Policy Sought On Milk In Schools

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 3

Policy Sought On Milk In Schools

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 22. Town milk producers throughout the country are disturbed at the arbitrary action of some education boards on the milk-in-schools scheme, said the president of the Town Milk Producers’ Federation, Mr E. N. Peacocke, today.

Commenting on the recent decision of the Wanganui Education Board to confine the supply of school milk to pupils in the primer classes from February 1 next year, Mr Peacocke said the board’s decision was taken in spite of the fact that a majority of school committees in the area whose opinions were sought

actually favoured a continuation of the scheme and gave reasons in support of their views. Mr Peacocke said the federation considered that as the scheme was sponsored by the Government and the milk was paid for out of Government funds, the Government should accept full responsibility for the scheme. If the Government was averse to giving specific directions to education boards, it should at least give some lead to the boards on what would be a proper course to follow when exercising decisions of the nature of that required of the Wanganui board.