HEALTH WORK

AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

CHAPTER I: GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND PRELIMINARY DATA

Purpose of the study.-The general outline of the National Survey of Secondary Education, under the heading of "Special problems of administration and supervision," provides for a study of health work in secondary schools. In accordance with that outline's plan for selecting for study schools with outstanding programs, this investigation aims to summarize the practices among a large number of secondary schools cited to the survey as having promising innovations in the field of health work. Consequently, this is not a study of the status of health work among secondary schools in general. The major purpose of this study is to show the direction in which the schools most active in this field are moving. Schools which have not yet launched definite programs of health work or have only recently inaugurated health programs will probably find in this monograph facts and ideas which will prove useful.

The survey in general has recognized the close relationship in the secondary schools of health work, physical education, and intramural and interscholastic athletics. For purposes of study, however, these fields have been treated as distinct. Interrelationships have been sought and described, however, throughout the studies. In fact, one definite aim has been to discover schools and school systems in which the work in all four fields is coordinated and administered under a single head, with a major objective, namely, health.

The report of the findings concerning intramural and interscholastic athletics constitutes a separate monograph (No. 27) of the general survey. The materials concerning health and physical education will make up the present report.

Preliminary data concerning health work.-A few items concerning health and physical education were included in each of four general inquiry forms sent out during the early stages of the survey to (1) State school officers, (2) city school officers, (3) principals of individual public secondary schools, and (4) principals of individual private secondary schools. The data taken from these forms can be summarized briefly.

(1) State school officers supplied the names and addresses of 104 school systems or individual schools which, in their opinion, exhibited "suggestive or noteworthy developments, significant or promising procedures, or important deviations from usual practice" in the field of health work.

(2) Of 221 city school officers reporting, 45 per cent indicated that records extending over a period of years were available concerning the health of secondary-school pupils in their cities, and approximately 50 per cent indicated that their school system was making significant contribution toward the solution of problems of health supervision. Thirty-four designated 71 individual secondary schools with significant work in the field of health. No city school officer reported that special studies concerning health had been made. The individual schools designated by the State and city school officers formed a significant part of the mailing list of schools to which a special inquiry form respecting health work was sent.

(3) Of the inquiry forms sent to principals of public secondary schools, 2,196 were returned with the information requested. The principals were asked what agency exercised direct control over the health work in their schools. The 7 agencies outstanding in a list of about 20 are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1.—Number of public secondary schools, in a total of 2,196, reporting various agencies as exercising direct control over health work

Of the 2,078 principals reporting on this point, 983 indicated that more than one agency shared in controlling the health work in the school. In cases of this sort the respondents were requested to describe briefly the plan of cooperation between the agencies. Only 47 plans were described. The following are typical:

School nurse appointed by city health department and paid jointly by health department and school district. These nurses come to the

school on a schedule and at other times if called.

City board of health provides physical examinations periodically and a nurse part of each day. Our own instructors use board of health findings and work under city school supervision.

School physician and nurse work under the direction of the city board of health.

Doctors and nurses paid by board of education, directed by city department of health, report also to principal.

By law the city board of health is required to make certain inspections, recommendations, and regulations. School board physicians are approved by board of health and details of program are left to individual school.

Medical inspector supplied under control of board of health. Followup made by school nurse, paid by board of education. Pupil advisers

assist in follow-up.

The school board of education and the city administration have worked out a system of cooperation which gives the schools the benefit of all health laboratories.

(4) Sixty-eight per cent of 761 private secondary schools reporting indicated that guidance concerning health (apart from the guidance presented in the usual subjects of study) is a regular part of their programs. Sixty-five per cent reported that the health work is carried on by persons trained to do this type of work. The same proportion indicated that all pupils receive special instruction in health at some time during their secondary-school career. However, only 36 per cent reported that this instruction is given in special health courses conducted by specially trained teachers of health. In 56 per cent of the schools this instruction is given in connection with other courses (e. g., biology, general science, etc.) conducted by regular classroom teachers.

The varied preliminary data concerning health work in public and private secondary schools indicate that practically

all the schools carry on health work of some sort under some one of a large number of plans of direction and control. Definite instruction in health is commonly given, but among the private secondary schools this instruction is given by trained teachers in special courses in only one school in three.

Preliminary data concerning physical education.-State and city school officers were asked to cite schools or school systems in which special investigations and revisions in the field of physical education had been or were being carried on. Respondents for individual schools were asked the same question. Thirty-five per cent of 2,196 public secondary schools reported affirmatively on this inquiry. These responses indicate that the program of physical education is receiving careful study and revision in a large number of schools.

The inquiry form directed to private secondary schools sought to determine whether or not work in physical education was required, elective, or not offered. Among 761 schools, 57 per cent require physical education; in 11 per cent of the schools it is elective; and 12 per cent do not offer it. Thirty-two per cent of these schools indicate that the work in physical education is under the supervision of the director of health.

Subsequent chapters in this report. The data concerning health work and physical education will be treated independently in this report. The data respecting health work are more detailed and comprehensive than for physical education. After presentation of health and physical education in separate chapters, a brief chapter on trends, conclusions, and problems will draw the materials together and bring out the major implications of the study.

CHAPTER II: HEALTH WORK

1. THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Description of inquiry form.-In order that the data for this study might be systematically collected and treated, a special inquiry form on health work was devised. This form, 12 pages in length, provides for the securing of general information about individual schools, as well as information about the organization and administration of health work, health examinations for teachers and pupils, instruction in health, kinds of health service rendered by the schools, special health activities fostered among the pupils, problems of health which had been made the subject of careful study, and miscellaneous items concerning health work. The form was constructed to permit a minimum amount of writing. Following certain items, space was provided for brief descriptions of plans considered effective.

Selection of schools for study. The inquiry form devised for this study was not sent to secondary schools at random, but to schools which had been cited by State and city school officers as doing promising work in this field, or to the schools which in earlier general checking lists had reported stressing health work. The names and addresses of additional schools were secured from United States Office of Education specialists.

Circulation and return of forms. In all, inquiry forms concerning health work were sent to 851 secondary schools in all parts of the United States. Of this number, 460, or 54 per cent of the forms, were filled in and returned in time to be included in the tabulations.

Classification of schools.-The 460 schools whose returns are included in this study are grouped under three main