Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-01-01
SANITATION IN |
RURAL SCHOOLS
: .~ss r
Recommendations Made BY the
Public Health SarVIca.
IMPORTANCE OF HYGIENE
A Sanitary and Msdioai esrvey Of Per-
ter County. Ind, Was Made Last Year
by the Government Service srd was
Embodied In General Rulss Sf WjJs
applicability.

1oakh ana on request or eho Indiana
state board Of health and the Porter
county Qhd.) health ands.school off,
-eials sanitary and medlcs sasurvey Of
the rural schools OF Porter q k;nty was
Aade by the limited s ks Sbublic
health service last. year. This iuvestt-
gdtion included sanitary SURVEY of
school locations and buildings, L study
Of the physlcsl fitness of rural school
children and mental tests Of these chill
drens an thes shasis.ef the results OBJ
tanned frecdhm{ Nations were made to
4he health dsscpool authorities Of
Porter eounsy Since these recommen-
Aations are Of general applicability
they hare been included In United
States public health bulletin No. n,
issued under the title Rural School
Sanitation" They are as follows:
Especial effort should be made to
consolidate an additional number Of
rural schools Of the county Wherever
this may be practicable.
In cases where consolidation cannot
be Accomplished number of rural
schools shoala be remodeled. SO Is to
render them Sanitary. IS
Greater attention should.be given to
the daylight Illumination Of number
OF classrooms Of the county. Windows
should be rearranged and the interior
decorations selected to meet the re-
Quirements Of light diffusion most de-
sirable for VISUAL comfort,
All Of the schools Of the county should
be provided with sanitary privies for
the protection Of the school water sup
ply and as an example in personal and
public hygiene
Each school in the county unconnect-
ed with general water system should
be provided with individual sources of
water for drinking purposes. These
should be properly protected against
surface drainage. Furthermore, the
practice of obtaining the water for
school purposes from neighboring farm
houses should be discontinued.
The heating Of classcooms by closed
stoves should be prohibited and great
er attention given. to the. upkeep and
installation Of heating plants.
Ventilation by the routine opening Of
windows should be requirement and
the. installation of protected openings
to'the outside air should ~ Eihed
in all classrooms heated and ~ tllkted
by the gravity method:
Better cloakroom seebmmeda fipns
should be. provided In all schools 6fd
the use OF classroom walls an6 en-
trance halls for this purpose prohip-,
tied. r.: SIS ~'
Greater security against fire Ia. the
larger consolidated schools .shoul6 be
obtained through the installation Of
fire fighting apparatus, properly ar
ranged fire escapes and the Institution
OF regular fire drills.
The duties Of medical Inspector Of
schools should be combined with those
Of local health officer. n
A full time officer should be required
to be appointed for the discharge Of
these combined duties, thereby prevent
ing the spread Of disease in the schools
and improving health conditions in the
county. &C..
1t would be desirable for the above
mentioned officer to be affiliated also
with the Juvenile courts or other courts
having jurisdiction over juvenile delin-
quentS to make mental examinations
OF such offenders for the purpose of
mental classification in the interest of
justice.
Steps should be taken to secure insti-
tutional treatment for the mental de-
fectives in the county.
Measures should be taken to secure
special classes and individualized in
struction for children who are simply
retarded and fail to make grade.