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16.
I am indebted to the Director of Education for the following resume
of the position as it was at the end of 1941 but the Council will be aware that
this provision has been considerably extended since that date.
SCHOOL CANTEENS.
"Following an interview by the Director of Education with the Board of
Education which took place early in 1940, a scheme for the establishment
of school meals was drawn up and implemented as soon as it was possible
to obtain the necessary equipment.
A medical survey was made in the schools, and the children requiring
meals classified under the following headings
(a) Under-nourished.
(b) Other reasons, i.e. distances children had to travel to
and from school, mother at work, etc.
(c) Economic reasons (not malnourished.)
While the medical survey was being made, a Central kitchen was being
equipped at Algernon Road Council School to cook 1,000 meals. After six
months' preparation, the first meals were served on the 4th June, 1941.
Meals cooked in the Central Kitchen were sent in insulated containers to
the schools.
Centres were opened first in districts where there was most need
for them. In some cases, children from two or three surrounding schools
go to one dining hall. The demand for meals became very great as shown:-

In addition to centres mentioned above, school canteens have been
running at Orange Hill Central School and Annunciation R.C. School for
the whole year, catering for 250 and 200 respectively each day. For
each of these schools, cooking is done on the premises. Figures are
included in the total figures given above.
It has been found that during the school holidays, when meals
were continued, attendances dropped to one third of the normal number.