A survey of the educational system of the Philippine islands by the Board of educational survey, created under acts 3162 and 3196 of the Philippine Legislature.

468 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

spection of School Children," lists scabies, tonsils, conjunctivitis, pertussis, ulcers, contagious eye diseases, and dental caries. The nonmedical person can be readily trained to perform similar services.
HEALTH EXAMINATION BY SCHOOL TEACHERS.-With the above
conditions in mind, it is proposed that the classroom teachers be prepared
to make the initial health examination of the children. Above the
primary school, men teachers and women teachers should cooperate,
the former examining the boys and the latter the girls. While this
proposal at first may seem unattractive, it is reasonable and practical
for the following reasons:
(1) The teacher sees the pupils every day and knows better than the
occasional visitor the normal and abnormal states of the child.
(2) Through observation of health conditions, the teacher will more
clearly understand the relation of health and vitality to vocational,
avocational, and civic efficiency.
(3) The common ailments of school children can readily be recognized by the teacher with the training to be proposed. As regards the
communicable diseases, measles, diptheria, whooping cough, etc., the
school can be protected by excluding, through the principal, all children
showing certain signs (see paragraph, How Teachers Can Help Now)
and readmitting on card from clinic, hospital, district medical officer,
or family physician, or other competent evidence of regained health.
All of the social values can be preserved without requiring that the
teacher make a differential diagnosis between diseases, as for example
between diphtheria and tonsilitis. The teacher is practically compelled to act under this responsibility now since children contract communicable disease at times other than those at which examinations by
the Philippine Health Service are now made.
(4) Students in normal schools can be trained to recognize the early,
evident signs of disease. This would be provided by the course in
"Health Education" to be offered in the last year for one semester.
Teachers in service can be prepared by appropriate courses to be given
in teachers' institutes and vacation assemblies.
How SCHOOL TEACHERS CAN HELP NOW.-The teachers now in
service can be helpful in protecting child health by becoming more interested in the recognition and treatment of defects. The following
classification is arranged with reference to what the teacher should do.
For (I) Early Signs of Communicable Disease, the teacher should send
the child home. For (2) Simple Conditions for Treatment, the teacher
should care for the case. For (3) More Serious Disorders Referred
to Proper Officials, the teacher should make the proper reference. This
entire procedure should be introduced in a few schools and gradually
developed as a form of health supervision.