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79
becoming increasingly popular, especially among the secondary
school children, of whom 57 per cent. have school dinners as compared
with 45 per cent. of the primary school children.
These figures do not mean that the 43 per cent. never have
school dinners. Many parents allow their children to have meals
on two or three days a week, i.e. on the days when the rations for
the week have been consumed. That being so, really a higher
proportion than 57 per cent. have school meals during some part
of each week.
Since September, 1946, one-third of a pint of free milk has
been obtainable by all children at school. In the Ley ton area,
previous to this free issue, a high percentage of children had twothirds
of a pint daily. It is not possible to say if this reduction
to one-third of a pint will have any adverse effect on nutrition;
but, as the percentage of children taking school dinners has been
steadily increasing, any loss experienced by the children is likely
to be masked by this fact. Nevertheless, many school children
feel the loss of the second one-third of a pint, and it is hoped that
milk production will soon allow us to restore it.
CHILD GUIDANCE
Since 1937 the Education Authority has had arrangements
with Child Guidance Clinics—established in special departments
of London hospitals or as separate organisations—for the reference
thereto of children showing anti-social behaviour problems.
When Walthamstow Council established a Child Guidance
Clinic in 1943, arrangements were made for reference thereto of
Ley ton children; and this arrangement was welcomed, as it did
away with the necessity for mothers and children travelling long
distances to London clinics. Owing to the great increase in the
number of cases during recent years, it has become more and more
difficult for Leyton cases to be dealt with at any of the clinics with
which the Council has an arrangement; and during the year under
review the waiting list has been so long that the arrangements are
of little use.
Dr. Bartlett, Educational Psychologist, Essex County Council,
has been able to give valuable help in a few cases, but much more
than this is required. The Education Committee has therefore
submitted to the Walthamstow Committee a suggestion that a
full-time educational psychologist and psychiatric social worker be
appointed in the Leyton area to work under the supervision of the
Walthamstow psychiatrist.