Vol. 439 No. 5
8 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has in 1994 to alter the design of school furniture to include a slope; and the plans, if any, she has to meet designers in the near future to discuss the problem.
My Department has no plans at present to alter the design of school furniture to include a slope.
Medical advice available to my Department is that there is no scientific indication that the health of children is impaired by writing on a flat desk. If any medical evidence to the contrary is presented to me I will be happy to have it examined and considered.
The Department asked for the opinion of a professor of orthopaedic surgery to advise on the validity and reliability of claims about the suitability of an anticrouch device as a preventive and/or corrective measure.
The professor's conclusion in the report is "that there is no evidence to associate increased incidence of significant problems with neck, back or posture by using a flat desk". He also says that "in general terms it is probably better to have a slanting writing surface rather than to be crouched over the flat surface". He concludes, "As I say there is absolutely no scientific indication that children's health is impaired by writing on a flat desk.... However, the anticrouch device that has been supplied does not offer any significant improvement on the flat-top desk that is in present use".
All school furniture for primary and post-primary schools grant-aided by my Department is designed in accordance with the relevant official Irish, British and international standards. There has been extensive research and development of school furniture to provide the human measurement data on which the standards are based. The data have been carefully interpreted so that the specified dimensions ensure reasonable comfort and posture. My Department constantly monitors these standards and will update its specifications for school furniture in accordance with new and revised standards including those that might be set at European level.
The existing specifications for school furniture are available from my Department for designers.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): I am disappointed that no notice is being taken of our young people, who do not have the best start in life, because they must spend 14 years crouched over a flat desk. Their lordosis should be in a different position from that which applies when bent over a flat desk. I disagree with the evidence to which the Minister referred. Will she set up an expert review group — one more will not make much more difference — to consider the matter? Children's mental development is only part of their education, their physical development is equally important. I understood from the Minister's reply that her expert adviser decided that bending over a flat desk has a negative effect.
In response to an earlier question from the Deputy we sought advice on this matter. This is the second time I have answered the Deputy's question.
(Carlow-Kilkenny):: It is the sixth time I asked it.
Nothing has been done.
We visited the orthopaedic department of the Central Remedial Clinic and asked them to consider a device that was submitted to the Department.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): I am not interested in that.
We sought advice because we wanted to respond in a positive way. Instead of setting up a review committee, will the Deputy direct my officials to any research that highlights the different effects of sitting at a sloping and a flat desk? If he does I will ensure that they respond in a positive way to any new information. In the light of available information and in response to advice sought, we learned there is no evidence to associate increased incidence of significant problems with neck, back or posture as a result of using a flat desk.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): The Minister knows that doctors differ and patients die. An expert from whom I received treatment told me that children may suffer back injury from sitting at a certain type of desk. In the old days children had to sit up straight with their backs in a proper position and they were able to write. That is not the case today as children spend 14 years bending over a desk, which has an adverse effect. Will the Minister set up a review group to obtain different views on the matter? The Minister has been given one view but I have been given another. As a practising teacher for over 30 years I realise why my old teachers had sloping desks in the classroom and asked the pupils to sit up straight. I thought at the time they were being contrary, but now I realise it was an important factor in education. I hope the Minister will be enlightened and will deal with this matter.
