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94
Provision of Meals at the Schools.
During the past year 4,333 meals were supplied to poor
children, 1,538 of which were free, and the others charged
for at ½d. each.
Uncleanliness—Head and Body.
Of the 794 children examined by the Medical Officer,
10 were noted as having dirty bodies, and 32 bore
witness to the chronic attention of fleas. In the
routine inspections of heads and general cleanliness by
the School Nurse these proportions are higher, as in many
cases it is quite obvious that there has been a little cleaning
up for the doctor's examination; 164, that is about 20 per
cent., were found to have nits in the hair. The cases were
distributed in the departments as follows:—Of the 207 boys
examined in the upper schools 11 had nits in the hair ( = 5 per
cent.); of the 286 girls in the upper schools 97 had nits ( = 34
per cent); of the 301 infants (boys and girls) 56 had nits ( = 18
per cent.). About 40 per cent. of the infant girls had nitts in
the hair. Except in the case of the boys the percentages for
this year are practically the same as in 1910, but numbers do
not afford quite a fair basis of comparison, because I am told
that the degree of uncleanliness is much less than formerly. It
is at least a comfort to know that these percentages are considerably
below those for the country generally, but this is not
enough, we must aim at perfection. Determined efforts have
been and are being made to remedy this state of things. It
means a great amount of irksome labour and is the most
unpleasant task the School Doctors, Nurses and Teachers
have to do, but in the interests of the children the duty has
to be faced unflinchingly. The presence of children with
verminous heads is a constant menace to the others, and the
committee have always taken a firm attitude in their endeavour
to check it. The Nurse makes constant visits to the
schools and the homes, and her efforts have borne much
fruit, but it is now felt that the provisions of the Children+