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287
A scheme, suggested originally by the National Milk
Publicity Council, and which had been introduced into various
schools in other areas, was tried during the year in Croydon.
By this scheme a third of a pint of pasteurised milk is delivered
in bottles daily for each child in school whose parents are willing
to pay a penny per bottle. The scheme is working smoothly in
the schools who are trying it and a majority of the head teachers
have expressed themselves in favour of it; some state they
think it has already had beneficial results although it has only
been in operation for a short time. At the end of 1930, some
8,723 penny bottles per day were being delivered at the schools,
an increase of 2,457 bottles over 1929. This supply is available
for all elementary school children irrespective of any medical
recommendation.
In assessing the value of these provisions one must of
necessity depend largely on impressions, for statistical demonstration
is difficult unless a special investigation into groups of
children is made. The beneficial influence of milk on the normal
child has been abundantly proved of late years; but when dealing
with a malnourished child the problem is not so simple. Malnutrition
need not be caused by actual lack of food, it is perhaps
more often due to ill-chosen food. In other cases no definite cause
can be found for the poor physical condition, and these cases
respond poorly to extra diet. Home circumstances also are detrimental
in some instances, any good effects of extra meals, milk,
malt and oil being counteracted thereby. Milk and malt and oil
in school are particularly valuable for the highly strung child
who rushes off to school without a proper breakfast, and also for
the child from a straitened home.
1930. 1929.
Number of Children who received Free Dinners 329 273
„ Free Dinners provided 24,986 20,641
pints pints
No. of Children who received Free Milk 122—11,241 71—7,147
„ „ Milk (part payment) 37— 2,663 54—3,019
„ ,, Milk (whole payment) 44— 3,145 30—2,203
issues issues
Free Malt 17— 1,319 15—671
„ „ Malt (whole payment) 40— 2,990 32—1,406