SCHOOL SULK

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25329, 31 October 1947, Page 9

SCHOOL SULK

SUGGESTED AID TO BRITAIN JHXED reception by PARENTS Lively argument is going on in Dunlin about a proposal to suspend the fee milk-in-schools scheme to make <r e butter-iat available to Britain. 2L Dunedin Headmasters’ Association the suggestion, contending that tfjth adequate rationed foods and an Abundance of alternative fare, New gnand children could sacrifice their jailv allowance of milk at school (most receiving supplies at home) and proJSe znore butter and cheese for Bripin when she is so short of edible

Nothing has been heard of any similar proposal in Christchurch. The Canterbury Education Board, the Canterbury School Committees’ Association, and the district office of the Health Department had not heard of the suggesijn. Some teachers said they had learned of the Dunedin discussions; hut no discussions had been held Scauy- . c Inquiries from parents showed that such a proposal would meet with a mixed reception. Ten were questioned a t random. None knew that the scheme had been mooted. At short notice, five s?id they would support such a sacrijjee and five opposed it. Ihose in favour ssid that, although pjch a plan had not occurred to them, they were surprised that it x had not been mentioned before. They conddered that their children were adequately served by milk received at home, estimated at a pint to a quart a sild a day, including that used in cooking, and that the school ration was jgnply a valuable supplement which could be dispensed with to aid Britain. From the answers of the others, it Uipeared that a pint or quart of milk yas taken daily for whole families and that a marked improvement in the c&ildren's health had been shown since de introduction of the milk-in-schools rheme. They seemed reluctant to agree with the Dunedin proposal. Mr J. Mclntyre, president of the Dunedin Headmasters’ Association said recently that no definite information on the effects of the milk-in-ichools scheme could be given as no Dominion survey had been made. He deplored a suggestion from one critic that the headmasters were seeking to rid themselves of responsibility for operating the scheme.