Free school meals under threat in Islington
By LiseS | Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 19:26
Islington council's proposal, passed in February, to allow all primary and nursery school children in the borough free school meals regardless of income is under threat as coalition Education Secretary Michael Gove has withdrawn a £1.6m public grant to pay for the scheme.
-
No more soggy semolina: school dinners can help promote healthier eating
The free school meals pledge was one of Islington Labour's key council election priorities, and is intended to promote healthy eating. A pilot conducted in Hull suggests that, as well as ensuring a healthy meal during the school day, free school meals improve behaviour and attainment in the classroom and healthy eating habits outside. Former Education Secretary Ed Balls had indicated a government grant would pay for half the borough's meals.
Before May's elections, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors clashed over the issue, with the Libs favouring a policy of limiting free school meals by income. Labour Councillor Richard Watts, the Executive Member for Children and Young People, insisted the scheme would not be abandoned. The Children's Food Campaign, of which Watts is a manager, is now asking borough residents to email Michael Gove and ask him to reinstate the grant. Islington Labour are also seeking alternative funds for the scheme.
Promoting healthy eating among young children is seen by many as a good way to reduce lifelong obesity and save millions in future healthcare bills, as well as benefiting learning by keeping attention levels high and suar-rushes low. Do you support free school meals for all pre-secondary school children? Or are there other areas you would like to see the education budget focussed? Let us know.
To contact Michael Gove, please see this page.
Image: avlxyz
Comments
From highburyonfoot on Twitter: "free school meals are not under threat. The extension to include children from higher income households may be."
By LiseS at 17:35 on 16/06/10
ReportI think there are several strands to the arguments in favour of universal free school meals. One is that, as you point out, it promotes take-up of school dinners (even among families who could afford to pay) and normalises the behaviour - it becomes the exception *not* to have school dinners. Free school meals for all also reduces the stigma of a means-tested free meal - if everyone has the free meals, nobody feels singled-out for not paying. On the expenditure argument, the councillors in favour of universal free meals are really pushing the idea of "spend now in order to save in the future". By spending a couple of million pounds annually now, they hope to save billions in the future as research has repeatedly shown that developing healthy eating habits early means children are less likely to develop health problems associated with obesity later. Additionally, the learning benefits of school meals (better behaviour, better attention spans) mean a better education for everyone, which is why the money was to come from the central education budget. All of this really only works, of course, if the school meals are healthy. Cheese and chips doesn't sound like the recipe for slim and attentive children - perhaps Jamie Oliver needs to pay the school a visit? ;-)
By LiseS at 16:16 on 16/06/10
ReportIf this was intended to get more children to take a school meal rather than bring a packed lunch then from what I have seen in our school it has been a resounding success; my children report that very few children now eat a packed lunch. However there are plenty of people, myself included, who were previously paying for school meals and can afford to do so. Surely the money could be better spent elsewhere? Also are school meals really all that healthy? I have had report of lunches which consist of cheese, chips and cucumber - I suppose the cucumber is OK and there is calcium in cheese! ;-)
By kemblek at 14:13 on 16/06/10
Report