View report page

56
No separate figures of comparison can be made with the return previously
prepared (February, 1945) as the return for June for secondary schools included
the former elementary schools recognised, in pursuance of the Education Act, 1944,
as secondary schools from 1st April, 1945.
The percentage of the total number of children in both primary and secondary
schools who received dinners in June was 37.66, compared with 35.19 in February,
1945.

In addition, 2,800 children attending day special schools and 193 in day
continuation schools had school dinner, making a total of 110,186 pupils having
school dinner on the selected day.
The percentages of the number of children having milk and meals to the total
number of children in attendance were as follows, the comparable figures in June,
1945, being given in brackets:—
Meals Milk
Primary 38.2 (31.52) 73.9 (71.33)
Secondary 55.5 (47.55) 56.3 (55.93)
It will be seen from the figures that in both the primary and secondary schools
there was a slight increase in both the percentage of children having milk, and in
children taking their mid-day meal at school, resulting in some cases in kitchens
and staff being strained beyond their capacity.
Infectious diseases in schools
As in the previous war-time years, the figures available on the incidence of
infectious diseases during 1945 were vitiated by reason of the movements of the
school population, but the usual control arrangements were made.
Immunisation
against diphtheria
The co-operation with the Metropolitan Borough Councils in the arrangements
for carrying out in schools and centres immunisation against diphtheria, was
continued. In 20 boroughs, the Council's school medical staff carried out the
immunisation while in eight boroughs this work was done in the schools by the
medical staff of the Borough Councils. In 1945 the number of children who received
the full course from the Council's medical staff was 3,298, bringing up to 68,497 the
total of children immunised in schools by the school medical staff since the issue in
November, 1940, of a circular on this subject from the Ministry of Health and the
Board of Education.
A survey by the school nurses in June, 1944, showed that about 68 per cent.
of the children on the rolls of the elementary schools had been immunised. Every
effort was made during the year under review to maintain and if possible to improve
upon this figure.