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The new basis of tabulation by years of age shows that sufficiently large numbers of
pupils are inspected at each age to make each group a reasonably large enough statistical
sample to justify certain comparisons not previously possible. For example, it will be of
interest to compare the findings of' physical condition ' by ' year of birth' i.e., to compare
samples of the same group of children, from year to year, on the analogy of a ' follow-up '
survey. The first two years' figures are as follows:
Percentage unsatisfactory physical condition
Year of birth Year of examination
1958 1959
1943 and earlier 1.0 —
1944 1.1 0.6
1945 1.5 0.9
1946 1.4 1.3
1947 1.7 1.3
1948 3.0 1.2
1949 3.7 2.9
1950 3.9 2.0
1951 2.4 1.2
1952 3.3 1.4
1953 2.0 2.4
1954 2.1 1.4
1955 and later — 1.4
Anthropometric survey—During 1959 the quinquennial anthropometric survey was carried
out. In addition to heights and weights a number of other measurements were taken, i.e.,
subcutaneous fat, using skin-fold calipers. The results were still under statistical analysis
at the end of the year and will be the subject of a separate publication.
School meals and milk
A return has been sent to the Ministry of Education giving for a typical day in September,
1959 the numbers of day-school children who had school dinners and of those who had
school milk. The figures for school meals are set out below with the corresponding figures
in brackets for a similar day in September, 1958:
Number of Number who took
Type of school children school dinners
present On payment Free Total %
Secondary 175,991 107,078 7,068 114,146 64.85
(168,953) (105,533) (6,587) (112,120) (66.36)
Primary 213,110 101,842 11,766 113,608 53.31
(220,628) (100,807) (10,941) (111,748) (50.65)
Special 5,728 4,647 1,023 5,670 98.98
(5,713) (4,703) (974) (5,677) (99.37)
Nursery 1,551 982 106 1,088 97.84*
(1,560) (923) (89) (1,012) (98.63)
396,380 214,549 19,963 234,512 59.22
(396,854) (211,966) (18,591) (230,557) (58.18)
* Percentage of 1,112 children as 439 children attend half time and do not have school dinners.
On the selected day 337,825 children in schools maintained by the Council took milk as
compared with 345,337 in 1958. Of 31,926 children present in non-maintained schools
24,465 had milk under the scheme. The percentages for the several types of school were:
1959 1958
Secondary 69.23 71.45
Primary 96.82 97.52
Day special 98.83 98.44
Nursery 98.64 98.78
Boarding 98.12 98.78
Non-maintained 76.67 77.10
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