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This increase follows naturally upon the establishment in July of the
principle of selecting children on a nutrition basis. The Education
Committee propose, during the year 1938—
(a) to centralise the arrangements for the cooking and distribution
of dinners and to increase the accommodation in meals
centres;
(b) to adopt a sliding scale in assessing the income of parents,
so that the principle of part-payment for meals may be introduced.
In October the Education Committee appointed a Woman Social
Services Officer, part of whose duty is to advise on matters relating to
the provision of meals.
During the year ended 31st December, 1937, 293,211 dinners were
provided to children in the schools. Of these, 288,112 were provided
to children of necessitous parents and 5,099 on payment, to children in
Central Schools.
The average number of children receiving milk daily during the
year was 10,737 on payment, under the voluntary schemes organised
by the Head Teachers, and 1,391 free, on the recommendation of the
School Medical Officer.
CO-OPERATION OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS AND VOLUNTARY BODIES.
Parents are informed of the time and place at which their children
will be inspected and are invited to attend.
The parents of infants take advantage of the invitation and are
mostly present. With the older children the attendance of parents is
less usual. By means of the invitation form, parents, if they are not able
to be present at the inspection, are asked to state what illnesses their
children have suffered from and thus the personal history of each child
can be ascertained and recorded.
Intimation is given or sent to parents of defects noted at the
inspections and suitable directions are given.