Figure 1.--Here younger primry school children are participating in a gardening lesson. It looks like the teachers have gotten than interested. Not only did many schools set up gardens, but the interested sozarked probably encouraged parents to set up home gardens. The photograph was taken during the Battle of Britain (Augusy 1940). We do not know where the school was, but the childre may have witnessed aerial combat during theuir garden lessons. .

Schools played an imprtant role on the British home front. Several different areas were involved. And one of those was food, a major concern for British officials. The primary purpose of the German effort was to starve Britain out. Britain was so dependentb of imprted food, that cutting off its Atlantic life line to America and Canada would have foorced Brtain out of the War. The older children at school were a potential labor force which could be mobilizxed at imortabnt times, especially harvest times. And gh evacuatiin of school children to the countryside mean that nmanhy were where the labor was needed. Another important food role was education. Many schools had gardening programs. This not only produced a little needed food, but meant that the children could help more in home gardening projecs and even encourage mom and dad to get with the program and create a home garden. Schools also played a role in ensuring good nutrition. They were a way of ensuting the yiunger children got the food that they needed. And schools began offering lunches, which the British called dinners. The general assessment is that they were not all that appealing, but they were nutritional. Schools lunches cintuinued to expand in the austrity period after the War. They were welcomed by many mums because they were off ration food, like British Restaurants, canteens and other restaurants..

Food Production

The older children at school were a potential labor force which could be mobiized at imortant times, especially harvest times. And gh evacuation of school children to the countryside mean that nmanhy were where the labor was needed.

Teaching Gardening Skills

Another important food role was education. Many schools had gardening programs. This not only produced a little needed food, but meant that the children could help more in home gardening projecs and even encourage mom and dad to get with the program and create a home garden.

Eating Habits

Teachers could help promote Government advertising campaigns like Potato Pete and Dr. Carrot--both major campaign aimed at British kids. We are not all that sure how much that helped, but surely it did not hurt. We suspect that older kids who knew what candy was were not impressed. Given that war and rationing were in effect for a decade, the younger children were not fully aware of what they were missing. The kids and adults did not have a lot of options. Ice cream and sweets were virtually unavailable and very rare treats for British kids during the War and even after the War. Sugar was strictly rationed. This was because sugar was for the most part imported from Brazil and the Caribbean. At shipping was at first desperately needed to counter the NAZI threat. The whole purpose of the U-boat offensive was to starve Britain and force it out of the War. Thus the British cut back on non-essential imports. And one of those was sugar. Even after the U-boat threat was defeated, shipping was the single most serious constraint to the Allied war effort. The British never went hungry, but their diet became rather boring. And a major reason for this was the lack of sugar. Sugar provides calories, but little in terms of nutritional value. For 6 years of the War, the kids were out of luck for what was very important to any kid--their sweet tooth. Unfortunately for British kiddies, sweets didn't finally go off ration until well after the War (1949). When this finally happened, there was of course long queues outside candy stores as kids rushed with their pennies to buy candy. Ironically, German kids got access to candy before British kids and way after French and Italian kids. The reason was the Labour Party's rush to turn Britain into a Socialist utopia. We see images of British kids chowing down on carrots and other foods instead of sweets. Younger children had not real idea of just what candy was, but very quickly learned.

Nutrition

Schools also played a role in ensuring good nutrition. They were a way of ensuting the younger children got the food that they needed., especially milk. And schools began offering lunches, which the British called dinners. The general assessment is that they were not all tha appeakling, but they were nutritional. Schools lunches continued to expand in the austrity period after the War. They were welciomed by many mums because they were off ration food, like British Restaurants, canteens and other restaurants. While meals were on the dull side. Actually in terms of nutrition, British diets were more healthy than before and after the War.

Created: 7:46 PM 4/25/2023
Last updated: 5:43 PM 4/27/2023