Official
Official Letter
Condemns Religious Orders
Gross Malnutrition of
Children in Industrial Schools
13 Eanar 1945
I.R.226/44,
Runai,
Roinn Airgeadais
I
am directed by the Minister for Education to inform you that he is gravely
concerned at the evidence which has been reaching him for a considerable time of
the malnutrition of children in industrial schools, particularly those for girls
and junior boys. Shortly after her appointment in 1939, the Department's Medical
Inspector, Dr. McCabe, set about the task of bringing the dietary in these
schools up to such a level that the children would thrive on it and put on
weight in a normal way. She revised the diet scales in all schools and advised
individual schools on the deficiencies in their dietaries. She introduced a
system whereby the resident manager of every school is required to keep a
medical chart in respect of each child, upon which, inter alia, the weight and
height of the child must be entered each quarter. These charts enable the
child's progress in weight to be compared with the normal for its age and
height.
These and other measures brought about a marked improvement during the early war
years. Unfortunately this has not been maintained and the position for some time
past has been serious. The Medical Inspector has stated time and again that the
general standard of nutrition is too low. This grave state of affairs is due, to
a degree which varies with the circumstances of each individual school, to the
following causes:
(1) Inability to provide adequate quantities of food owing to the rise in
prices;
(2) Failure to do so owing to parsimony; and
(3) Failure to provide a properly balanced diet (even when the quantity is
adequate) owing to lack of training in the management of institutions for
children and ignorance of fundamental dietetic principles.
As to (1), the payment of the State capitation grant on all committed children
(instead of on the "certified number") and the increase from 5s/ - to 7s/6d per
week of the State and local authority grants for children under 6, (both changes
took effect as from the 1st July last), have done something to ease the schools'
financial position. When pressed to improve diet, however, managers complain
continually that they cannot afford to do so, or that they can do so only by
economising elsewhere e.g. in clothing. The Association of Managers has applied
for an emergency bonus of 5s/- per week per child. There is no doubt that the
schools, particularly the smaller ones and those that have no farms or very
small ones, have a case for an emergency increase in their income (in common
with every other section of the community) if they are to be compelled to
maintain, and in many cases, to improve upon, their pre-war standards of food
and clothing.
As
to (2), the strongest possible action has been taken in all cases where the
Department was satisfied that parsimony was the predominant cause of gross
malnutrition. Two resident managers have been removed from office at the request
of the Minister for Education. Others have been solemnly warned and will be
removed in due course if there is no adequate improvement. (In one such case in
Co. Cork the warning was given personally by the Secretary to the Department
accompanied by the Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools.)
As to (3), this is a contributory cause of malnutrition in all schools,
particularly those conducted by nuns, and an effort to eradicate it is an
essential part of the general attack on malnutrition. It is proposed to have a
course in institutional management and UNREADABLE next summer and to invite the
sister or sisters in charge of the catering in each of the 43 schools conducted
by nuns to attend. The City of Dublin Vocational Committee will be asked to
conduct the course in Colaiste Muire le Tigheas, Cathal Brugha Street, and to
make available the services of professors on their staff who are highly skilled
in these subjects. From preliminary discussions between officers of the
Committee and the Department it has been ascertained that the course could be
specially framed framed to suit the actual conditions existing in the schools.
It would deal with the fundamentals of institutional cookery as applied to
industrial school needs. Practical training in essential {processes} and dishes
would be given and particular attention would be paid to methods of serving
large quantities of food. There would also be lectures on the economic planning
of menus in accordance with dietetic needs, on costing, storage, and preparation
of foodstuffs. In addition, the Department's Medical Inspector would avail of
the opportunity to give some lectures on balance in diet, hygiene, etc,. The
course should last for four weeks.
Having regard to the background out of which this proposal emerges - persistent
pressure by the Department on the schools to spend more money on food and
constant complaints from the schools that they cannot afford to do so - it will
be clear that the course must not involve the schools in any expense if there is
to be a reasonable prospect of securing their co-operation. It is proposed to
make a grant of 9 (nine pounds) towards the expenses of each nun from a school
outside Dublin City who attends the course - 2 pounds for travelling expenses, 6
pounds for
four weeks hostel expenses in Dublin, and 1 pound for materials and part maintenance
(they will eat meals they prepare). Nuns from Dublin City schools would receive
the grant of 1 pound only.
The estimated cost of the course is as follows:
Instruction:
1 Teacher at 40 pounds = 40 pounds
2 Asst. Teachers at 30 pounds each = 60 pounds
Attendants and rent = 15 pounds
Travelling and subsistence
Say 50 nuns at 9 pounds each= 450 pounds
Total: 565 pounds
The figure might be rounded up to 600 pounds to cover the possibility of a greater
attendance than now anticipated. This amount could be provided in a new subhead
B1 in Vote 50 entitled "Summer course in institutional management for members of
communities conducting industrial and reformatory schools for girls"
I am to request the sanction of the Minister for Finance for the conduct of this
course and the inclusion of provision accordingly in Vote 50 for 1945/46
Leas Runai
SOURCE MAY CORNISH
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