M 55
SECTION IV,
School Hygiene.
204. The Ordinances which apply to school hygiene are the Education Ordinance 1918 and the Public Health (Sanitation) Ordinance 1903. The former is administered by the Education Department and the latter by the Sanitary Department. To some extent the two overlap. Government schools, Military schools and schools exempted by the Governor-in-Council are not subject to the provisions of the Education Ordinance.
205. There is a tendency in some quarters to look upon school hygiene as a special branch of public health which should be administered apart from the general public health administration. This is a mistake. School hygiene forms an inseparable part of general public health and though there are aspects of the work which are best done by officers specially qualified, this should not be used as an argument for confining all matters relating to sanitation and the prevention of disease among school children to a particular body dealing exclusively with schools.
206. Because of the close connection between the school child and his home and through his companions with other homes, school hygiene and school welfare have an important influence on the general public health complex and especially is this the case where knowledge of hygiene and public health is of low standard among the working classes forming the bulk of the population, as happens in Hong Kong.
207. Not only is care of the school child's health of importance in preventing the development and spread of disease but the education of his mind in matters of hygiene and public health is the surest method known of spreading the gospel of health among the people. The two great propaganda centres for health are the school and the Infant Welfare Centre. That the child of to-day is the man of to-morrow is just as true in public health as it is in politics and this important fact should be more clearly recognised than it is at present.
208. In Hong Kong as elsewhere there should be the closest possible co-operation between the School Medical Officer, the Medical Officer of Health and the Education Officer, for without such co-operation it is impossible to get the best results. Education Officers can greatly assist the Health Officers by stimulating those in charge of schools to take prompt action where such is required in the interest of sanitation and the prevention of disease.
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