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59
day with one-third pint bottles of milk costing 1d. each. It appeared, therefore,
that the best way of working the new scheme would be by expanding the voluntary
organisation. The Council, under the "feeding" clauses of the Education Act,
was also supplying milk ordered to debilitated children by the school doctors. This
milk had hitherto been supplied in bulk and the standard amount supplied was a
half-pint daily. Over 20,000 children were receiving milk in this way and in a
great proportion of the cases it was free.
It was decided that the standard amount of milk to be given as milk meals
ordered by the school doctors under the official scheme should be two-thirds of a
pint, given in the one-third pint bottles twice daily.
In spite of the difficulties of organising such an immense scheme in the short
space of time available between the end of the summer vacation and the commencement
of the scheme, the new procedure was brought into being on 1st October.
This would have been impossible but for the enthusiasm and voluntary efforts
of the teaching staff. So successful were they that it was reported that, during the
week ended 12th October, 1934, there were no fewer than 364,157 children having
milk in school through the voluntary clubs, an increase of 256 per cent. In November
there were also 26,765 debilitated children receiving "official" milk on the recommendation
of school doctors.
Some curiosity was displayed as to the reasons why some 27 per cent. of the
children in the schools were not taking the milk provided at reduced charges in school.
A questionnaire was issued by the education officer to the head teachers, and replies
were received showing the reasons why 85,447 children were not taking the milk.
The reasons and the percentage of the total number giving each reason were as
follows: Poverty of the parents, 25; distaste for milk, 33; parents consider that
children have enough nourishment at home, 24; "milk spoils the appetite for midday
meal," 4; indifference of parents or children, or money spent on sweets, etc., 4;
children object to cold milk, 2; children consider themselves too old, 1.5; parents
object on principle, 2.5; children have cod-liver oil or dinner, and this considered
sufficient, 1.5; milk causes sickness or is against doctor's orders, . 5.
In assigning the reason for children not having milk to the poverty of the parents,
the head teachers felt that in many cases the real cause was often apathy or indifference.
The school care committees were advised that when the only reason, known or
supposed, for a child not having milk was poverty, the earliest opportunity should
be taken of consulting the school doctor as to whether or not the child should have
official milk meals. This has led to an increase of 23 per cent. in the number of milk
meals given free of cost to children in school.
The inauguration of a scheme of this magnitude was bound to have its difficulties
There was doubt in some quarters as to whether the injunction that all milk to be
supplied should be "pasteurised" meant that the milk should be sold as pasteurised
milk and labelled as such. Steps have been taken to make it quite clear to all that
this is indeed the intention.
One of the criticisms frequently made has been that the milk should be heated.
The school medical officer has consistently held that this is unnecessary. When the
cool milk is imbibed slowly through straws no discomfort is felt subsequently. The
irregular heating of milk would tend to destroy its peculiar properties, which make it so
valuable to children and which constitute the chief reason for giving milk in school.
Teachers are advised that the milk must not be subjected to heat treatment,
but that the chill should be taken off the milk by allowing it to stand, in cold weather,
near the radiators. Many ingenious wirework devices have been evolved for draping
the bottles upon the radiators for this purpose.
The effect of milk on school children has been demonstrated several times on a
large scale. It stimulates growth in a remarkable way. This special effect is confined
to raw or pasteurised milk, and is lost on cooking.
Cooked-milk is merely a fattening food. Eaw or pasteurised milk provides a
stimulus to growth, and does not appear to produce obesity.
Formerly it was thought that the forces of growth in height were purely congenital,
and could not be affected in a positive direction by any means within our