Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-04
lone Child OUT OF
|. EVERY SIX FOUND
OBEDEFECTIVE
Examination of English Schools
Shows Conditions Appalling:
State Control is Needed
icy Associated pressl


LONDON. England The surprising
revelation that at least one-sixth Of
England's six million school children
are so physically or mentally defec.
tive or diseased as To be incapable of
deriving reasonable benefit from the
education which the state provides
is made in report just issued by the
chief medical officer of the board OF
education.
The report has aroused great inter
est and has come as a shock TO the
] public generally. The Manchester
Guardian says that the report should
awaken fears as to the nations future
Ts SHARPLY as would news or disas-
trous defeat of our arms" II makes
the point that the waste referred to is
preventable and that while it is be-
ing lessened by better housing, better
labor conditions and purer and cheap
er food, together with ampler medi-
cal facilities and sounder ideas in edn-
cation and hygiene, the nation
moves with incredible slowness.'
State Control is Remedy
Sir George Newman the chief med
zeal officer, at the conclusion of his
report, indicates that a complete
scheme is now practically ready that
will enable the state to- take entire
charge of the child, mentally. physi.
cally and morally, with view to pre-
/ venting in future a repetition of re-
PORTS as disappointing as that just is
sued. The transformation is to be ac-
complished through the aid OF sew
eral agencies. The local education au-
thorities, through their school medi-
cal service, have established system
OF remedy and amelioration. Educa-
ton committees, doctors, nurses and
thousands of voluntary workers COM
pose a cooperative system designed to
save the child. The system is to ex-
tend from schools for mothers to the
home and from welfare centers to
Juvenile employment. In his report
Sir George Newman says:
Eight years work has brought to
light large mass OF physical defect
and disease, varied in character and
widespread, most of it preventible.
In regard to the data thus provided we
can form two general conclusions.
First, not less than quarter OF mil
lion children are seriously crippled,
invaded, or disabled; not less than
a million school children are so physi-I
call% or mentally defective or dis
eased as to be unable to derive rea
sonable benefit from the. education
which the state provides. If this fig
ure be considered merely from fl
nancial point of view and quite apart
from the disease, suffering and prema-
ture death entailed, it will be seen
that the state is not getting adequate
returns. en- physical grounds alone,
for a substantial part of its expendf-
ture on elementary education"
Supervision is Needed
Consideration of the situation
seems to indicate that the physical
welfare, and in part the education, of
the child of school age is dependent
upon ante-school conditions; and de-
pendent also upon post-school condi-
tions. In other words, if We are deter
mined to rear healthy and yirile race
of high capac.ty, we must, from a
physical standpoint, begin earlier and
continue later than the hitherto ac-
cepted period Of education. What is
needed, indeed, is an effective super
vision and sound and practical train
ing of the body from the end of in
fancy to adolescence. 1t is said some
times that in the interest OF economy
the state cannot afford such a |
complete scheme Ny submission is
that in the interest OF economy the |
state cannot afford to neglect COM
| lete scheme"