THE PHYSICAL WELFARE OF STUDENTS
Importance of Physical and Health Education The physical welfare of the youth of the country should be one of the main concerns of the State and any departure from the normal standards of physical well-being at this period of life may have serious consequences-it might promote disease or render the individual more easily susceptible to certain disease. In many countries, particularly during the two world wars, an examination of young men recruited for war service revealed a disproportionately large number who were unfit for such work. In India even among those persons who were recruited on a voluntary basis, it was noted that quite a large number of them were physically unfit for military service. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, if the whole. of the population at the particular age period at which recruitment takes place had been subject to a similar examination the proportion of the unfit would have been higher than in any other country. Physical fitness and health education, therefore, assume an importance that no State can afford to neglect.
It is often stated that the proper care of the health and sound physical education require an expenditure that may not be within the reach of the State Government. It is unfortunate that a long range view has not been taken in this matter. To allow the youth to suffer from physical handicaps and thus to fall a victim to diseases and to allow incipient diseases to lie dormant and then develop it to increase the number that would require hospital treatment. Such an approach naturally swells the medical budget of the country. Apart from this aspect, it has to be recognised that the increase in the number of physically handicapped people and those of low health levels means an increase in the number of those with diminished economic value and efficiency. The earning capacity of such individuals being seriously diminished, it becomes an economic drain on the resources of the country to support them and their families. If both these points are taken into consideration, it will be seen that economising in health education and physical welfare is unsound economy because the State has to spend much more on medical services than it would under properly organised schemes of physical and health education.
I
HEALTH EDUCATION From what has been stated, it must be clear that unless physical education is accepted as an integral part of education. and the educational authorities recognised its need in all schools, the youth of the country, which form its most valuable asset, will never be able to pull
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their full weight in national welfare. The emphasis so far has been more on the academic type of education without proper consideration being given to physical welfare and the maintenance of proper standards of health of the pupils.
Measures to be Adopted We shall now refer to some considerations that may be borne in mind in regard to health education. Every student in the school requires to be trained in sound health habits both at school and at home. The instruction should be practical so that he may not only appreciate the value of health education but also learn the ways in which he can effectively maintain and improve his health. This is essential not only for physical reasons but because sound mental health depends on good physical health. It should, therefore, be a responsibility of all schools to see that their children keep healthy so that they can get the maximum benefit possible from their education.
Medical Examination It is necessary for this purpose, to subject all students to a medical examination, to ascertain whether they are normal in health and standards of physical development. Although the system of school medical inspection has been in existence for a number of years in many States, we are of the opinion that the results have not been satisfactory for the following reasons :
(i) The medical inspection has been done in a perfunctory manner.
(ii) The defects that have been brought out even by this type of examination have not been remedied because the remedial measures suggested are often not carried out.
(iii) There is no follow-up not even in the case of those who have been declared as defective.
(iv) Effective co-operation has not been established between the school authorities and the parents, and either through ignorance or through lack of financial resources or both, the parents have taken little interest in the reports of the school medical officers.
We feel therefore that unless the present system is improved considerably, it would be a mere waste of time and money to continue it To bring about necessary improvements, we recommend that :
(i) Health examination should be thorough and complete. If a choice is to be made between frequent and cursory examinations and more thorough examinations at longer intervals, the latter are greatly to be preferred. Every pupil in the 'School. should undergo at least one complete examination every year while in school and one just prior to leaving-the School.
(ii) Pupils with serious defects and those who suffer from severe illnesses should be examined more frequently.
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(iii) Much more should be done to assure prompt and effective followup whenever examinations reveal the need for corrective or remedial measures.
(iv) One copy of the health report should be kept by the school medical officer, another copy should go to the parent, and a third copy to the teacher in charge of a particular group of students. This copy should be kept as part of the personal record of the pupil and on this should be based the programme for his health instruction and physical education. It should be the duty of the school physician to study the reports of health examinations and to select those cases for which remedial or corrective treatment is indicated. Thus the health and safety of students will become an important concern of the entire school and activities for promoting and safeguarding health will find a place throughout the school programme.
School Health Service and the Community We have stated at another place that the whole concept of the duties of the school needs to be enlarged, by including in it various forms of fruitful co-operation with the community. There are various fields in which the school can serve the community, and various fields in which the community can co-operate with the school. It is important to remember that in regard to the health and the care of the children, the activities of the school should be extended to their homes, and neighbourhood and to the village or city as a whole. The reason for this is obvious. The health of school children is determined not only during the hours spent at school but even more so during the time spent at home and in the neighbourhood of the home and at work. If the school neglects the home and community factors, these out-of-school influences may prevent or cancel many of the beneficial effects of the school's endeavour to improve the health of the child. It is not suggested that schools can directly control the conditions outside, but they can influence them by educating both the pupils and their parents, by co-operating with the physicians and the health authorities of the city or village and by educating the public to a better appreciation of its health problems and a better recognition of what they can themselves do to improve health conditions. We may go further and say that if the school could actually do something to improve the conditions of sanitation in small, selected locality, it would be the best health education for both pupils and parents and, in fact, the whole community. In this endeavour, the health authorities of the locality should give their active co-operation and assistance to the school. This would also be a very good method of promoting the idea of the dignity of labour in the children.
This approach to the maintenance of school children's health may appear impracticable at first sight. But a clear appreciation of the factors involved and a better co-ordination of the agencies concerned with the promotion of health will show that the adopting of such measures can produce tangible results within a reasonable time.
136 THE PHYSICAL WELFARE OF STUDENTS [CHAP. X
The Role of Teachers We have stated that there should be a systematic follow-up and that active methods should be adopted to afford the full benefits of medical treatment for such students as need it. In regard to the health of school children, it is necessary to realise that it is the teacher who can detect at a very early stage any deviation from the normal, such as defective vision, postural defects, deficient hearing etc., because he is in constant contact with the child. We have therefore emphasised in the Chapter on Teacher-Training that training in first aid and fundamental principles of health as well as the detection of deviations from normal standards should form a part of the instruction prescribed for all teachers in Training Colleges. If such training is given in the first principles of health maintenance, teachers can play a valuable part in bringing to the notice of the school medical officer or other authorities concerned any cases of deviation from the normal at a fairly early stage.
Medical Examination of Children in Hospitals A scheme has been formulated in one of the States, whereby in those areas where well-equipped hospitals are situated, the school children may get the benefit of attention from the specialists of the hospitals. In cases where defects have been noted and medical treatment is required, the children may be taken in groups by the teacher, the school medical officer or the physical director to the hospital 'concerned on one or two afternoons in the week, when the staff will look after him. It has been suggested that the whole afternoon may be reserved for this purpose. In this way a team of medical officers, who are specialists in such branches as Opthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Chest diseases, etc., together with a physician would be responsible for taking note of the physical defects and ailments of children and getting them suitably treated. Children who require more frequent visits may be advised to attend such afternoon sessions or they may be told the remedial measures which the escorting teacher should see are My carried out. In view of the paucity of trained personnel and the limited number of hospitals equipped for this purpose, it will not, however be possible to extend such a scheme over the whole State.
There is reason to believe that, owing to over-crowding and other insanitary conditions of city life, the health of school children suffers much more in urban than in rural areas. At present the opportunities for school children to be taken to well-equipped hospitals are greater in urban areas than in the rural areas. It is suggested, therefore, that to begin with, the school-population of the urban areas may be given the benefit of the scheme and the progress in its working should be watched. It is not by means implied that the rural children should be neglected. Wherever such defects are noticed in them, it must be ensured that they also get the benefit or proper medical care at the institutions situated in the neighbouring towns or cities. They should be taken to the institutions concerned or the medical staff may visit
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such schools on definite days, arranging mobile. hospital ambulances for the purpose. In any case such remedial measures as the school medical officer may suggest should be adopted, and the school authorities should see that they are carried out.
One of the important factor leading to many defects in health is malnutrition. At no period of life does malnutrition play such a large part in causing ill-health, or in promoting defects of growth as in the period of adolescence. Very little is being done at present in educational institutions to see to the proper nutrition of children. We recommend that, in residential schools and hostels, balanced diets suited to different ages should be prescribed by nutrition experts and managements be advised about proper standards for children's diet.
II
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The Concept of Physical Education We have dealt with health education first because the success of physical education depends upon the health of the student. It is an indispensable part of all health programmes. Its various activities should be so planned as to develop the physical and mental health of the students, cultivate recreational interests and skills and promote the spirit of team work, sportsmanship and respect for others. Physical education is, therefore, such more than mere drill or a series of regulated exercises. It includes all forms of physical activities and games which promote the development of the body and mind.
If it is to be given properly, teachers of physical education should evolve a comprehensive plan to be followed by the students and it should be based on the results of the health examination. Most of these activities are group activities, but they should be made to suit the individual as well, taking due note of his capacity for physical endurance. Phyiscal education, group games and individual physical exercises should be given, no doubt, in the school under the supervision of the Director of Physical Education, but there is one aspect of physical education which should not be forgotten. As in the case of health education, the school should 'go to the community' and seek its assistance in the furtherance of the programme of physical education. There are various types of physical exercises that can be taken up by students with the necessary aptitudes, outside the, school under the auspices of other agencies in the community interested in physical education, e.g., swimming, boating, hiking, and group games that may be locally popular. Where such facilities are available, special arrangements should be made for school children to avail of them under proper guidance and special hours may be fixed for them in some cases. e.g. in swimming baths and Akhadas, etc.
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Teachers and Physical Education It has been noted that physical education is generally considered to be the exclusive responsibility of the teacher for physical education. So long as the other teachers of the school do not participate in this matter along with the physical instructor, physical education will Dot be a success. That is why we have recommended elsewhere that the teachers under training should receive a certain amount of instruction in physical education while specialists will of course be trained in special institutions. We recommend that all teachers or at least those below the age of 40 should actively participate in many of the activities of physical education and thus make it a living part of the total school programme instead of being a side issue entrusted to an isolated member of the staff.
We place special value on group games as they help to mould the character of the students in addition to affording recreational facilities and contributing to their physical well being. There is one aspect of group games to which we should like to draw attention. Competitive group games between different schools and regions have come to stay and they no doubt increase interest in group games. One defect which is often associated with them has, however, to be guarded against. In order to prepare teams for competitive matches the playing fields are often utilised mainly by the, few students who are selected for the school teams, while the majority ate content to watch them passively. To develop the health of the school community, it is far more important that the majority of the students should utilise the playing fields than that a small minority should do so for the sake of winning tournaments and bringing a kind of professional credit to the school. The growth of this tendency towards a kind of professionalism in school sports must be carefully resisted.
We have recommended the maintenance of school records for all students, and would like to add here that these should include a full record of all activities in the field.
Training of Physical Education Teachers Some of the States have established Colleges of Physical Education where training is given for about a year to candidates possessing certain prescribed qualifications. We are of the opinion that the training should be comprehensive including all aspects like health education, first-aid, nutrition, etc. It is important that they should have a good standard of general education. Teachers of physical education in Secondary schools should have at least passed the S. S. L. C. Examination and should have received some training in general principles of education and child psychology. They should be associated with the teaching of subjects like physiology and hygiene and should be given the same status as other teachers of similar qualifications in the school. If graduate trained teachers are available they may take up teaching of certain special subjects. If the training institutions are effectively
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to discharge their duties they should be staffed with carefully selected persons of technical competence and well educated. Physical education does not consist in a mere display of strength but conduces to the physical, mental and moral welfare of the pupil concerned. As regards posts of greater responsibility such as Directors or Inspectors of Physical Education, we feel that training for two years may be necessary.
To provide the training Schools with qualified physical instructors, there is need for considerable expansion of the training facilities. This may be done by, increasing the facilities in the existing colleges and by opening new colleges where necessary. To meet the needs of the whole country we recommend that some of these institutions may be recognised as All-India Training Centres and given help both by the Centre and the States to enable them to train a large number of personnel.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Health Education 1. A properly organised school medical service should be built up in all States.
2. A thorough medical examination of all pupils and necessary follow-up and treatment where necessary should be carried out in all schools.
3. Some of the teachers should be trained in first aid and general principles of health so that they may co-operate intelligently with the medical staff.