Tories going to axe free school meals

[cannotbelievethistoday]

So I have 2 children in private school.

Labour want to put VAT on private school fees, and extend free school meals to all primary children.

Tories are going to remove infant free school meals.

Bloody hell. And still people will vote Tory.

(My 2 kids are in private school - I totally agree with labour on this one)

[leighb23]

Tory arseholes.

[clarrylove]

I don't need the government to pay for my children's sandwiches. I can afford that myself, thank you. As can, the other parents in my child's class. By all means, buy lunches for the children whose parents can't afford it, but for every child? Can't think of a bigger waste of money tbh.

[bigchris]

My kids didn't get free school meals

This rather they are them than the school ask me for 200 quid at the beginning of the year because they sang afford stationary, exercise books etc

It should be means tested not just for everyone, like the winter fuel allowance giving free school meals to the well off is nonsensical given the cut backs in other areas

[RoseAndRose]

I the proposal to remove free meals - or to reverse the universal provision, that has only been around for a couple of years?

FSM for those who qualify for them is totally different from universality.

I'm wondering if you have got them confused.

[bigchris]

Apologies for the typos, angry rant affecting typing skills

[Loupee]

Meh, it's completely unnecessary for school meals to be free to all. They should be means tested.

DS starts school this year and we could afford to send him in with a packed lunch every day, but he'll be getting fed using taxpayers money. The money could be better used elsewhere imo

[cannotbelievethistoday]

But bigchris, now you will be asked for £200 for stationary and £200 for school meals.

I can afford to pay the VAT, as can all the parents in my children's classes.

[clarrylove]

Still, if Labour are offering to buy my family 10 lunches a week, would be rude not to accept. I wonder if they will bring back child benefit for all too?

[OddBoots]

I would agree with removing the universal free school meals, it hasn't been proven to help children in any significant way and the (unintended?) effect is that the parents of children entitled to free school meals and pupil premium are claiming because they either don't understand why they should or feel there would be stigma for no benefit.

[Intransige]

I don't want free school meals for my children, I want to feed them myself.

My understanding is that universal free school meals is to stop FSM being stigmatised, which is horrible. If some children are picking on other children because their parents are struggling financially that's a massive social mobility issue of learned snobbery that universal FSM isn't going to fix. The money would be better spent on teaching children about privilege and unconscious bias.

[makeourfuture]

It's turning into "Just how low can they sink?"

At least Thatcher just went for the milk.

[GreenGinger2]

Totally agree with removing the universal provision. It's a massive waste of money and was a ridiculous idea.

[meditrina]

"I can afford to pay the VAT, as can all the parents in my children's classes."

I'm mildly surprised by that. It suggests that you are in a very affluent area (as none of the other parents are close to the 'priced out' border that's hit so many) or that there are unusually high levels of pupils funded other than by the parents (eg employer); and that the school is probably at the cheaper (the main thread about new tax on fees showing quite a variation - £4K per term seeming to be the most often mentioned, but some as low as £2k and a new tax on that would still leave it lower than many already are)

[makeourfuture]

With everything else they could be doing, like drafting even a skeleton Brexit plan, they choose to attack hungry school kids and retiree pensions.

Get the economy growing!

[KeiraTwiceKnightley]

I thought the universal free meals was an anti-obesity and health drive - get children eating/exposed to a wider variety of foods at least once a day so they continue to eat these into adulthood. Trouble is, it will take 20 years to reap the benefits.

I suspect they saw the cynical reaction to Corbyns free meals for everyone and shoved this in at the last minute.

[chantico]

"At least Thatcher just went for the milk."

As did Wilson, though his role in that seems to have been airbrushed out.

It used to be universal. Wilson ended universality (limiting age eligibility). Thatcher finally removed it altogether (as there was no evidence that the post-war malnutrition (that it was introduced to counter) continued.

I suppose it persisted because it had a nice rhyming press slogan, and people do like to blame the Tories for nastiness even when Labour do the same stuff.

[glenthebattleostrich]

The meals at DDs school are awful. Tiny portions and horrible quality. Ive now started sending her with a packed lunch.

If I'm apparently too well off for child benefit why should I expect the government to pay for DDs lunch.

On the stigma of free school meals, we have moved to an online service to pay so surely no-one knows who's on free dinners and who isn't?

[SuperBeagle]

We don't have free school meals here in Australia and the country hasn't imploded.

Here, you send your children to school with lunches you've made for them, or they buy from the canteen. If a child doesn't bring their lunch to school, they get a meal from the canteen anyway. If it became a habit, I'm sure the school would look into that case individually, without assuming that all children have parents incapable of sending their child to school with food.

[scaryteacher]

Universal provision for school meals is not necessary imo. The money could be better used elsewhere.

[Honeyandfizz]

I also agree with abolishing universal free school meals. The poorest were already entitled to them anyway and that it is the way it should continue. Universal offering of benefits should be scrapped in all areas IMO such as winter fuel allowance for wealthy pensioners, bus passes etc. Peoples wealth varies massively and benefits should reflect this.

[jeanne16]

I find it extraordinary that Labour supporters still view themselves as morally superior to Tory supporters and yet constantly use terms such as 'Tory arseholes'. These sorts of insults are so common and tend to be in one direction.

Why should it be so appalling to acknowledge that there are many well off people in state primaries who can pay for school lunches? It is also amazing how moderately well off people can afford holidays and huge TVs but expect the tax payer to pay for school lunches.

[SerialBodenReturner]

Free school meals for all is totally unnecessary and a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere.

The children who needed free school meals most have always had them, and I think they'll continue to.

This is one of the easiest things to means test so completely agree with abolishing it for those who can afford it.

I agree that the Tory's have some cold-hearted policies, but I don't think this is one of them.

[Honeyandfizz]

The meals at DDs school are awful. Tiny portions and horrible quality. Ive now started sending her with a packed lunch.

I completely agree with this too. My dc are now years 7 & 8 but when in primary we often had parents meals (mothers day, christmas, fathers day etc). The meals were rank, unidentifiable boiled meat, a spoon of veg and a hard potato etc, does not constitute a healthy meal IMO.

[RainbowsAndUnicorn]

Good, it was an awful waste of money. The state shouldn't be paying for it, parents should. Providing food is a very basic of parenting.

The money could have been spent on an extra teacher or TA instead.

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

Meh, it's completely unnecessary for school meals to be free to all. They should be means tested.

I agree.

I can afford to pay the VAT, as can all the parents in my children's classes.

Well that's ok then What about everyone else?

I wonder if they will bring back child benefit for all too?

Doubt it. They can't seem to make up their minds about benefit freezes.