The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-25
SUPERVISION OF HEALTH IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The question how far the state
may properly go in dealing with the
health of public school children was
the subject of an important and in
teresting discussion at the annual
convocatiOn of the University of the
State of New York in Albany on Fri
day. The principal speakers were
Prof. William II. Burnham Of Clark
University, Worcester, Mass, and
Mr.. William Nottingham, of Syracuse
who is one of the Regents of the Uni.
versity in this state.
Prof. Burnham declared that Il
was the duty of the schools not only
TO look after the health of the pupils
SO far as proper ventilation, light and
the school surroundings we're con-
cerned. but that they should take care
to develop those habits of healthful
activity, both physical and mental,
which are the best safeguards against
nervous breakdown Precisely what
he meant by this is not apparent, but
the idea conveyed by the general tone
of his address was that the adminis-
tration Of our public school system
should include active, affirmative and
continuous effort directed to the
maintenance and improvement of the
health of the scholar.
Mr.. Nottingham, on the other hand,
deprecated the drift toward paternal-
ism which he declared to be discover
able in legislation concerning the
public schools. and he expressed
grave doubt whether It would be
wise policy to undertake to have
school children examined for non
contagious defects and subject them
70 treatment therefor at the public
expense. The home" he said,
should not be encouraged to think
1t can shoulder its obligations upon
the school. And the school must
supplement the home but never sup
plant It," .s
AS TO certain matters affecting the
health of the children in the public
schools we assume that there can
hardly be any serious difference OF
opinion. The state has the legal
right and in an ethical sense rests
under the duty 10 see to ~ that no
communicable malady Is introduced
into the schools. Its authority to
impose the requirement Of vaccina-
tion upon school children to this end
is now firmly established throughout
the Union generally not only by al
most universal practice but by num-
erous decisions in the courts of last
resort. The obligation of the sta
is also universally recognized to pro-
vide school buildings which shall be
suitably warmed, lighted and venti-
lated. and with schoolrooms so fur
nished, especially in regard to the
desks, as TO promote the physical
well heing Of the pupils.
When we go further than this,
however, there is room for much diff
ference of opinion. Some educators
would provide not only for general
| physical examination OF public
school children but for special tests
at frequent intervals of sight, hear
ing and nasSl and dental conditions.
and would gave the state furnish
! treatment at the public expense for
pupils who were found defective in
any Of these respects, Not long since
Prof. William Osler OF oxford, pub
licly advocated the appointment of
official dentists to examine and treat
the teeth of the pupils in the English
, public schools.
We are inclined to think that such
measures are rather beyond the legi-
innate limit OF state care. II is pro-
per, of course, to take measures to
ascertain whether the physical con-
dition of school children is such as
to enable them to prosecute their
studies with advantage. Thus an ex-
animation in regard to the vision OF
pupils may be proper enough, since
without good eyesight or, where that
does not eAlst, without the aid fur
nished by artificial means, II is of
course impossible for child TO study
with any profit. There seems to be
no more occasion, however, for the
state to provide eyeglasses for pupils
with defective vision or dental treat
ment for pupils with defective teeth
than there would be to furnish gar
ments for those who are insufficiently
clothed These are matters which
should be attended to by the parents
and guardians, unless indeed we are
prepared to inauguarte a system Of
full fedged socialism. New York Sun.