London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Tottenham 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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the war years, has only emphasised the immense value of this pre-war
provision and the need for its re-establishment now that the war is
ended.
School Meals and Milk.
The value of school meals and milk in schools in supplementing
the diet of children is now almost universally recognised. Emphasis
must be placed on the educational importance to the children and
their parents of a "balanced diet" which the school meals service
seeks at all times to provide.
I am indebted to the Borough Education Officer for the following
details of the meals served during the past year:—
"Since the School Meals Scheme was revised and extended in
December, 1940, it has developed rapidly in the Borough, as shown
in the appended table. The fall in the year 1944-45 was due to the
heavy evacuation of school children during that period.
With the return of all the evacuated children, however, the position, as the figures show, has more than recovered itself during the year under review.
| Period. | Total meals served. |
|---|---|
| 1st April, 1941—31st March, 1942 | 614,853 |
| 1st April, 1942—31st March, 1943 | 892,411 |
| 1st April, 1943—31st March, 1944 | 1,020,737 |
| 1st April, 1944—31st March, 1945 | 768,185 |
| 1st April, 1945—31st March, 1946 | 1,066,597 |
There is now a canteen in every school in Tottenham, and
seventeen of the schools have their own kitchens. In the Primary
schools fifty per cent of the children have dinner at school and eighty
per cent take milk. In Secondary Schools of all types the figures are
fifty-six per cent for dinners and forty-eight per cent for milk.''
Physical Education in Schools.
I am indebted also to the Borough Education Officer for the
following particulars of progress made in the department of physical
education:—
Organisation.
"The upheaval of the war years has not made for continued
progress in Physical Education, but it is hoped that with the peace