6.
SCHOOL HYGIENE
The school population given in the Wellington Review is 80,000 but this seems an under-estimate of the school-age population as a whole. The 1941 figures give for school population and schools are stated below:--
Pupils
Government
22
6,300
Grant-in-Aid and Subsidized Schools
295
37,500
Private Schools
972
82,700.
Total Schools
1,289
126,500
2.
There is no compulsory attendance at schools in Hong Kong, but a high propor- tion of children of school-age attend school. The Chinese appreciate the value of education for their children and are prepared to pay for it. The lowest charge is a dollar a month and that amount is within the capacity of any parent or guardian of a child in Hong Kong; the attendance rate is high. Some Chinese societies run free primary schools; probably this amounts to one hundred schools, with an approximate school population of five thousand.
Evidence among school children, especially their liveliness and happy attitude, does not indicate a low standard of nutrition among those attending..
There is, however, a greater proportion of non-attenders than in more normal times. What this amounts to cannot be ascertained at present because school registers have not yet been re-introduced.
There is no need for me to refer to the use of this group of the population as a medium for the instillation of the principles of hygiene; all this is accepted nowadays. The only difficulty in Hong Kong is the lack of trained staff to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded. This means not only the exhibition of the ordinary methods of propaganda but also indirect ways through the relief of pain and the curing of disabling disease. The Chinese are keen judges of the things that can be turned to their benefit and are thus prepared to receive ideas that are not readily acceptable to many Colonial peoples.
Various Health Services for the schools are referred to in other sections of the report.
Most of the larger school buildings are occupied by the Military Authorities and temporary, but very inadequate, accommodation has had to be found in which to carry on. The result is that large numbers of children have had to be refused admission to any school. The permanent school buildings should be returned to the Education Authorities at the earliest possible moment.
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION
.
The progress in the return to health and well-being of the population generally since my arrival in the Colony, less than three weeks ago, (at the time of writing this note), has been very noticeable. This, of course, is the healthiest season of the year but the real factor has been the lifting of the bulk of the people from virtual starvation to a reasonable level of subsistence. Relief was afforded from the earliest days of re-entry. Supplies of food are now almost plentiful and most prices have dropped to within the capacity of the humblest worker. The need for relief has declined and soon will almost yanish. I am told that in Hong Kong there is comparatively little real destitution at présent; there are beggars but begging is a profession in this part of the world. There are also many incapacitated from work through illness.
Rice is subsidized by Government and sold at a reasonable price, and fresh vegetables are becoming more plentiful. There is an excellent supply of fish of good quality. Street stalls are multiplying rapidly; indeed, the complaint of the sanitary staff is that they are so rapidly increasing as to be beyond control of the limited supervisory staff. Civil Affairs Administration has toned down the activities of the middle-men (or "laans") who were strangling the fisher-folk and have in mind to extend this process in other directions. What is short is good fat. Soya bean is in use and a fair supply of ground nut oil is available, but is still 42878-1
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