Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-16
BILL PROVIDES FOR
HEALTH SUPERVISION
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
LOCAL SCIENTIST Is ACTIVE IN
MEASURE
Physicians Work Wonders in Correct
ina Nervous and Mental ALL
ments by OPERA
tions

mediate and practical returns have
THE Welfare of the Child" as their
inspiration.
Statesmen in legislative halls, moth
ers in council and educators the world
over are considering the small human
and his interests of paramount import
ance, and his valuation on the worlds
exchange is listed far above par.
In this labor of love California is
leading, and a bill providing for health
and development supervision, in the
public schols of the state, which was
recently signed by Governor Gillett,
not only insures future well being,
physical. mental and moral, plus a
large amount of that Elusive quality
called Happiness" to thousands of cit
izens~to-be, but incidentally places Cal
ifornia in the vanguard of world-prog
ress.
Provisions of this law are the follow
ing:
Section boards of school trustees and city
boards of education are hereby authorized to
establish health and development supervision
in the public schools of this state. and to en-
ploy tan examining staff and other employes)
necessary to carry said work and to fix
the compensation for the same. whenever
practicable the examining staff for health and
development supervision in the pubic schools
OF the state shall consist of both educators
and physicans).
Sec 2.-(The purposes of health and develop
ment supervision in the public schools Of the
state hereby defined as follows
First-To secure the correction of develop
mental and acquired defects of both pupils and
teachers which interfere with health, growth
and efficiency by complete physical examina-
ton. Said examinations shall occur annually
OR often may be determined by the board
of school trustees city board of education)
Second--To adjust school activities to health
and growth needs and to development processes
and to attend to all matters pertaining to
school hygiene.
Third-To bring about a special study of men
tai retardation and deviation of pupils in the
public schools.
Sec 3.-tThe requirements for certihcation of
members of the examining staff for health and
development supervision in the public schools
Of the state shall be follows:
For Educators-A life diploma of California
Of the high school or grammar school grade
and a health and development certificate which
shall authorize the holder of such certificate
to conduct the work authorized by this act
in those grades specified by the life diploma
held
For Physicians-A California certificate to
practice medicine and surgery and a health
and development certificate
Sec 4-County city and county boards of
education are hereby authorized to grant health
and development certificates to holders of life
diplomas of California of the high school or
grammar school grade or to holders of Califor-
mia certificates to practice medicine and sur
gerry who shall present with such life diplomas
or with such certificates to practice medicine
and surgery a recommendation from the state
board of education certifying special fitness for
the work specified in this actO
The passage of this bill last winter,
and the subsequent favorable action by
the governor. are due largely to efforts
put forth by George L. Leslie, M. A,
head of the science department in the
Los Angeles schools, ably seconded by
DR.. David Starr Jordon, and other in
1uential men,
California Cares for Children
Nowhere in the United States is the
physical care of the child receiving
so much attention as in California,
and the heart of the movement is here
in Los Angeles.
Other municipalities, Boston being
among the pioneers, have had in opera
ton for years a system of school ex-
aminations confined to the eye and ear,
but only in Los Angeles have pupils
had the advantage of general and COM
plete physical examination by experts,
accompanied by the assurance that all
ailments ranging from a sore tooth to
crooked spine and resultant nerve
disturbances shall be caused to vanish
as a mist before the rising sun.
Under Professor LeslieS gentle min
| istrations sad-faced little people who
had never been able "to see an inch
| beyond their noses" have one glad
day gazed joyously through perfectly
fitting glasses and exclaimed for the
| first time: ooh! 1 can see clear to the
other side of the room!"
Become Attractive
Dull students, irritable and perverse,
| have become bright and attentive fol-
lowing a slight aural operation or on
account of the removal of tonSils ex-
| tracing a decayed tooth or straighten-
ing protruding and irregular ones, often
| has proved the agency whereby an
anaemic child has acquired robust
health, and many a so-called bad
boy" intractable and uncontrolled,
will live through years of successful
and happy manhood, blessing George
L. Leslie for correcting some spinal
deviation more or less pronounced
when they first passed under his OBJ
serVation.
One of the vital topics scheduled for
consideration at the state meeting
which opens Tuesday evening at Del
Monte is this matter of school super
vision of the health and development
of the pupils. The subject is to be
presented by Prof. Leslie, who took up
the local work five years ago and who.
aided by the hearty sympathy and CO.
opera ton of the Los Angeles board of
HAS 81 tuluIStu lie SCOpc
that it is attracting the attention and
enthusiastic Endorsement of educators
in Great Britain and on the continent
and is the source of a widespread
movement in various sections of the
United States that promises to become
national.
That the educative work which is to
form the chief interest of the Califor-
mia Federation of Womens Clubs the
coming year deals with the successful
operation of the law above referred
to is due largely to the efforts
of Mrs. o. Shepard Barnum, chair
man of the education committee
In the state body and vice chairman of
the same department in the national
organization. In the general fedora
ton Mrs. Barnum is at the head of the
departments of educational law, state
and town systems of education, and
medical inspection.
Los Angeles Wins Tribute
This law, whose passage has aroused
and made possible renewed and gem
eral activity, is the outgrowth of the
worA in Los Angeles public schools for
fourteen years, and Mr. Leslie In his