AIBU to think free school dinners is a waste of money

[Iwannalaylikethisforever]

Our primary school newsletter announces from September 2014 all reception children and years 1&2 will be getting free school meals. Everyone else pays usual £2 per day.
Although the government is calling for a ban on packed lunches, our school is not enforcing it.
I think free school lunches for those who need it is brilliant. I loved my free school lunches as a child.
But, so many parents are angry about it and insisting their child is too fussy to eat whats on offer at school, surely it's just a waste of tax payers money. Further more I think it's unreasonable to assume after year 2 parents and children won't benefit from trying to introduce children to a broader array of foods than they get elsewhere.

I'm concerned about the low protein content of school meals. Protein is probably the most expensive part of any meal and I think it is one of the areas where costs are cut.

I worked in a primary school that had free school dinners for everyone (very disadvantaged, special measures London school). The food was reasonable (sometimes a little bland as I think they were watching the salt content) but I couldn't complain about the salad options or puddings (fresh fruit and yogurt every day). Most children ate them and enjoyed them without a problem but there were always a few little ones who brought their own packed lunches (which were of a decent standard).

Perhaps if they are available for all the standard and quantity will go up?

It would be an utter waste giving a FSM to DD2, because 3/4 days a week it would go in the bin.

Apart from the fact, we can afford to pay.

Extending FSMs and the pupil premium to families surviving on NMW, temporary, seasonal and part time wages would be a far better use of the money.

The gulf in prospects between the rural poor and the two car owning, music, ballet, swimming class attending two graduate parent commuters in this area is huge.

I'd much rather pay for DDs food and see school trips etc. subsidised for some of the families who really struggle.

YABU

Universal benefits are much more effective for the simple reason that they do not exclude anyone and those who need them get them.

However they're unpopular because people think they're a waste of money. However universality saves on administrative overheads.

Child benefit was one of the cheapest benefits to run because it was easy to administer. Now - I suspect it's not.

I've seen many of these threads and no one unless I have missed it completely very possible has managed to answer, how are pp children going to be identified if all the kids are getting FSM.

I work in a first school and see at first hand how very crap school dinners are. lots of tinned sohagetti and sugary pudding cake.

the meals see often cold and very small portions.

I also see very nice lunch boxes with masses of fruit and vegs and kids with pasta and sushi.

it's a ridiculous waste of money.

totally agree op.

" As classes leave KS1, we'll be telling them they must continue on school dinners"
What if the parents can't pay for that?

I think its a great idea.

The quality of the meals is a seperate issue. The principle of FSM is a good one, with the option to opt out if you don't want to.

If this stops one child from starving to death then it's not a waste of money.

Giles, a HT has answered further down. Through DWP. Although not all PP is income based - aren't some forces based? Same principle I assume

If this stops one child from starving to death then it's not a waste of money

And what about the children who will in fact have a WORSE diet as a result? Do they not matter?

Surely it's not going to become compulsory for KS1 to eat the free school dinners?

How on earth can they force parents to accept them for their children?

Most packed lunches I've ever seen are far healthier than the crap provided by the school meals people.

I'm flabbergasted if anyone's suggesting it won't be optional to have them?

I was going to say that my fussy little one would prefer his pots of brown rice/pearl barley and variety of beans and veggies.... aka leftovers but it would be a lie. he would prefer the chips and pizza and puddings on offer at school. I have the job of deciding whether to go for the easy option and let him have them for a year or keep on making him packed lunches.

Retro KS2 get the leftovers in our school too. It drives me bonkers when DD comes home and tells me the random selection of food she's been given, as a result of food running out.

And they have beans almost every fecking day, and you can bet your life they're not low salt sugar beans.

While I can see that there is a clear need for some families to have FSMs, I think they are often a waste of money with the way the scheme is currently run. Some parents who are eligible for FSMs insist their children have them, despite the fact that they have been told that their child eats next to none of it every day.

And our school meals are lovely! Anything with pasta I'd steer clear of, but pretty much everything else is really nice, I've tried most of it.

I support universal benefits, so the only problem I have with this is that it's only for KS1. Children do not stop needing nutritious food the minute they leave year 2, and parents incomes don't suddenly go up either.

My DS's Primary school has 950 pupils and two tiny lunch halls.

Already kids are marched in and out in 15 mins, having had to bolt their school dinner down.

They would never cope if they banned packed lunches, because those kids eat them in an empty classroom.

I'd prefer to see the money spent on free meals on wheels for the elderly/vulnerable.

And what about the children who will in fact have a WORSE diet as a result? Do they not matter?

It's not compulsory

And if the meals are bad, then complain.

Apparently it will be compulsory, and that;s what we're all shocked about

It better not be compulsory!!!

It took long enough to undo the damage from dds stint in school dinners. Not repeating the performance deboned time around that's fir sure.

We don't have a kitchen at our school so we have a few months to build one! Where it will go is anyones guess. Losing a playground is likely right now. I'd rather our children had adequate space outside than FSM they don't need. I don't appreciate paying taxes to feed children who can afford to be fed by their parents when there are pensioners who are going cold and hungry who could benefit more from a hot meal and a friendly face delivering it.

Second - typo central

(and I say that as someone whose DCs are firmly school dinners all the way - DS wouldn't et sandwiches for the first 5 years of his life, and would have spent all of YR and Y1 having a ham sandwich...day after day after day. Now he eats beef and egg :o)

It won't be compulsory Stealth

Well not right across the country anyway because it's unworkable for too many schools.

Not unusual in DCs school to have tinned ravioli with potatoes and veg. Weird. Or tinned spaghetti, meatballs and peas. Wtf not give them ACTUAL spaghetti.

And the puddings vary from cake and pink custard, to jelly and ice cream, to arctic role.