Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

120 Philosophical Foundations of Health Education
of School Houses . In the year 1837 Horace Mann discussed the problem of school
hygiene in his First Annual Report . In the same year Henry Barnard ’s An Essay on
School Architecture was published which contained a discussion of school housing.
After the Civil War and up to the beginning of the twentieth century, progress in this
area of the school health program continued to be made at a slow pace. Undoubtedly the
developments in physical education, health instruction, and health services in the public
schools at this time must have given some impetus to this phase of the program.
It wasn ’ t until after the year 1908 that growth in school hygiene really began to be
noticed(Van Dalen et al., 1953, p. 491). At this time the public began to realize the
value of utilizing the public schools as social centers. As a result of the pressure exerted
by various community groups and the desire of the educational leaders to meet the
needs of the people, many improvements were made in the architectural structure of
school buildings and many new facilities were added, including gymnasiums, shower
rooms, swimming pools, health service suites, auditoriums, and lecture rooms.
Increased emphasis was also placed on more effective lighting, heating, ventilating,
and humidifying of school plants; providing a safe water supply and adequate waste
disposal facilities; beautifying the school buildings and grounds; and preventing the
spread of communicable disease.
In New York City in the year 1910, the first formal lunch program was installed in
the public schools (Bryant, 1913, pp. 147 – 183). This marked the beginning of the
installation and maintenance of kitchens and cafeterias in public schools, making it
possible for children and school personnel to have warm and nutritious lunches daily.
The National School Lunch Act (Public Law 396), passed by Congress in the year
1946, served as an impetus for the development of kitchens and cafeteria facilities and
services in public schools throughout the country.
This act made available Federal funds
to safeguard the health and well - being of the Nation ’ s children, and to encourage
the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other foods, by
assisting the states, through grant - in - aids and other means, in providing adequate
supply of food, and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation,
and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs. (U.S. Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare, 1954, p. 74)
The installation of kitchens and cafeterias in the public schools led to an increased
emphasis on the maintenance of sanitary and safe cooking and eating facilities and
equipment. The importance of hiring healthy food - handlers was also stressed.
Toward the middle of the twentieth century, in addition to providing healthy and
safe school buildings and grounds as well as adequate kitchen and cafeteria facilities,
emphasis began to be placed on providing a healthy staff to work in the public schools,
good teacher - pupil and staff relationships, and the development of a school program
that was not harmful to the physical and mental health of the students as well as the
staff. In addition to having healthy food - handlers, it was recognized that since teachers