View report page

119
It is proposed to instal two steaming ovens for puddings at the new Percy Road Feeding Centre.
If vegetables are to be steamed instead of boiled as at present, double the above installation
would be required.
"Provision of knives when solid courses are served would give an additional value to
the service."
Knives have always been provided at the Education Committee's Centres when solid courses
are served except to the very young children. At the Granville Road Voluntary Centre, however,
knives are not provided, but this will shortly be rectified when the new Feeding Centre is established
at Percy Road.
"The dietary should be slightly revised with a view to improving the balance of the
respective meals."
As the Children's Care Sub-Committee desire to have full information on this matter as well
as the economic circumstances scale I have set out in the following pages a comprehensive review of
the subject.
Historical Summary.
So far as records are available it appears that the feeding of school children in day schools
commenced during the last twenty years of the nineteenth century when funds were raised on a
voluntary basis for this purpose.
The first official reference to the question of feeding school children is to be found in the Report
of the Royal Commission of Physical Training which reported in 1903—
"We consider that the question of the proper and sufficient feeding of children is one
which has the closest possible connection with any scheme which may be adopted for their
physical and equally their mental work.
"It is evident that among the causes which tell against the physical welfare of the population,
the lack of proper nourishment is one of the most serious. The subject demands special
notice, not only as regards the existing state of affairs, but still more in view of any increase
of physical training throughout the State aided schools which may commend itself."
In March, 1905, the President of the Board of Education appointed a Committee whose terms
of reference were as follows:—
1. To ascertain and report on what is now being done and with what results in respect of
medical inspection of children, and
2. Further to enquire into the methods employed, the sums expended and the relief given
by various voluntary agencies for the provision of meals for children at Public Elementary
Schools and to report whether relief of this character could be better organised.
The outcome of this Committee's report was the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906,
which has been made use of in the area administered by the Willesden Education Authority since it
was passed.
On 7th August, 1914, the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1914, extended the operation
of the original Act to the feeding of school children on days other than school days, removed the limit
of a ½d. rate as the total expenditure to be incurred by a local education authority and abolished the
necessity for obtaining the sanction of the Board of Education to expenditure out of the rates on the
provision of food.
The Education Act, 1921, re-enacted and consolidated previous legislation in Sections 82-85
and made it possible to arrange for the provision of meals for school children both on days when the
school meets and other days.
The parent is required to contribute or defray the cost of the meals except in circumstances
where the local education authority is satisfied that he is financially unable to do so, in which case the
authority is empowered to defray from the rates the cost of such food as is used for these meals.
No obligation is placed on any teacher to assist or supervise or collect money as part of his duties.
Article 23 of the Special Service Regulations of the Board dated 1925, exhorts that children
receiving meals must be properly selected and dietary arrangements and service must be sufficient
and suitable. The school medical officer must assess and record the value of the meals and he must
be associated with the administration and arrangements.
The recent interest in the physical condition of our children resulted in arrangements being
made by the Minister of Agriculture for the provision of milk in schools outlined in Circular 1437 of
the Board of Education dated September, 1934. This made available to school children milk at
½d. per 1/3rd of a pint and authorised the granting of free milk to necessitous cases. The school medical
officer was required to approve the supply and urged to assess the results accruing.