The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-21
ANENT HEALTH CERTIFICATES.

The question of what to do with chill
dren who are refused health certifica-
ties by the medical authorities is a very
serious one, and not upon the account
of the number of such children. but on
account of their small numbers in
individual districts. You can deal with
mass, but it is very hard to deal with
individual cases. The probability is
that there are any where from two to
a dozen in every school district. The
rules of the Board of Health forbid
such children from going to school, con-
sequently the children grow up in igno-
rance, and naturally become valueless
citizens If they reach maturity. When
such condition exists the duty of any
one who is placed in a position of res
possibility in such matters, is to meet
the difficulty not to shirk it.
AS far as the Superintendent of Pub
lie instruction and the Commissioners
of Education are concerned, their duties
are primarily with the instruction of
the children, though they are also res
ponsible for the health of the children,
always after the Board of Health,
which is primarily responsible. The
members of the Education Department
did face their share of the responsibility
when the following resolution was for
mulated:
Resolved, That the Board of Health
be addressed calling attention to their
rule which shuts uncertificated chill
dren out from school and asking what
provision from a health standpoint can
be made by the Board of Health for
bringing such children together, this
department being prepared to supply
educational facilities so that they may
not grow up in ignorance"
What the department wanted to do
was to meet a situation, and meet it
satisfactorily. 1t recognized that the
subject was a difficult one but to solve
a difficult problem is certainly not to be
done by ignoring it. The question of
number has nothing to do with the
matter. The point is that such cases
do exist.
Let us suppose for an instant that
there are only the six children at Waia-
lua, which Superintendent Atkinson
called attention to- Even those six
children have to be considered, and no
civilized form of government has any
right to allow it's wards to grow UP In
the state of ignorance which those chill
dren are growing up in
But there is another aspect of the case
These children are refused through the
action of the Board of Health the pri-
vilege of going to school. The reason
for the refusal is a sound one. They
might cantaminate other children The
majority of the well must be protected
from the minority of the sick or tainted
But what care does the Board of Health
take to isolate these children during the
hours when no school is held. None.
Children who have been refused admis-
sion to the schools have ample oppor-
tunity of mingling with children out of
school. They play together, battle to-
gether, and come into intimate contact
with clean and untainted children. If
there is danger in mingling in school,
there is just as much danger in ming
ling at play, The position is an illogical
one.
Now when you have such a position
it is no use shutting your eyes to it.
1t is far better to discuss 1t and see if it
cannot be improved. OF course If there
is no solution to the problem, the con-
dition must be endured. We have no
solution of the problem of death. We
bear the inevitable. But we need not
be Illogical and there is no necessity
for us to cut off contact to the detri-
ment of a child's education in one di-
rection and allowing unlimited contact
in another. .rL ~.
The statement of DR., Aiming, quoted
in a contemporary, is a strong one but
it is undoubtedly true. Either person
has disease or he has not. The idea of
a Suspect" is untenable. inspector
Gibson stated at the Board of Educa-
ton the other day. that boy was treat
ed as Suspect" for something like five
years, and that eventually the medical
officer concluded that the boy could do
no harmifh he went to school. and finally |
he went. That particular suspect" is
now married man, works for his living
and mingles with the people of his viii
lage. If people are dangerous to the
health of others they should be segre-
gated If they are not dangerous they
should not be denied privileges which
as citizens they are entitled to.