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any deterioration in the nutrition of the elementary school children
in Wood Green during the years of war. The percentage of children
classified as of excellent nutrition was 31,73, and of those classified
as of normal nutrition 57.8. These two groups together represented
89.5 of the school children, the corresponding figure for the previous
year being 88.5. 10 per cent. of the children were slightly subnormal
and only .4 per cent. of bad nutrition.
SCHOOL CANTEENS AND THE PROVISION OF MEALS
AND MILK.
I have stated in previous reports, and I wish to express the
opinion again that the maintenance of the nutrition of the average
school child at this satisfactory level is due in very large part to
the provision of meals and milk at school. The average number of
children having a mid-day meal at school varied throughout the
year from 35 to 40 per cent. of the children in attendance at school,
and the total number of meals provided during the year was 272,865.
The percentage taking advantage of the provision of milk at school
varied from 71 to 81 at different times during the year. In addition
to the large number of children receiving milk for payment,
78 children who were recommended milk on medical grounds and
whose parents were unable to pay for it, were provided with 20,686
bottles of milk free of cost.
The provision of meals and milk at school necessarily involves
a very great deal of organisation and work, much of it by the
teaching staff of the schools. It is very gratifying therefore that
advantage of it is taken by so many of the children, on whose health
and well-being it cannot fail to have a beneficial effect.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The following table gives the number of cases of infectious
disease notified from the elementary schools in 1944, and also those
for the two previous years. It will be seen that only three cases of
diphtheria were notified, that the number of cases of scarlet fever
was much lower than in the previous year, and that chicken-pox,
measles, german measles and whooping cough were responsible for
the great bulk of the notifications:—
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