HH62/2/SUTHER/43

Transcription

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APPENDIX.

SPECIAL REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE
COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND.

NOTES, OBSERVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Special visits were made to all the Public Schools, and where practi-
cable, to a few Side Schools in the county; and, lest this Annual Report
be unduly extended, I beg to report here only my notes of the most
important points relating to their sanitary condition, in the
alphabetical order of the Parishes in which they are situated, and
also state shortly my suggestions for their improvement.
ASSYNT. - In Assynt seven Public Schools and one Side School
were visited.
Achmelvich School. - Cubic space for 44-50 pupils. Needs -
Chiefly cleaning of internal walls and wood-work, and whitewashing.
Assynt. - ln good position. Space for 23 pupils, but generally a
small attendance. Offices, as is generally the case in small schools,
not much used. Water supply good.
Culkein. - A new school. On a windy day this is a cold draughty
site. Space for about 94, but a room of dwelling-house is also used,
as 118 or so are present, and all available space is required for
comfort. Needs - Better water; more accommodation.
Drumbeg. - Damp at back. Space for about 50. Ventilation by
flap doors in ceiling, and in good order. Needs - Improved water
supply very much, as the well in grounds is liable to surface pollution,
and at times unfit for use. Pure spring water only found 500 yards
away.
Elphin. - Good position. Space for about 60. Ventilation
arrangements satisfactory. Offces fairly clean. Needs - Better water
than the present, which is exposed too much, and not above suspicion,
and also a lessening of size of office-pit for excreta.
Lochinver. - A damp situation - almost in a loch. Feet of children
in wet weather are apt to get cold from play-ground Flap ventila-
tion does not work very well. Needs - Drying up of the office pit, and
better drained playground. Also better supply of water than that of
loch, which may be polluted just where children drink.
Stoer. - Half of it a new school, and spacious and well ventilated.
Offices are little used. No good water available within reasonable
distance, and this is a particularly dangerous defect both for the
scholars and the village near.

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UnapooI - A Side School - used also as a meeting house. Very
damp and smoky. No offices, as is the case in most Side Schools.
Needs - Water to be brought near and purified, and smoke and damp
cured.
CLYNE. - Clyne Public School in good position as to site. Floor space
for about 230, if scholars properly arranged. Class-room apt to be
crowded at times, and also older part, which is still somewhat ill-lighted,
even after additional window put in. Wood-work and walls clean at
present. Playground rather rough and dusty. Offices rather deep
pit, and not cleaned frequently enough; surface nuisances in some
places. Needs - Better arrangement of pupils, more light, and better
ventilation of older room, and that all the seats for young children
have backs provided for them, and be of proper height; shallowing of
office pit, and erection of a urinal for boys.
Doll. - Sufficient space, but ventilation not very good, as ventila-
tion flaps do not work - smoky at times. Needs - Water of better
quality, as present supply too far distant, and of variable purity
according to its source.
Strathbrora. - Fairly good position, but damp. Cubic space for
about 30. Offices too near school and damp, with liability of their
subsoil water percolating into school and house. Pit too deep.
Needs - Drainage of offices and general improvement of their faulty
position, and internally a white or blue-washing of walls.
CREICH. - Bonar. - Good site. Space sufficient if pupils well
arranged. A new room is proposed to be added. Ventilation
arrangements not very good. Offices clean, but situate above level
of water in trough in playground. This needs careful supervision,
lest at any time there should be surface contamination.
Invershin. - Fair site. Ventilation fairly good; air pretty close
at times. Needs to have flat ventilator improved, and its water
supply protected better.
Larachan. - The most beautifully-situated school in county.
Sufficient space, and ventilation good. Furniture excellent, and
high-class water supply into school in two places, and wash-stands
in lobbies. Offices clean and tidy. No recommendations can be
made for this, at present, almost ideal school.
Rosehall. - Good position; space and ventilation sufficient; clean
and tidy interior, Water pipes into this school, but no water yet,
and this defect should be remedied.
DORNOCH. - Balvraid. - Space not all used. Ventilation fair.
Offices not much used, but pit too deep, conducing, as in other cases,
to a too long retention of excreta. Water - None near, and not good
what is got in a distant ditch. This should be remedied, and also
the condition of office pit.
Dornoch Academy. - Good position, but damp at back, where
offices are situated, and most difficult of access for cleaning purposes.
Floor space for only about 160, but cubic space for about 250
as rooms are very lofty, but unless ventilation extra good there is