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of children inspected, 28.73 per cent. were classified as of excellent
nutrition, and 59.06 per cent. as normal. The corresponding
percentages for the previous year were 20.38 and 63.64, for 1940
28.38 and 60.1, and for 1939 30.1 and 59.8. While it must be
remembered that the assessment of the state of nutrition of a child
depends almost altogether on the personal judgment of the examining
doctor, the fact that there has been no change in the medical staff
during these years should indicate that the same standards of
assessment have been used over the period. There is therefore no
evidence that the nutrition of the children has depreciated during
the years of war. At the lower end of the scale it will be seen in
Table II that only four children have been classified as of bad
nutrition, and that 204, or 11.96 per cent., have been classified as
slightly subnormal. The corresponding percentages for the three
previous years were 15.97, 11.1 and 9.8 respectively.
SCHOOL CANTEENS AND THE PROVISION OF MEALS.
There is little doubt that the provision of milk and meals at
school has been a valuable factor in maintaining the nutrition of
the children. Canteens were open throughout the whole year at
White Hart Lane, Noel Park, Alexandra and Rhodes Avenue
Schools, and at these Canteens a total of/184,343 mid-day meals
were supplied. The average number of children taking advantage
of these school meals was 925, distributed as follows, among the
four Canteens : White Hart Lane, 150; Noel Park, 300; Alexandra,
300; and Rhodes Avenue, 175. The percentage of the elementary
school population taking advantage of the school meals provided
was just under 30.
Excellent advantage was also taken of the opportunity of
receiving milk at school, 83.7 of the total number of children
availing themselves of this provision. In addition to this, 59,617
bottles of milk were provided free of cost to 195 children whose
parents were not in a position to pay for it.
From these figures it will be seen that during the third year
of the war, a very great deal was being done by the Education
Authority to mitigate the hardship which rationing entails on the
school children, and, as I have already said, I am satisfied that
this provision of meals and milk is of the greatest possible value in
maintaining a satisfactory state of nutrition. It is to be hoped that
both the School Canteen and the provision of milk at school will
remain as a permanent feature of elementary school routine, and it
is of the greatest importance that every effoit should be made to
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