The Holly chieftain., 1899-08-04
SCHOOL SANITATION.
A MATTER WHICH NEEDS CAREFUL
ATTENTION.
In various states Affect
Ing the Health of school Children.
Kentucky Takes the Lead In This
Reform,

School boards. iutrusted with the
lives and health Of the children as well
as with the public money. should be
held responsible for the kind Of build
iugs erected, for Intelligent public
opinion now believes that II is quite rs
Important that pure air and pure water
be supplied for the children as that eN-
celleut teachers be provided and far
more important than that free text
books. tablets and pencils. which are
often menace 10 the health. should be
furnished.
For years school boards have taken
precautions against fire and the spread
of conta gious diseases. which produce
immediate and marked results. but
only within 4 few years has 1t been
understood that certain environments,
which tend TO diminish vitality and
hence lessen achievement. are in even
greater need OF scientific supervision
An eminent authority says the foun
dation Of all diseases (the tendency TO
which is not lnheritedl is in 95 per
cent Of the cases laid before the age of
20 years. and the cause of rs per cent
of this number may safely be laid al
the door OF the poor sanitary condi-
tions of the schools and homes and the
ignorance or carelessncss OF the par
ents and teachers OF sanitary laws"
Nearly all OF the laws affecting the
health Of school children are of recent
origin In the last published report OF
the United States commissioner Of ed
ucation is very interesting chapter
upon the Sanitary Legislation Affect
ing Schools" which every parent and
taxpayer should read and mentally di-
gest.
A few facts cleaned from the report
may be Interesting Nine subjects on
" have been legislated upon by the
states: Inspection Of buildings. vac
cination, protection from fire, from
contagious diseases, sanitary ventila-
tion. seats and floor space. barbed
wire and nuisances-
Seventeen states, led by Massachu-
se,ts, provide for the inspection of
schoolhouse plans or buildings by some
higher authority than the local board
The same number enact similar laws
| In regard to vaccination. Sixteen
states have more or less protection
/ against fire. Twelve states. including
! xrt-.---~.~ hara rho ,.-,'ai tariSia fin'>
for protection aEainst contagious dis
eases. The District OF Columbia. the
\ very heart of the nation. legislates on
| ly upon vaccination and protection
| from fire.
Massachusetts and Connecticut are
| the only states that present a stand
| ard OF ventilation and require enforce
| ment under legal penalty. Pennsylva-
MIA and New York provide for the cir
| culation of plans for school buildings
with ''heaithful ventilation" and Cali
| fornia. through its state superintenl-
ent, insrructs its teachers 10 keep the
schoolrooms ventilated. which Is about
as specific as for physician to say 10
an ordinary attendant. Give this pa.
! tent nutritious food"
kentucky's legislation is very help
full, and the history OF how she came
TO take such an advanced position in
legislation in regard to school building
and furnishing would be most interest
Ing. There must have been a very
wise presentation OF the subject TO
have persuaded the legislature to pass
laws SO far in advance of any other
state. The county superintendent"
says the Kentucky legislature. shah
condemn any school building which is
dilapidated. unhealthy or otherwise I'M
fitted TO be occupied for the purpose of
a common school. He shall condemn
all school furniture or apparatus insult
ticient In quantity or not OF the re-
quired character and order the same
replaced with proper furniture and APP
paratus- He shall visit al least once a
year each school and nj the time of his
visit note in 4 book kept for this pur-
pose the condition OF the schoolhouse.
furniture. grounds, etc. and shall ad-
monish the teacher found rcmiss in
the matter OF cleanliness of the house
and ventilation OF the same and shall
complain to the trustees in cases OF
gross neglect in these respects" In
regard to construction Of school build
ings the law says: Each schoolhouse
hereafter to be erected shall have n
floor space OF not less than 10 square
feet TO each pupil in the district. and
there shall b, al least 10 feet between
soor and ceiling. The trustees shall
furnish each child seat. patent or
otherwise. with a hack: the height of
seat aud back 10 sui, the ac. of the
child They shall also provide sup
ply of good water" And Kentucky is
the only state that legislaies at all in
regard to the lighting OF schoolhouses.
to the water supply. to seating chill
dren and upon the air space 10 I've al
lo'fed to each child When /, is con-
sidsred that overcrnMdinc a rr,,rn uith