MILK IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 14

MILK IN SCHOOLS

Continuation Favoured

After at first considering another survey of opinion on the value of the milk-in-schools scheme, the Canterbury Education Board has unanimously agreed that the scheme should continue. It had been asked to consider the Wanganui Education Board’s abolition of the scheme.

The chairman (Mr A. S. Murray) said the board could consult school committees and headmasters. A survey in 1955 was recalled by the secretarymanager (Mr W. P. Spencer). Among town schools 37 favoured the scheme and 11 were against, and 68 country schools approved it with nine against. Since then cases of waste had been removed and there had been few complaints. The schools found administration of the scheme “somewhat a nuisance” but there was no demand for a change. Mr E. F. Wilde said that when abolition of the scheme nationally was suggested in 1960, a School Committees’ Federation survey showed almost unanimous agreement that it should continue.

Later, after hearing assurances from the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) that there was no cause for alarm about a radiation hazard from the French nuclear tests, the board took no action on the Educational Institute request that school milk be suspended on that ground..