Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-01-24
HAZARDS OF SCHOOL LIFE

Competent authorities state that if
school building is properly construct
ed and if the school is well conducted
] there is no more danger to the child
at school than at home. The health
| hazard is far less in most cases than
on the street. In making this asser
ton it is assumed that adequate fire
protection is provided and that the
teachers are cooperating with the To-
cal health officer to the fullest es-
tent in preventing the spread of COM
municable diseases through presence
in The school OF pupils who have a
mild case Of communicable diefaase
or who are disease carriers. Many
| parents unfortunately are greatly con-
cerned about the danger from fire and
demand adequate fire protection, but
| they do not demand that their chill
dren be protected from communicable
diseases which are far more disas-
trous to the health and lives of the
| school children than fire. A school
which is improperly safeguarded may
be fit breeding place for commune
cable diseases simply because large
number of children come in close con-
tact with each other every day.
Epidemics among school children
may occur without killing any of the
children and even without leaving any
! of the survivors permanently damaged
| This usually does not happen, how
ever In widespread epidemic of So
called harmless diseases some are
sure to be left with some permanent
disability which will be more or less
of a handicap throughout life. The
question is often asked, who is re-
sponsible for seeing that school chill
dren are protected Our first thought
! Of course, is the school officers and
teachers. They must always be on
guard to see that every child who APP
pears to be sick and each one who
may have been exposed to infection
| disease is taken home and that the
health officer and parent are notified
This sort of work requires time and
special training which most teachers
lack. For this reason public health
| nurse or school nurse should be en-
| ployed One nurse can often look
| after two or three schools in very
| satisfactory manner. It is the duty of
the health officer to see that every
case of communicable disease in chill
dren or adults is isolated at once and
every necessary precaution taken to
/ prevent the further spread of the dis
ease. Not being mind reader the
health officer cannot know where the
cases are unless they are reported to
him. Evry physician and every house
holder where physician is not en-
| ployed is charged with the duty of re-
porting all cases of communicable dis
ease and all suspected cases to the
/ health officer at once. If the teacher
discovers a case of communicable dis
ease in her school or condition
which is suspicious of commune
cable disease in her school or a condi-
ton which is suspicious of communi-
cable disease it is her duty to notify
the parents and to make an immed-
late report to the health officer It is
far better to send home good many
children who have nothing the matter
with them than to let one stay in
school until he has exposed all the
children to the disease. Only very
selfish parent will try to conceal the
fact that his child has a communicate
lie disease in the hope of avoiding the