Reforms to help the young
Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1906
The successes of this were:
- free school meals were provided
- this replaced charity involvement
- local authorities were given grants from the Treasury to fund 50 per cent of the cost of meals
- school meals rose from 9 million in 1906 to 14 million in 1914
The limitations of this were:
- by 1914, many local authorities were still not providing school meals
- health deteriorated again during school holidays
- it was costly for the Government
Education (Administrative Provisions) Act 1907
The successes of this were:
- school children received three medical inspections during their school years
- school boards could act against parents who sent children to school in poor condition
- free medical treatment was given to school children after 1912
The limitation of this was:
- free treatment was not available until 1912 - even then, many local authorities did not provide it
Children's Act (The Children's Charter) 1908
The successes of this were:
- children were banned from begging
- penalties were given to shops for selling tobacco or alcohol to children
- juvenile courts and borstals were established to separate adult and child offenders
- the death sentence was abolished for children
The limitations of this were:
- little success with alcohol and tobacco, even today
- the Children's Charter did little to deal with the causes of juvenile crime