AIBU to wonder why this isn't being rolled out to ALL children?

[CocacolaMum]

..and not just the under 7's! In reality I know it always comes down to cost but wouldn't it be a marvellous thing to know that all children are having 1 nutritious meal per day.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24132416?SThisFB

This is what I don't understand about free school meals.. I earn £13k but don't get free school meals for my dc, because I get working tax credits. If i chose to pay I would want to see school cooks on site and teachers, esp heads, have to eat their dinners in the school canteen! Bet standards would go up.

Wouldn't send my child to school dinners even if they were free, they are disgusting and he (rightly) won't eat them. Waste of money and just not the right way to target those who need help, imo.

Euphemia the teachers here eat them too....but the nutritional education here is bad too....so people think food is good when in fact it's crap. There is far too much processed food on our school menus.

It will help the working poor (those who don't qualify for free school meals) so that has to be a good thing. But for the many people must be easily able to afford school meals it would seem like a waste of money.

Perhaps instead relax the means testing for FSM to include more children who currently don't qualify (sorry, I'm not sure how it's worked out exactly).

There are loads of families that can afford school meals, but some of them already get them free. They could roll it out to all children in KS1, then make all parents pay of give packed lunches when they get to ks2.

I'd agree with it if it was for all children. I really do hate that some children get support from the state but some don't. They are all children of this country, they are all of equal importance.

See...I don't think that IS a good menu Euphemia...it's far to meat heavy...my DC have fruit daily in their lunchbox....I see no fruit on that menu.

too

If you earn under £16300 ish and get child tax credits then get free school meals. Unless you also receive working tax credits then you don't.

Why would you take away child benefit and then brig this in. What a pile of nonsensical shyte.

Just noticed fruit salad on one of the days Euphemia but really it should be available daily...there is no need for cake or pudding daily.

I don't agree with it either.

I would rather that money was spend on lunches for children of any age whose parents can't afford it, not on lunches for children when their parents can afford to pay for it.

Madness.

It's the blandness that bothers me as much about school dinners just as much as the nutritional aspect.

Just looked at our school menu online and the veggie option is 9/10 something cheesy with sweetcorn on the side. Wooo fucking hooo.

neo fruit is still sugar... No menu needs to be heavy on fruit to be healthy. People shove fruit at kids thinking its super healthy.... It's not

Ks1 children are meant to be given one piece of free fruit a day anyway, my school serve it in the afternoon, and it's always good quality.

Our school meals are nice too. I've tried loads of them, and the only ones that aren't great are things like cauliflower cheese or cheesy pasta. And when they aren't that great, theres always jacket potato, which you cant go to far wrong with. They are healthy, as long as the child eats them. The problem is that lots of children won't eat veg.

My dd said that some teachers eat the school dinners but if they get eg jacket potatoes they are magically produced from under the counter, saved especially for the teachers!

I really don't agree with this. FSM are here for those who need it.

Waste of money giving free meals to kids who's parents can afford it.

The school my children go to encourages parents to go in to eat on any day of the week! I am going in to a 'invite your parent' lunch in a few weeks time. I can't wait (saddo)

I wonder what the knock-on effect of the loss of pupil premium will be?

It might actually be saving money.

The borough I live in (Tower hamlets) is trialling this for two years for reception and Y1 children only. I believe Southwark and Newham give free meals to all primary school pupils.

I'm very much in favour of this. And not just because DD is getting a free meal every day. I think schools should get enough funding to feed all of their children, regardless of income.