The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-03-27
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 Fl. Durham of Clark
University, Worcester, Mass, and
Mr.. William Nottingham, of Syracuse
who is one of the Regents of the Uni
yersity in this state.
Prof. Burnham declared that 1t
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 sealthful
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
IF his address was that the admins
ration 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 q
wise policy to undertake to have
school children examined for non
contagious defects and subject them
to treatment therefor at the public
expense 1.-THE home" he said,
should not be encouraged to think
it can shoulder Its obligations upon
the school. And the school must
supplement the home but never sup
plant 1t"
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 to SEE to it that nc
communicable malady is introduced
into the schools. Ire authority to
impose the requirement of vaccina-
ton upon school children to this end
is now firmly established throughout
the Union generally not only by al
most universal practice but by mum
erous decisions in the courts of last
resort. The obligation of the stayt
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
we'll being of the pupils.
When we go further than this
however, there is room for much dIi.
ference OF opinion. Some educators
would provide not only for general
| physical examination or pUDiic
school children but for special tests
at frequent intervals of sight, hear.
| ing and nasal and dental conditions
and would have the state furnish
treatment at the public expense foi
| pupils who were found defective id
| any OF these respects. Not long siuce
| Prof. William 0sler, OF Oxford, pub.
licly advocated the appointment oil
Official dentists to examins and treat
the teeth of the pupils in the English
! public schools.
We are inclined to think that sucl
measures are rather beyond the legi
innate limit of state care. 1t is pro,
per, of course, to take measures t.
ascertain whether the physical con
dition OF school children is such a!
to enable them to prosecute theiI
studies with advantage. Thus an ex
animation in regard to the vision o
pupils may be proper enough, since
without good eyesIght or, where tina
does not exist, without the aid fur
nished by artificial means, 1t is o
course impossible for a child to stud
with any profit. There seems to b.
no more occasion, however, for IL,
state to provide eyeglasses for pupil
with defective vision or dental treat
ment for pupils With defective teetl
than there would be to furnish gar
ments for those who are insufficient.
clothed. These are matters whicl
should be attended to by the parent
and guardians, unless indeed we ar
prepared to inausuarte a system o
full fedged socialism. New York Sur
|