Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-15
HEALTH IN
THE SCHOOLS
State Superintendent Issues an
Address to Teachers.
PHYSICAL EXERCISES
Declares That the Rules Laid Down
Must be Observed in all the
Schools.
PHYSICAL EXERCISES

State Superintendent of Public In
struction E. A. Carleton. has issued an
address to county and city superintend-
ents. principals of high schools and
teachers. directing them to pay more at
tention to the physical needs of the pu-
pills under them than many Of them have
given the children in the past. says the
Independent. Superintendent Carleton
called attention to the section OF the law
which directs teachers and school ua-
thorities generally to have regard to the
ventilation and temperature of school
rooms and to establish and maintain a
course of physical exercises in the
! schools.
These things are important to the
welfare of the school children" aid Mr..
Carleton yesterday, "and from now on
they must be observed by all of the
teachers, principals and superintendent
Of the state. Most of the schools of the
state oberve the provisions of the law in
this regard, but some do not, and to these
this order is directed. In the future,
physical exercise is to be made as regu-
larly a part of the pupils study as his
arithmetic lesson. The law exists, it is
q good law and there is ample authority
to enforce it,"
The address sent out by the state su-
perintendent follows:
Section 1861 of the political code of the
state OF Montana reads in part as fol-
lows:
Attention must be given during the
entire school course to the cultivation of
manners, to the laws of health. physical
exercise. ventilation and temperature Of
the school room.
During the past three years this de-
partment has again and again called at
tention to this most Statutory provision Of
our law. All heartily agree that a more
benefcent law cannot be found on thu
lum, which severely taxes the physical
endurance of the pupils, rs we'll as their
mental powers. the necessity of thorough
ventilation, of proper heating and light
cises, is apparent. Notwithstanding this
there are some who, apparently, over
look these things. Personal observation
has convinced me that some teachers arr
wholly unmindful of the provisions Of
this law, and seem to think thai the ac-
QUESTION of a few facts is of more conse.
quence than health n strength.
/ find that the temperature of schoo!
rooms varies from IS to IS Fahrenheit,
In many instances there is not the slight
est attention paid to ventilation, and
physical exercises or c~alisthenics are un-
known. Since by calling attention to
this law many times n urging it's OBJ
servance has not, In all cases, resulted
IN it's being obeyed. I have concluded to
thus formally direct that ~henceforth ev-
cry superintendent, principal and teacher
must have regard for it. The health and
even the fife of our children requires
this. Every school room must be pro-
vided with a thermometer. and. in the
winter season, the temperature should be
Kept as near 70 as possible. 1t should
never be higher than 70 orbelow Is. The
thermometer should be suspended from the
ceiling in the center of the room, and
should be freely consulted by teacher
and pupils. Avoid extremes in ventila.
ton. Under no circumstances suffer the
pupils to s4- or stand, even when exer-
clslng, IN a draft. Teachers should re-
membe that most 1t not all of their pu-
pills come from homes that are KEEP
warm. Teachers should remember, also
that a room In which they may be very
comfortable while on their feet, actively
engaged in the work, may be. and often
Is. very uncomfortable tor the little boys
and girls sitting quietly in their hard
seats. Keep your room thoroughly ven
ttlated at all lines but never allow
draft, Tor that Is worse than no ventila.
ton at all:
II you DO not have physical exercise