London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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102
PROVISION OF MEALS.
It is surprising that with all the unemployment which exists
there is no striking need for the provision of meals for school
children. In fact, there is no evidence that malnutrition is more
evident at present than before unemployment was so common.
Doubtless there are children in whom the need for additional food
is apparent, but these children are, comparatively speaking, few
in number and are widely scattered in the district, so that there
are not many in each school who could be conveniently dealt with
by the provision of suitable meals.
The scheme of the National Milk Publicity Council, inaugurated
in 1929, for supplying children in the mid-morning interval with
a third of a pint of milk at the cost to the parents of one penny
per day has continued to operate in the schools with great success
and the opportunity has, since 1930, been taken by the Education
Committee of supplying milk in this way to children whose parents
are unable to afford to pay for it on account of unemployment
or other necessitous circumstances.
The following statement shows the number of children who
have been supplied with milk free of charge, and the cost:—
Free Supply of Milk to School Children. (Sections 82-85 Education Act, 1921).
| Number of children for whom a supply of milk was approved, 1st January, 1932 | 409 |
| Number of children for whom a supply of milk was approved, 31st December, 1932 | 495 |
| Daily average number of children who received a supply of milk | 421 |
| Total number of bottles of milk supplied | 88,428 |
| Cost of milk supplied | £3699s. |
CO-OPERATION OF OTHERS IN THE SCHOOL
MEDICAL SERVICE.
In previous reports attention has been drawn to the wholehearted
way in which the teachers and the school enquiry officers
render great assistance and play a most important part in the
work of school medical inspection and treatment. The staff of
the school medical service recognise that it is their duty to render