View report page

16.

It will be seen that the number of children classified as being of
excellent nutrition, has increased in both the Public Elementary and Secondary
and Technical Schools, but as far as elementary schools are concerned, the
percentage found to be slightly sub-normal and bad has also increased. The
assessing of nutritional standards of children of the slightly sub-normal
group is likely to vary with the personal views of the examining officer, but
generally speaking a wide basis has been taken for this group and all children
were included whose general standards of health were considered to be below
normal.
I am indebted to the Director of Education for the following notes of
the main developments likely to affect the health of the children, which have
taken place in the educational service during the year, and for his continued
co-operation and that of his staff in the work of the school medical services.
"Children under five years of age.
During the year continued arrangenents have been made for
the admission of children under 5 years of age to Infant
Departments. On 1st October, 1944, there were 371 such
children attending 22 departments. These figures are 50%
less than the corresponding date in 1943, due to evacuation.
The opening of Infants' Schools to children under 5 years has
been found to be a valuable contribution to the release of
women workers for work of national importance in the area,
inasmuch as it enabled many mothers to take up such work who
would have otherwise been unable to do so.