School and sanitation (1899)

Post date: Feb 16, 2012 10:50:34 AM

Extract from parish magazine of November 1899.

THE SCHOOLS.

It is admitted on all hands that modern elementary schools are not unlikely to become centres of infection when infectious diseases are rife.

Therefore when scarlet fever broke out in the summer the medical officer of the district closed our schools for several weeks ; and before they were re-opened they underwent the usual process of disinfection under the personal superintendence of the sanitary inspector, who kindly responded to the request of the Committee that he should undertake the matter. There has recently been a slight recrudescence of the disease, and, although it is by no means certain that it is to be attributable to the Schools the medical officer, at the suggestion of a parent conveyed to him by the Committee, has ordered a further process of partial disinfection.

The Committee of Management are quite alive to the necessity of doing all in their power to lessen the risk, not only when infection is present, but also at all times, and they have paid special attention to keeping the schools clean and well ventilated, and the drainage in good order.

Since the establishment of the voluntary rate there has been much improvement in these matters. The school buildings have been enlarged, outside shelters have been erected for the children, new fire places have been put in, giving a system of warm-air ventilation, water for drinking and washing has been supplied and the boys' play-ground has been converted from a swamp (in wet weather) into a hard asphalted surface. In the olden days the schools were swept out once a week and thoroughly cleansed once a year: nowadays they are dusted and swept out every day, scrubbed once a month, and cleansed at least once a year. The drainage, such as it is, has been well looked after : the drains have constantly been flushed, and each of the two or three times that a block has occurred it has been detected immediately and dealt with effectually.

For a long time, however, the Committee have felt the whole system of the latrines and drainage to be unsatisfactory and inadequate, and have had many suggestions of improvement under consideration. At length the passage of the Mid Kent Water Co.'s main through the village has made a good scheme practicable. The Committee have invited tenders, and it is hoped that new latrines and new drainage will be in working order early in the new year.

The Committee have carefully considered the school accounts for the year, and have decided to ask the rate-payers to pay a voluntary rate of 5d. in the £. The request notes will shortly be issued, together with the balance sheets of last year's accounts and of the building account, and a circular letter. G. M. L.