Page 667 - Reading Mercury

We have little fault to find with the scheme itself; all schemes and plans have their
weaknesses and loopholes, but what is needed now that these rents have become
apparent, is to mend them effectively.
Dr. J. J. Paterson has been quite out-spoken from the medical side, and this is an
aspect which must be considered. Every thoughtful person is asking himself why the
L.C:C. allowed many of the scholars in its charge to become in the state they were.
Please note we use the past tense as now they are clean and healed of their diseases.
Again, what have the L.C.C. teachers been doing to allow such a state to become
general? Have they nothing else to do but to draw their salaries? Then again, why
have we such a superabundance of teachers to look after the children? They seem to
be in for a good time and a comfortable holiday.
One clear fact emerges from all the problems that private billeting of children has
fallen short in meeting the need and, although there are many individual cases where
the advent of the strange child in the strange home has worked splendidly the results,
on the whole, show the scheme has failed.
We cannot blame those who planned it, for they were at great pains to preserve the
home atmosphere and influence for the children, but the strain upon housewives who
have several evacuees, is tremendous and many are at breaking point. This is natural,
as women have striven in every possible way to make things happy and comfortable
for their charges, but it has been found difficult to understand the mentality of the
children who, despite all that is done for them, miss their home and not all the
material comforts of a strange house will compensate them for the loss of the maternal
bosom,
Again, what child can pour out its troubles (and even the smallest is great to the one
who bears them) to a strange woman? Whereas the mother would, without hesitation
be the recipient of its woes.
Another aspect of the case is that many mothers are willing to send their children
away for their safety, but they would rather they lived in a place run on boarding
school lines. There all the children would be treated alike, and the personal influences
would be abstract, as against the nice house with “home atmosphere” which children
might come to prefer to their own home, or with “temporary parents” who, quite
unconsciously, might alienate youthful affection from the real parents.
Billeting officers and social workers have come to the decision that the best way out
is to stop all billeting at private houses, and to arrange for the children to live as
school units on communal lines in hotels, large houses, institutions, camps and
convalescent homes. Schools could be grouped as colonies and run on school lines,
private householders would be relieved of worry and trouble and the children could be
adequately supervised as in a boarding school.
Whilst this is a practical scheme and the only one likely to succeed, it will lighten
the burden of the housewives and give some of the helpers something useful to do.

th
Sat 11 Nov
MORE EVACUEES
On Friday last week a further contingent of evacuees (from Battersea and
Stockwell) arrived in Wokingham. A number of helpers accompanied them. The
Mayor and the Mayoress and Miss Harwood (secretary to the evacuation committee)
received the children who were provided with refreshments in the Baptist School
Room, under the superintendence of Mrs. Guyton. Homes were soon found.

RE-OPENING OF EVENING INSTITUTION

665