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Physique of
secondary
school
children—
Fee-paying
and scholarship—11
to
15 years.
The following is the summary of an investigation which was undertaken to find
out how the physique of London " scholarship " children compares with that of
" fee-paying " children of the same age. Material was collected from schools in
different areas of London. Scholarship children are those whose financial resources
are inadequate to provide higher education.

There is no material difference between the average physique of scholarship
and fee-paying children at 11 and 12 years. At 13 the physique of the fee-payers is
superior. This superiority appears in both boys and girls. In the 15th year the
scholars pull up considerably, and in the 16th year there is again no material difference
in physique.
Dr. E. J. Boome in a comparison of fee-payers and scholarship children at Putney
girls' secondary school makes the following observation : " the progress between
the ages of 13 and 15 in both groups is roughly the same. The marked progress is
in the year between 14 and 15 in the case of scholars and 13 and 14 in the case of feepayers,
i.e., a year earlier than the scholars. It appears from this that the scholars
mature one year later."
Dr. H. R. Kidner took the heights and weights of scholars and fee-payers in the
age groups examined by him at the Brockley county school throughout the year.
These measurements also bore out the general conclusion that there is no significant
difference between the physique of scholarship holders and fee-payers in the Council's
secondary schools.
Conferences
of school
medical staff.
On the opening session of each term a conference is held at the County Hall of
the medical members of the school medical staff.
The first such conference in the year 1935 was held on 8th January. On behalf
of the Medical Research Council the conference was addressed by Dr. E. A. Cockayne,