The Feeding of School ChildrenBulkley, M. E. (Mildred Emily)
History
The Feeding of School Children
Bulkley, M. E. (Mildred Emily)
School children -- Food
This eating-house is situated in the poorest part of Acton, where the
great majority of the children who are on the dinner-list live. In a
few cases, where the children live in other districts, arrangements
are made for them to obtain food at the cookery centres; this food
they take home with them. This plan, we were told, is only adopted in
cases where the mother can be trusted to see that the dinners are
really eaten by the children for whom they are intended.
At Liverpool, till quite recently, the same system was in force. The
children received coupons at the school, which they presented at various
cocoa rooms in the city.[263] The objections to this system were many.
The number of cocoa rooms, at which coupons were accepted, was limited,
and in some cases the nearest cocoa room was situated too far from the
school for the children to be sent there.[264] Though some managers
refused to supply unsuitable food, others gave whatever the children
asked for--frequently buns, jam puffs, or iced cakes.[265] Often the
children would take the food home to be shared among the other members
of the family.[266] At some cocoa rooms the children were served in the
general room, and were brought into contact with adult customers "of a
class not choice in language or manners." There was little or no
supervision--only occasional visits by the teachers--and consequently no
attempt "to influence the children in the direction of cleanliness and
orderliness at meals."[267] In spite of these revelations the system was
continued for several years, being only finally given up in August,
1912. The meals are now served in centres. The food is at present
supplied by caterers, but the Education Committee are considering the
advisability of providing their own kitchen.
Footnote 263:
Some were sent to the depots of the Food and Betterment Association.
Footnote 264:
Interim Report of the Special Committee appointed to investigate the
Insufficient or Improper Feeding of School Children, Liverpool City
Council Proceedings, 1907-8, Vol. II., pp. 5, 15.
Footnote 265:
_Ibid._, pp. 11, 12, 19.
Footnote 266:
_Ibid._, pp. 17, 22, 23, 24. In one case where five coupons were given
daily to five members of a family, it was found that the children took
the coupons home every day, and at the end of the week these coupons
were presented and value obtained. (_Ibid._, p. 21.)
Footnote 267:
MS. Memorandum on the Feeding of School Children, by the Liverpool
Fabian Society, 1908.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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