Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-04
DEFECTIVE TEETH
RETARD PUPILS
Survey Shows Decay Great
est Cause in Holding Back
Children in Studies.

Among physical defects hindering
the educational progress of school
children, decaying teeth is listed as
the greatest cause, according to Tinon
Covert, specialist in school finance at
the United States Office of Education.
Defective teeth were found most
often in a group of 1852 elementary
school pupils in As modern consolidated
schools where the survey was conducted,
Mr.. Covert asserted. The study, which
was conducted jointly by Mr. Covert
and the principal statistician, David t.
BloSe, involved an examination of the
relation between physical defects and
educational retardation.
1t was found that IS per cent of the
BOYS and 81 per cent of the girls have
decayed teeth Pupils with the greatest
number of decayed teeth are in age
groups. S, 6. Is and Is. Mr.. Covert said
the study discloses. The average num-
Der of defective teeth for boys of all
ages is approximately three, a,s1 for
the girls approximately two.
Vision Also Has Influence.
The study, which involves an ex-
animation of the relation between ply
steal defects and retardation, was con-
Quoted jointly by Mr.. Covert and the
principal statistician, David T. Blose,
It was explained.
The data reveals that while there is
more retardation among both the boys
and girls of certain ages who nave de-
cayed teeth than there is among those
who do not have, for each group as
whole the opposite is true. The differ
ence amounts to IS per cent for the
boys and 10 per cent for the girls. EX-
animation revealed that so per cent OF
the boys and 80 per cent of the girls
with bad teeth were retarded in their
school work. 1t was found that 9 per
cent of the boys and s per cent OF the
girls suffer from defective vision sum-
Gent to interfere with their work. Re-
tardation is found to be greater among
pupils of defective vision than among
those without, Mr.. Covert said.
The hearing of "a per cent of the
bows and IL per cent of the girls, the
specialist pointed out, is deficient
enough to interfere with their work.
Retardation is greater among boys
suffering from this handicap than
little difference appears to exist between
the two groups of girls, he said.
Speech and Posture Included.
The study, it was pointed out, also
Included, defective speech and posture
per cent of the boys and per cent of
the girls we're found to have speech de-
fects to the extent of interfering with
their school work. OF this number, SO
per cent of the boys with defective
speech were retarded because of this
defect and So per cent of the girls.
Bad posture is attributed to III per
cent of the boys and 80 per cent of the
girls. OF the boys suffering from this
impairment, Mr.. Covert called attention
to the fact that 90 per cent of the boys
were retarded thereby and 60 per cent
of the girls.
Knowledge of the cause of failures in
school, Mr.. Covert explained, will
furnish facts to combat pupil retarda-
ton, and where health and physical
defects contribute to the cause, precau-
tions can be taken to remove in so far
as possible interference of this kind in
the progress of pupils in their school
work.