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The number of children who received meals at the Centre
during the year was 166, and of this number 122 were fed free of
cost, 42 for part payment, and 2 for full payment. The total
number of meals provided was 15,782, of which 11,251 were given
free, 4,513 for part payment, and 18 for full payment. The average
cost per meal was 5.9 pence, of which 2.5 pence represented the
actual cost of food, and 3.4 pence the cost of administration.
In addition to the meals served at the Feeding Centre, 2,865
meals were provided at the School for the Partially Sighted, in
Lordship Lane, for the children attending there. Of these, 1,551
were given free, 202 for part payment, and 1,112 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, and a number of others
are supplied with malt and cod-liver oil at the School Clinic either
free or at cost price, on the recommendation of the School Medical
Officers.
XII.—CO-OPERATION.
(a) Of Parents.
The parents of the children are usually interested in the school
medical examination, and the majority of the children are accompanied
on these occasions by a parent or guardian. At the entrants'
examinations more than 90 per cent, of the children were attended
by a parent or guardian. At the intermediate inspections the
percentage of parents attending was over 70, and in the case of the
leavers it was over 30. The parents, as a rule, are glad to get
advice about their children and ready to act on it, and the success
of the school medical work depends very largely on their co-operation.
(b) Of Teachers.
The co-operation of the teachers has been as ready and willing
as in previous years. Without their willing co-operation the work
of the school medical service would lose much of its effect, and
would not proceed so smoothly and quietly as it does. Our work
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