School Meals for All ?
Lord Woolton's offer to make school-meals available to all children promises to constitute another landmark in the history of the social services—for no one can imagine that the benefits. of this reform, which is being made in the middle of a war, will be discontinued when the war is over. The principle adopted is, of course, not new. It was created long ago by the scheme for providing milk in schools, a scheme which is not superseded, and indeed is to be extended by continued " persuasion and education." Nor is the provision of meals in schools a new thing—already some 300,000 children in elementary and secondary schools are receiving them. What Lord Woolton has done has been to make sure that the necessary food for " balanced " meals, as well as cooking-utensils and equipment, will be available, and to secure a higher grant to local authori- ties to reimburse them to the extent of 8o per cent. (on an average) of the losses incurred. It remains now for the local education authorities to get to work, and the Board of Educa- tion and public opinion to insist that they do not neglect their opportunity. Considerable organisation will be needed, par- ticularly in villages. It is known that something like 5o per cent. of the parents want the meals provided and are willing to pay; and as more and more women are drawn into industry this proportion will certainly increase. Conversely, relief from the necessity of providing mid-day meals will enable thousands of mothers to take up war-work.
Previous page
