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and, in order to avoid unnecessary expenditure on staffing and upkeep,
the accommodation should, so far as practicable, be in units
of an economical size. For both types the main requirements are
sunny, well-lighted, warm and airy premises, sufficiently spacious
for the development of activities of mind and body, convenient
accommodation for training in personal hygiene and opportunities
for playing in safety out of doors.
The two alternatives mentioned above are not mutually
exclusive, and the extent to which either of them is adopted will
depend on local conditions. There will, in the first place, be
children whose physical condition and surroundings necessitate
the continuous medical care and the feeding which are characteristic
of a Nursery School. For such children the Nursery School has
the further advantages that they can be admitted from the age of 2,
and that provision of meals is more readily arranged. The present
cost of provision and upkeep of Nursery Schools is not generally
extravagant, but there is little doubt that the high cost in individual
cases has acted as a serious deterrent to a more rapid
increase in the number of Nursery Schools.
There are, however, a large number of children whose needs
will be met by less specialised provision, and for whom accommodation
can most readily be found in separate classes in the
infant departments of Public Elememtary Schools. Experience
shows that where these young children are accommodated in Public
Elementary Schools the arrangements need not be costly or
elaborate, and that parts of the existing premises of many infant
departments can be adapted at comparatively small expenditure
so as to provide all that is required for the training, play and rest
of the children. The essentials for this purpose are adequate and
suitable space indoors and outdoors including ready access to the
playground, and, wherever possible, a separate playground, however
small. There should also be easily accessible cloakroom, lavatory
and washing accommodation with hot and cold water, the means
of preparing and serving a simple milk meal in the middle of the
morning, and suitable equipment, including beds for use during
the rest period and play material.
Report by Medical Officer of Health to the Maternity
and Child Authority (March, 1936).
The Maternity and Child Welfare Authority is the health
Authority responsible for children from birth until the age of
five years.