§ Sir GODFREY BARINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether the Board has expressed any views with regard to the teaching of hygiene in public schools; whether, in that case, he will inform the House what action has been taken; and, if not, whether he will consider the advisability of so doing in order to secure uniformity of action on the part of the various educational authorities?
Mr. PEASEHygiene is one of the subjects of the instruction in a public elementary school named in Article 2 of the Code. It is there defined as instruction adapted to the ages and sexes of the scholars in the elementary rules of personal health, particularly in respect of food, drink (including alcohol), clothing, cleanliness and fresh air. An official syllabus of lessons on temperance has been issued. Some suggestions as to the teaching of hygiene were given in Section XII. of the Report of the chief medical officer of the Board for 1910. The subject is one in which education authorities and teachers take considerable interest, and I do not think that I am specially called upon at the present time to interfere with their discretion in the teaching of the subject.