LUNCHES AT SCHOOL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1939, Page 8

LUNCHES AT SCHOOL

POSITION IN MASTERTON. Although some parents still give their children a few pence with which to buy their school lunch, Masterton school authorities are not as concerned as those in otner centres of the Dominion. A report from New- Plymouth states that headmasters of large schools there regard the position as very unsatisfactory. They contend that some of the pupils have nothing but fish and chips or pies for lunch from ope month to the other. Approached by a “Times-Age” reporter today, the headmaster of one big Masterton school said that the lunch problem, in his school, at any rate, was not serious, although it did exist. He considered that there would always be the kind of parent who would not -bother about preparing lunch, but who took the easy way out by giving the children a few coppers with which to obtain their lunch. On occasions it was quite all right for mothers to give the children money to buy lunches, but on the whole he thought that they should try and prepare good wholesome lunches. Children needed it. ,

The headmaster of another large school stated that his school was a good distance from the nearest fish and chip shop, and there was also no “tuck shop” in the vicinity. About 90 per cent of his pupils went home for lunch, and the remainder were always supplied with good wholesome lunches, which nearly always contained trait of some kind. The following are some suggestions for school lunches which it is understood school authorities approve of: — Marmite and lettuce sandwiches, date sandwiches, two peanut biscuits, one apple. Cheese and celery sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, two sliced wholemeal and raisin bread, five or six dates, apple or carrot.

Four slices of wholemeal bread (buttered), hard-boiled egg, three or four lettuce leaves, one cornflake cake, small handful of raisins, apple. Marmite and nut sandwiches, cheese and lettuce sandwiches, two Anzac biscuits, five or six prunes, orange or carrot.