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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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9PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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Cyprus.

The High Commissioner regrets to state that it has not yet been found possible to establish a regular system of hygienic teaching in the elementary schools of the island. The matter is in the hands of the Chief Medical Officer, and Sir C. King- Harman has every hope that that officer will be able to come to some arrangement with the local school authorities for the adoption of a definite course of instruction in this important subject.

West Indies.

Bahamas.

Shortly before the receipt of the circular, preparatory steps were taken to give effect to the provisions of 4 and 5 Ed. VII., cap. 15, which prescribes the teaching of the rudiments of the principles of temperance and hygiene in all the public schools of the Colony.

Application was made to a large number of the Colonies which had already commenced to give elementary instruction in physiology and public health, and a very useful collection of literature on the subject has been collected.

As soon as possible suitable handbooks were sent for and issued, and the Governor hopes that some real progress will now be made.

He states that, in estimating results, it must be borne in mind that parts of the Colony are more distant from Nassay, as regards the time necessary to obtain an answer to a communication, than England, and that this renders inspec- tion and supervision difficult, arduous, and costly. The general standard of elementary education is probably lower in the Bahamas than in any of the West Indian Colonies, because it has never been practicable to make adequate educa- tional provision for the very scattered population, or to make even the smallest attempt to promote technical education, which he regards as of the greatest value.

He further states that the educational vote has grown steadily, and will no doubt continue to do so, but that it is hardly open to doubt that, until the Colony can develop its agricultural resources, it will never be in a position to make adequate provision for the education of its widely distributed inhabitants.

Barbados.

It has been decided to adopt Dr. Prout's book entitled "Lessons on Elementary Hygiene and Sanitation with special refernce to the Tropics," as a handbook for the use of the teachers and children of the higher standards in the Elementary Schools.

Leaflets have already been issued by the Board of Education of the Colony, giving instructions with regard to typhoid fever and cassava poisoning, and the girls in some of the schools, from the fourth standard upwards, are taught in domestic economy Readers the rules of health, the benefits of cleanliness and ventila- tion of their homes, and the kinds of food that they should use.

Bermuda.

So far it has not been found practicable to extend the teaching of the rudiments of hygiene in the schools under the Board of Education beyond the teaching referred to in the previous memorandum. The Governor remarks that Bermuda, not being strictly speaking a "tropical Colony," and being peculiarly immune from tropical diseases, it appears to him that the injunctions contained in the circular were not particularly applicable to the Colony. At the same time he fully appreciates the expediency of instituting a definite course of instruction for such teachers as are under the Board of Education and also of giving facilities to other teachers to join a course of lectures.

The question has not been lost sight of and the Medical Officer of Health has been invited to give to the teachers a course of lectures on the laws of health. He was prepared to give the lectures during the winter vacation of the schools in 1905, but, unfortunately, he was called upon at that time to cope single-handed with a mild, but somewhat alarming, epidemic of diphtheria. The Governor trusted that nothing would occur to prevent the giving of the proposed lectures during the coming session of Saturday classes for teachers, and he will use his best endeavours to promote the objects recommended in the circular.

British Guiana.

Instruction in the rudiments of hygiene is being given in the elementary schools to all children in Standards IV., V., and VI. The books in use are: (1) "Outline Scheme for teaching Hygiene and Temperance," issued by the English Board of Education; (2) Chapter on Health in Book II. of Blackie's Tropical Readers; and (3) Dr. Dickson's Short Treatise on Malaria. To these will shortly be added Professor Boyce's pamphlet on "The Prevention of Yellow Fever" and " and Suggestions for their Extermination," printed for the use of the General Board Mosquitoes of Health of Bermuda. Both the Inspector of Schools and the Surgeon-General consider that ample provision has been made for the teaching of hygiene and that no further handbooks than those mentioned should be placed in the hands of teachers at present.

As regards the work done in the schools, the Inspector reports that, on the whole, the results of the examinations held in 1906 are satisfactory.

British Honduras.

The Board of Education made the following recommendations:-

(1) That the teaching of hygiene should be introduced in the public

elementary schools of the Colony.

(2) That the text-book to be used should be Professor Simpson's "Main- tenance of Health in the Tropics"; and, for this purpose, 200 copies should be imported by the Government to be distributed amongst the managers, teachers, and pupil teachers of schools; also a few samples of the diagrams advertised at the end of the book.

(3) That classes of teachers and pupil teachers should be formed in Belize during the Christmas holidays for the purpose of attending a short course of lectures on hygiene to be given by the Colonial Surgeon,

(a) at the St. Catherine's Convent, for the benefit of the Sisters

of Mercy, at which, with the permission of the Superior of the Convent, other female teachers and pupil teachers might attend, and,

(b) at a suitable lecture room, to be decided upon hereafter, for

the male teachers and pupil teachers.

(4) (a) That, on the completion of the course of lectures, the classes should

be examined, and those teachers who showed proficiency would then be permitted to teach the subject in their schools, the instruction being limited to Primary Standards V. and VI.

(b) That this should also be included in the list of subjects for the annual examinations for teachers and pupil teachers, on which three or four questions prepared by the Colonial Surgeon might be set.

(5) That afterwards the teachers should be required to meet in Belize, and other centres in the out-districts, for a repetition of such lectures, which, in the case of the out-districts, would be given by the District Medical Officer or, in his absence, by a local school manager or a teacher selected for the purpose, so as to ensure that they kept up their knowledge of the subject.

(6) That the attention of the Government should be drawn to page 75 of

Professor Simpson's book relating to the easy purchase of quinine. Two hundred copies of Professor Simpson's book have now been obtained. Jamaica.

The Superintending Medical Officer has undertaken the preparation of a "Manual of Hygiene " for use in the schools of Jamaica.

Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Government Medical Officer at Grand Turk has prepared a pamphlet entitled "How to keep healthy," copies of which will be distributed among the people of the Dependency.

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