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(d) Facilities for Other Sports and Games.—There is no need for me in Barking to
urge the need for more playing fields, but an authoritative statement here would
not be out of place, and I would like to support those who already are doing so much
in this direction.
These playing fields should be at or near the schools, and no school can now be
looked upon as efficient if it has not such a playing field nearby.
The paved playing grounds where play is conducted in wet weather and where
the more organised drill is usually carried out should not be situated, as so often
happens, near the schools or, as I would put it, just under the school windows.
They should be situated so far away as is reasonably possible, so that they may be
used at any time and used so fully as possible without interfering with the ordinary
work of the school.
In this connection it is perhaps advantageous to remember that if these paved
playing grounds were situated remote from the school buildings it would, at least in
some instances, be possible for them to be used by children other than during school
hours, and so give to them a much wider sphere of usefulness than they have
at present.
(11) PROVISION OF MEALS AND MILK.
(a) Meals.—Free meals are provided daily in necessitous cases. 113,173 such
meals were provided during the year 1934, and the following table shows the numbers
of free meals which have been provided during the past five years :—
1930 31,556
1931 46,803
1932 74,531
1933 135,726
1934 113,173
The following table summarises the arrangements which exist where mid-day
meals are taken at schools.
It will be noticed that meals can be heated at some of the schools, and the
children are supervised during meal-times.
The table also shows what arrangements
there are for the drying of children's clothes and boots.