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17.
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICES.
The health of the children attending the elementary schools was well
maintained and compared favourably with that of pre-war years. Careful watch
was kept over their nutritional standards and so far as the findings of medical
inspections are concerned, it will be seen that there was little deviation from
the previous year.

It is difficult, however, to measure standards of positive health
by statistics only, but I am convinced from my observations that the muscular tone,
the posture and general bearing of the children reflect as high a standard of wellbeing
as in any pre-war year. This is particularly so in the children from the
poorer homos. Against this optimistic picture one disquieting fact emerges,
viz., that considerably more children were referred for psychological examination
because of problems of behaviour. This may not be altogether surprising in a war
atmosphere and it is probable that a number of causes are operating to produce this
result; the lack of parental control due in many instances to the father being in
the Services and the mother in industry is, I believe, the most important single
factor.
The clothing of the children generally remained good, but thero was evidence
that difficulty was being experienced in a small number of cases and this is not likely
to improve in the immediate future.
The Scheme for the provision of milk and meals in schools has played a
largo part in maintaining and in many instances, improving the standard of nutrition,
and it is likely that in the near future, meals will bo provided for all children whose
parents wish them to participate. At the present time a considerable number of
children are taking advantage of meals provided at the British Restaurants, and the
subsidising and stabilisation of the prices of the more essential foodstuffs, has also
been a valuable contribution.