[Report 1935] / School Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City.

  • Leeds City Council
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1935] / School Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Provision of Apples. At all schools for retarded children the meal is cooked on the pieinises and many children get their dinners on payment and it is much to be desired that this system should extend. The meals brought to school arc most unsatisfactory, and often cost much more than the dinner available. In no case is there more need for proper dieting than in this group. Dinners at the School for Physically Defectives are still supplied tluough the lmalid ( hildren s Aid Society, who receive a grant of £5° per annum from the Committee in addition to being paid for all free ” cases. Included in Special Centres are meals cooked on the premises for the Green Lane Nursery Class and at the Roundhay Road (Partially Sighted) School. The daily supply has varied, the highest number reached being 2,528 in February, and the lowest 2,215 in September. It is still to be regretted that the numbers supplied on Saturdays are only about 50 per cent, of those entitled and on other days the attendance is often down to 80 per cent. Whilst the Supervisors do all that they can there is sometimes a lack of discipline at the Centres. The children do not come with clean hands and faces and cloakroom provision is not used—both points that need attention. It will be seen that there are various methods available for improving nutrition but, except for milk, these agencies are only used by children on the free list and subnormal nutrition is not confined to them, but is met with equally amongst the remainder. In many instances where the Doctors advise extra feeding the parents' income is over the Scale and consequently it is impossible to be sure that the feeding is adequate. Whilst parents do pay for dinners at various Special Schools- a practice that is deservedly increasing—this does not apply to what are known as “ School Dinners. All children in receipt of free dinners now receive an apple in addition. This is issued to them with their milk, but generally speaking is consumed when they wish. The provision of fresh