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most part selected on economic grounds, and they are usually
recommended by the teachers or by members of the Care Committee,
but a number are recommended by myself on medical grounds.
The administration of the Feeding Centre is in the hands of the
Director of Education, and the ladies of the Care Committee are
responsible for the menus. The dinners provided are wholesome
and nutritious, and the benefit resulting from the regular provision
of a good mid-day meal is very evident in many of the children.
The number of children receiving dinners at the Centre during
the year was 222, of whom 198 were fed free, 22 for part payment
and 2 for full payment. The total number of meals provided was
25,506, of which 20,719 were given free, 4,579 for part payment
and 208 for full payment. The average cost per meal was 4.1 pence
of which 1.8 pence represented the actual cost of food and 2.3 pence
the cost of administration. The food is served and the children
waited on at table by a number of ladies, mostly members of the
Care Committee, and to these ladies the Education Committee is
much indebted for this very useful service.
In addition to the meals served at the Feeding Centre, 3,752
meals were provided at the Myopic Centre for the children attending
there. Of these, 1,401 meals were given free, 477 for part payment,
and 1,874 for full payment. These meals are cooked at the Feeding
Centre.
Apart from this provision of meals, a number of children are
supplied with milk at school, free of cost in necessitous cases, while
a number of others are supplied with malt and cod-liver oil, or
virol at the School Clinic either free or at cost price, on the recommendation
of the School Medical Officers.
12.—CO-OPERATION.
(a) Of Parents.
The parents of the school children continue to take a good deal
of interest in the school medical inspections, and 69 per cent. of all
the children inspected were accompanied by a parent or guardian
at the inspection. In the infant schools the percentage of parents
attending was as high as 90, while in the other age groups the percentage
attendances of parents were, in the second group (or intermediates)
76, and in the third group (or leavers) 48 respectively.
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