Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-27
STAFF OF DOCTORS
FOR SCHOOLS HERE
URGED BY KRAMER
Present System of Medical
Supervision Inadequate,
He Declares.
HEALTH STUDY COURSE
ALSO PROPOSED IN CITY
Physical Training Is Called Great
Need-PrOjected System
Outlined.

The present medical supervision af-
forded public schools by the District
Health Department should be replaced
by regular medical staff under juris-
diction Of the Board ofSEducation, Ste
phen E. Kramer, first assistant superin-
tendent of schools, believes.
Mr.. Kramer elaborated today upon
the brief address he delivered at the
meeting Of the Early Diagnosis Com
mittee of the Society for the Prevention
of tuberculosis recently at the Y w.
G. A. Building. In that talk Mr.. Kramer
prophesied four-year major course in
health education in the public schools
In the near future.
Course Is Defined.
This course, Mr.. Kramer declared,
would include, /, physical training;
2, hygiene; 3, health attitude develop
ment: 4, economics of health, and, 5,
social relation. It would be admins
tered with the same regard now center
ing major academic courses.
This kind of program, however. can
not be presented in our schools" Mr.
Kramer asserted today, unless we are
going to be given a medical staff to
examine the pupils and recommend cor
receive exercises and such other adj
vantageouS treatment as the schools
with their gymnasiums are in a position
TO provide. What we need most of all
Is an adequate stan of physicians and
nurses responsible to the Board of
Education to put over this work for US"
Asked whether the Health Depart
ment as 1t functions at present does not
accomplish this end, the school oficer
said emphatically that it does not.
The Wealth Department" he ex-
planned, mas neithe- the staff for work
OF such proportions nor the admins
trattve program to attempt it. The only
children who now receive examinations
are those recommended for it by their
teachers, who, at best, are able to judge
apparent needs only by such evidence as
weight which Is apparent to laymen."
In support Of his contentious, Mr..
Kramer cited work now being done in
the child health field for the school
children Of Atlanta. Ca, where. he said.
DR.. William Sutton. superintendent of
schools. was able to force the school
board to spend money on physical edu-
cation. DR.. Sutton recently told an
audience of dentists here Of his success
iul demand that $4,000 be taken from
the funds allocated for the teaching of
Latin and used for the institution of a
health program.
Preparing Tor Collins"
Dr. Sutton argued that it is better to
spend money on living children than
on oead languages, and In response to
the argument. that reducing provisions
ior academic subjects might lessen
students qualifications for COLLEGE en-
trance, he told his board that failure
to fit them for college meant, too often,
preparing children for collins.
The Star carried statement last Sat-
urday 10 the effect that local school
ofncers were considering establishing
compulsory physical education as a
major subject" Since the appearance
OF that article, Mr.. Kramer has received
several comments of approval Kendall
Banning, editorial director Of the Public
Utilities Fortnightly and the father Of
a 14-year-old pupil in the public schools
here, was the first of the parents 10
come to Mr.. Kramer's support.
He wrote Mr.. Kramer, mot only to
assure you OF my very sincere commen-
dation OF your plans, but of my very
earnest desire to cooperate with YOU
in every way within my powers TO nut
your plans into effect"
DR.. @. Harris White. director of ply
steal training in the schools. also was
among the persons responding to the
suggestion. He recommended that the
term physical education" be changed
TO health educa ton" Recognition that
health education should be CONCEIVED
as an organized program" DR.. White
declared, has come during the past IS
years.
Class Room Instruction.
This program" DR.. White continued
should include class room instruction,
physical education and medical super
vision, correlated to promote the may
imum Of health and vigor for the child
at the moment and cultivate an eff
Gent health consciousness that will
keep him, in the future, healthy citi-
zen"
While Mr.. Kramer had recommended
that the major course in physical edu-
cation should embrace a minimum CT
three regular study periods a week, DR..
White believes that four such periods
would be more acceptable.