This probably makes sense, economy of scale would mean per portion prices can be quite low. And there is the advantage that those eligible for free school meals are not stigmatised.
Fantastic, now if the whole of the UK could roll this out please. No to hungry children in the UK in 2023.
Make it a national policy and make it so that they are as filling and as healthy as possible. Childhood nutrition is a key factor in overall life outcomes, providing all kids with a healthy meal for free will help lower both the attainment gap and life expectancy gap between the rich and poor. It is also a great investment in the future of the UK, far cheaper than most solutions too.
I have to say those blazers look way more comfortable than the ones we had to wear back in the 90s. Ours were wool but those look like cotton.
Great.
Why the hell wasn’t this already a thing? If we’ve got enough money to spend £100,000,000 on the King’s coronation, we’ve got enough money to make sure that food is available for any child who wants it.
As long as this is slightly nuanced. yes to all children being fed. But make it an opt out scheme and include the option for cold meals (sandwiches etc) alongside the full cooked meal and it covers all bases.
So a hot meal for each child by default, but the parents have a choice to have a lighter (packed lunch) style option or to withdraw their kid and supply their own food.
Sorted
On an unrelated note, I was just looking at the demographics for Tower Hamlets and I’m kind of stunned. I had no idea we had areas of the UK that are like that. It’s 44.5% Asian, with most of that being Bangladeshi, 7.5% black, 5% mixed race, and 4% Arab. 15% white non-British.
It’s interesting that one of the first areas to adopt this system is also one of the least WASP British areas of the UK.
The question has to be asked though…if children are going hungry (without school meals), then are they really in a good/acceptable situation at home.
End of the day, with the benefit system setup the way it is to provide a safety net/helping hand, there is no reason for a child to go hungry assuming their parent/s are making proper use of their funds/support.
If the parents are not using their funds appropriately, and children are only eating /have food due to free school meals, are said children really living in a good environment/upbringing?
Sometimes throwing money at an issue or providing a handout/s, even with best intentions, doesn’t solve the underlying problems.
I love school meals for all! It reduces social stigma as it allows everyone to eat together if they all take up a school lunch!
Sometimes the school lunches aren’t the greatest but it also means kids aren’t going hungry unless they outright refuse to eat! If a child forgets money or packed lunch great they can get a school lunch
9 comments
This probably makes sense, economy of scale would mean per portion prices can be quite low. And there is the advantage that those eligible for free school meals are not stigmatised.
Fantastic, now if the whole of the UK could roll this out please. No to hungry children in the UK in 2023.
Make it a national policy and make it so that they are as filling and as healthy as possible. Childhood nutrition is a key factor in overall life outcomes, providing all kids with a healthy meal for free will help lower both the attainment gap and life expectancy gap between the rich and poor. It is also a great investment in the future of the UK, far cheaper than most solutions too.
I have to say those blazers look way more comfortable than the ones we had to wear back in the 90s. Ours were wool but those look like cotton.
Great.
Why the hell wasn’t this already a thing? If we’ve got enough money to spend £100,000,000 on the King’s coronation, we’ve got enough money to make sure that food is available for any child who wants it.
As long as this is slightly nuanced. yes to all children being fed. But make it an opt out scheme and include the option for cold meals (sandwiches etc) alongside the full cooked meal and it covers all bases.
So a hot meal for each child by default, but the parents have a choice to have a lighter (packed lunch) style option or to withdraw their kid and supply their own food.
Sorted
On an unrelated note, I was just looking at the demographics for Tower Hamlets and I’m kind of stunned. I had no idea we had areas of the UK that are like that. It’s 44.5% Asian, with most of that being Bangladeshi, 7.5% black, 5% mixed race, and 4% Arab. 15% white non-British.
It’s interesting that one of the first areas to adopt this system is also one of the least WASP British areas of the UK.
The question has to be asked though…if children are going hungry (without school meals), then are they really in a good/acceptable situation at home.
End of the day, with the benefit system setup the way it is to provide a safety net/helping hand, there is no reason for a child to go hungry assuming their parent/s are making proper use of their funds/support.
If the parents are not using their funds appropriately, and children are only eating /have food due to free school meals, are said children really living in a good environment/upbringing?
Sometimes throwing money at an issue or providing a handout/s, even with best intentions, doesn’t solve the underlying problems.
I love school meals for all! It reduces social stigma as it allows everyone to eat together if they all take up a school lunch!
Sometimes the school lunches aren’t the greatest but it also means kids aren’t going hungry unless they outright refuse to eat! If a child forgets money or packed lunch great they can get a school lunch
Only thing is queues are annoying!