LORD MONTEAGLE OF BRANDONrose to ask the Lord President, Whether 869 his attention had been called to the effect of school life in developing short sight, and whether anything could be done to avert the evil? He said that the prevalence of short sight in Germany, where education had been compulsory for a long time, had recently attracted serious attention, and it was found on investigation that the percentages of children afflicted with short sight ranged between 1 and 2 in rural and primary schools, between 3 and 9 in urban schools, between 9 and 44 in normal schools, between 12 and 55 in secondary schools, and equally high among the small numbers who attended the upper schools and Universities. The causes were found to be the unnatural positions which children were induced to assume, from the inconvenient forms of desks and seats, and the defective lighting of rooms; and steps were now being taken to remedy and avert the evil in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, and America. Now, that elementary schools were becoming universal in this country, he apprehended a similar evil, if we did not pay proper attention to the lighting of schoolrooms and to their furniture.
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDsaid, that nothing could be more important than the preservation of the powers of sight among our working population; but since he had had the honour to hold his present office, nothing had been laid before the Department that could lead them to suppose that any deterioration of sight had been observed among the children that attended the board schools. If the noble Lord would send them any information he possessed, it should be studied, and if he would supply a model seat and desk they should be exhibited at South Kensington; but, if mistakes had been committed in the schools already built and furnished, it was rather late to correct them, especially in the matter of lighting, which depended to a great extent upon the site chosen for a school. If the regulations of the Department in any way tended to promote the dreaded evil, the Department would gladly correct them, and generally call attention to the subject.
LORD MONTEAGLE OF BRANDONsaid, he had not meant to give the impression that prevailed at present, but thought there was great danger that it would prevail if they stimulated educational efforts and compulsory education.
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDsaid, that the question had never been brought to the attention of the Educational Department; and, according to the admission of the noble Lord, it was rather what he anticipated or dreaded would ensue in consequence of the development of elementary education throughout the country. It would be much to be regretted if one of the results of the spread of education should be the prevalence of short-sight. He was unacquainted with the statistics quoted by the noble Lord, but should take care that if these statistics were sent to the Department, they should have its attention. With respect to the question of light, the board schools were provided as well as they could be under existing circumstances; but the noble Lord must remember that they were obliged to get sites to build schools where they could, in populous places, and this question of light was very often a matter of compromise. The Inspectors would take care that the board schools were not injurious to health in any respect, whether from bad drainage, ventilation, or want of light.