CONDITIONS OF HEALTH ESSENTIAL FOR CARRYING ON INSTRUCTION. 463 



ganitary conditions affecting both teachers and scholars, scholastic defects 

 and difficulties, and morals. 



Evidence given by inspectors has mainly referred to points in which 

 attention has been drawn by women to such defects in girls' and infant 

 schools, and cases in which teachers have specially sought advice and help 

 from a woman-inspector. 



An abstract is appended from a valuable letter from Miss Ravenhill 

 covering nearly all the points of importance that have arisen in the 

 inquiry. The correspondence with teachers, inspectoi's, and others has 

 been of great interest, and the Committee only regret that it is not 

 possible to print fuller extracts. 



It should perhaps be mentioned that while not all teachers are in 

 favour of having women-inspectors, it seems that it is usually those who 

 work under the happiest conditions who have not felt the need. Almost 

 all are glad of the inquiry, and express hopes that it may be acted on, 

 though many are anxious it should not be known that they have given 

 evidence. The need is as great, if not greater, in pupil-teachers' centres 

 and in science schools for girls as anywhere. One woman, twelve years 

 member of a School Board, writes that women-inspectors will be more 

 needed under the Education Act than before. 



Stress has been laid by several correspondents on the care desirable in 

 selecting women to serve as inspectors, and the Committee wish to 

 emphasise this point. It is most important that inspectors, whether men 

 or women, should possess a practical knowledge of hygiene, especially as 

 regards school structures and child-life. Some evidence of such know- 

 ledge might well be required in the future. 



It is earnestly hoped that the attention, both of the Board of Educa- 

 tion and of the new Local Education Authorities may be drawn to the 

 importance of the subject. 



Extract from Letter from Miss Raveithili referring to Returns 

 ohtaiiied by her from School Teacher i. 



* Instances of very serious defects in the ventilation and heating of 

 elementary schools appear in my returns ; for example, classrooms 

 underground, of which the air is always foul, and another case where the 

 temperature of the babies' room was rarely above 48° F. for some weeks 

 in the winter of 1902. It is believed that a woman-inspector would be 

 more alive than male inspectors have shown themselves to be to the 

 deteriorating influences exercised upon health by these and similar 

 conditions of work. A glaring example of insanitary conditions is given 

 in a school a portion of the foundations of which stand in water : fungus 

 grows abundantly beneath the school floor, causing an unpleasant odour, 

 but the only steps taken to remedy the evil is the placing of lime from 

 time to time under the floor.' 



The information collected this year again, as last year, emphasises the 

 need for and the importance of a greater diff"usion among teachers and 

 among those who have charge of schools, of a true knowledge regarding 

 the working of the healthy body and mind. As to this knowledge 

 required by teachers the influence of school habits and of school work 



