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I
During the first four months of the War the Walthamstow
employers were at a standstill, and the numbers of unemployed at the
Bureau were larger than usual at that time of the year, hut in
January indications of greater activity in the works became evident
With the factories in full swing, unemployed boys and girls and
scholars who had reached their 14th birthday presented themselves a
the factories and were immediately engaged without reference to the
Bureau. Employers always had plenty of juvenile labour waiting at
the gates and had no occasion to notify vacancies to the Bureau while
thus lost many placings in employment, With the resumption of
compulsory attendance at school ½n April 1940, the usual procedure
of linking up the school leaver with the Bureau was re-established.
Throughout the year, as in the previous year, employment in the
City of London, on which so many Walthamstow Secondary and Central
School pupils depend,was scarcely available owing to the evacuation
of offices and the general reduction of office staffs. Large
numbers of "placings in other districts" were tnus lost to the
Bureau, and many boys and girls who would have found their future
in the City, were forced to take local employment, frequently in
jobs which offered good money but no future.
The suspension of the provisions of the Factory Acts regarding
overtime was, in the case of the juveniles, most unfortunate, if
necessary at the time. Boys were able to draw very high wages. In
many cases boys refused jobs which did not offer the high wages of
a previous job. Compared with the previous year registrations
at the Bureau were 167 less, placings in employment 353 less.
The following figures indicate the increase or decrease on the
previous year:-
(a) Registrations 167
(b) Placings in employment 353
(c) Unemployment Insurance
Claims to benefit 153
Amount paid £139
New Insurance Books issued 387
Annual exchange of books 93
(d) School Leavers-
Registrations- Boys 711
Girls 633
1344 — 49
Placings in employment-
Boys 432
Girls 325
757 — 178
(ii) Employment of Children. 40 children were examined by the
medical staff. All were passed fit for employment.
(iii) Employment of Children in Public Entertainments. No children
were examined under these regulations.
(iv) Medical Examinations. The following examinations were made
during 1940 by the medical staff:-
Teachers 42
Others 15
21. STATISTICAL TABLES.
The statistical tables required by the Board of Education
follow:-
26