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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think free school dinners is a waste of money

135 replies

Iwannalaylikethisforever · 03/02/2014 18:45

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.

OP posts:

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 06:55

What happens to those who have allergies that the school dinner cannot provide for? Are they going to be on their own with nobody else to sit with?

Mumof3xx · 04/02/2014 06:56

Personally I have two dc who will qualify for this

But I would still send a packed lunch a couple of times a week

We get a copy of the menu each term and there are a few days my dc would not eat either choice

TheGreatHunt · 04/02/2014 06:58

Money spent on X means there is not money for Y. It really is as simple as that

No it isn't.

Money spent on x reduces the need to spend money on y in many instances. Eg improve the health of the population can make savings on the NHS. Improve the chances of disadvantaged children means they're less likely to cause trouble (and result in spending on police/probation etc).

The world and government spending is not and never will be simple. Which is why so many governments get it wrong because they have to balance populist opinion with what is actually more effective and usually end up going for the populist route.

Mumof3xx · 04/02/2014 06:58

I would however not be willing to pay for full time school meals in ks2 if my dc won't eat the food!

With three children £10 a week each is a lot! Especially if they won't eat it. And it would be £10 now god knows how much in a few years

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 07:02

I would qualify for FSM for DS3 under current criteria, but I'll not be able to take them up, because a) I can't guarantee there will be no risk if cross contamination, and b) there's no way and school meal service will be able to provide a balanced meal for a DC with ten life threatening food allergies. Now I'm concerned that this will leave him without anyone to sit with - will he still be allowed to eat in the school hall if he's one if just a handful who are given packed lunches?

Nerfmother · 04/02/2014 07:06

Mintyy - thanks. Was bit confused, they must be doing it early. Wish ours would, ds has just discovered them!
Sadly only one ds will qualify in September and he wont go near them!

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 07:10

How can they BAN packed lunches?! There is HONESTLY no way they would be able to balance my DS3's diet - I have to do that in conjunction with a paediatric allergy specialist dietician, I highly doubt they would be able to cater for a diet absolutely free of dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, other legumes, pineapple, kiwi and papaya, and STILL be able to healthily balance the amount of protein and essential fats in his diet.

Apart from the fresh fruit salad DS3 has daily, I'm sure that his lunchbox doesn't look healthy, if you apply Change4Life's frankly bollocks criteria to it - but it's healthy for HIM.

DS3's food has to be balanced over the whole day, not over each meal IYSWIM.

If they BAN packed lunches, then I can't see a way that DS3 would actually be able to attend school...

Fayrazzled · 04/02/2014 07:17

I've seen first hand recently the terrible effects that spending cuts are having in areas such as rehabilitation and care at home services for the elderly. So many elderly and vulnerable papeople are going without the proper, dignified care they need because there isn't enough money in the pot.

No way can I support a free school meal for the many, may
children whose parents can afford to feed them (myself included) when there is such need in other (less headline worthy) parts of the system.

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 07:24

Fairienuff, considering the last primary school I was at was unable to cater for a DC who was coeliac on FSM's, and they had their own kitchen, I highly doubt that the new school will be able to buy in a meal that is healthy, balanced, and also caters for DS3's multiple allergies safely, when they buy in their food and hold it in cabinets.

marmitecat · 04/02/2014 07:27

Our school meals are good. A year ago we didn't have them, just pack lunches. The children like them and the teachers say concentration in the afternoon is better.

Plenty of kids in the UK get sent in to school with dairylea dunkers, crisps, biscuits, fruit winders. Nutritionally balanced meals will do a great deal of good.

Sirzy · 04/02/2014 07:41

I would much rather see the money be used to make it so a wider proportion of children were eligible for free school meals for their whole education (or whenever in that time it was needed) than providing children who don't need it with one for a short period of time.

DS starts school in September and having looked at the example menus won't be having the school dinners because he is a fussy thing when it comes to the quality of his food and there wasn't much on those menus he would happily eat. I would rather send him with a packed lunch I know he will eat than risk him being hungry all afternoon.

Fairenuff · 04/02/2014 08:32

We don't have a kitchen at our school so we have a few months to build one!

Don't rush out and build a kitchen just yet, you do not have to provide a hot meal. Our school doesn't have a kitchen either and we would have had to buy in hot 'meal on wheels' type lunches if this went ahead. Thankfully, so many are in the same boat that the government has decided packed lunches will suffice.

There will no doubt be medical exceptions if they can be supported by a paediatrician which, in your case Couthy, they would be.

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/02/2014 08:42

My dds school doesn't have a kitchen either. It's all brought in.

It's also unreliable there have been several issues with the suppliers kitchen being closed for whatever reason.

TheGreatHunt · 04/02/2014 09:10

There's no packed lunch ban.

Retropear · 04/02/2014 10:10

We are we funding flaccid sandwiches?

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 11:59

Yes, Fairenuff - but how much would it set him apart from the other pupils if he is made to eat in a classroom alone, for example, if he is not taking up the 'option' (that isn't an option for him) of hot dinners?

We are currently working on social eating skills at preschool, in preparation for Reception. What's the point if no other DC's are going to be eating a packed lunch?!

CouthyMow · 04/02/2014 12:04

If the schools DO ban packed lunches, I feel that this will be VERY divisive for those that have allergies, as those with packed lunches for medical reasons will no doubt HAVE to eat elsewhere, as otherwise some of the other young children will get upset at being made to have school dinners rather than being allowed to bring in a packed lunch.

How will that affect those who are effectively separated from their peers at lunchtime simply by dint of having medical requirements surrounding food?!

It's a ridiculous thought, and really IS using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Why can the schools not take it up with individual parents not providing a balanced, healthy lunch, rather than adversely affecting the DC's of those parents who ARE providing a healthy balanced lunch?

(And by healthy and balanced, I DON'T mean the bollocks that Change4Life continually spout, that doesn't allow for the fact that a healthy child's dietary requirements are different to an obese adult's dietary requirements...)

Chattymummyhere · 04/02/2014 12:05

We have a kitchen at our school and 98% is made and prepared on site, it tells you on the menu what is not, the school dinner are lovely. We will be able to get free school dinners from September and we will use them as our child is adverse to trying new things with us but will happily at school. Infact at our school they have had the same cook for over 25years and the old students still rave about her cooking.

givemeaclue · 04/02/2014 12:08

Calm down. It is optional, we already had the form at our school

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/02/2014 12:09

It seems all the ones "for" this are ones who have kids at schools that have good quality food.

There is no consideration for anyone else who may not be so lucky.

I have one question- are people really not worried about how this will affect quality? That companies who can supply schools with so much more meat etc and at a price that's affordable will not be providing the standard you currently have? That all the "good work" you think school dinners have done with your fussy eaters, is about to be I done??

Ok more than one question but you get the idea

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/02/2014 12:12

Undone.

goldenlula · 04/02/2014 12:13

If the schools are not being given extra money to fund it (as said up thread somewhere) then the money has to come from somewhere else, which means less money for books, equipment etc so I still do not think it to be a great idea. I am, however, pleased to see that many are saying it isn't compulsary as I know ds2 will want to choose when he has school dinners, as he does now. He isn't a fussy eater but will often refuse to have things at school that he happily eats at home as he doesn't like the school version.

Custardo · 04/02/2014 12:18

why free for every child - surely that is the central point.

in a time of austerity, you can earn £10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 quid and your kid gets free school meals

Retropear · 04/02/2014 12:47

Oh and re the ones banging on how great their dinners are.Are you 100% sure they are and that your dc are actually eating them?

Our school has some poxy food award with a very impressive menu however the children have a choice so do not try new things,they run out so the menu doesn't hold true,they can't force them to actually eat it and when you actually scratch between the surface and analyse what is actually in the food behind the fancy titles there is very bland,white carb heavy,sugar loaded food with little veg or protein.

And what Custardo said.In the age of austerity why are well off families being given free food? It is just as wasteful as Tescos chucking away misshapen apples.

givemeaclue · 04/02/2014 13:27

It is not funded by schools, it is funded by central govt. they just allocated 150million extra to upgrade kitchens as well as the original budget. I wish people would check facts before posting.

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