subject and one to wliicli adequate time is given. Its importance is so great that 1 would suggest that inquiry be made on this head, if the facts are not already available, and that if necessary steps be taken to extend the adequate teaching of this subject. Physical Training. I am indebted to the County Education Secretary for the following particulars of the work of the P’nysical Training Instructors:— Courses of Teachers’ Classes have been held this year at Bristol, Weston- super-Hare, Jjangport, and Bath; iiiul in the grealer part of the County at least one scries of these classes has now been provided in the past five years.