To ask if free school meals should be abolished?

[SphJC]

As above^

I have my own opinion on this but keen to hear others before I share my own.

No.
I feel in this day and age there shouldn’t be a need as people shouldn’t be living in poverty to necessitate them. But there is a need and people are living in poverty, so they’re needed.

Honestly I’d like to see the free school meals threshold raised. I think it’d help those on the threshold considerably.

@bp300 that's the thing about taxes though, I'm sure everyone could find something they wish they didn't pay for or found to be a waste of money. Its easy to look at it in a negative.

However, who knows - maybe having FSM will help one child enough that it's the difference between doing OK or brilliantly at school. It may be giving the energy they need to ace that science test, and they will go on to do something brilliant - like find a vaccine for another horrid disease. If we don't give children the chance, regardless of why they're from poorer backgrounds, how can we help them break away from their poverty and pay back what a kind society gave them?

Easy access to Birth control, education- let people know what are their options including the cost to raise children. Giving them choice how they want to control their own body is the to preventing pregnancy

I would like to say teach them about the environmental and society effect of high population but I am too scared it would just create a new hate culture toward people who like having a big family or whatever their reasons are. I am seeing it already.

No absolutely not. It may be the only healthy meal a child gets or the only meal a child gets in some cases.

Absolutely not! I think school meals should be free for ALL pupils.

@Alexandernevermind

I'm fascinated why you think its okay for children to sit at school hungry op.

I'm fascinated by how many people don't bother to read a post before sounding off, but hey.

No but I bet the op knew exactly what she was gonna get when she started this thread 🙄

FSM should be removed after foundation year for those that don’t need it (the first free Year encourages families to try school meals). We got FSM when my son was in F, Year 1 and 2 - absolutely ridiculous!
I think it should be extended to more people on a low income though rather than the narrow criteria currently.

[quote BrumBoo]@bp300 that's the thing about taxes though, I'm sure everyone could find something they wish they didn't pay for or found to be a waste of money. Its easy to look at it in a negative.

However, who knows - maybe having FSM will help one child enough that it's the difference between doing OK or brilliantly at school. It may be giving the energy they need to ace that science test, and they will go on to do something brilliant - like find a vaccine for another horrid disease. If we don't give children the chance, regardless of why they're from poorer backgrounds, how can we help them break away from their poverty and pay back what a kind society gave them?[/quote]
I will use Rashford as as example. Single mother has 5 kids. I come from a familly where everyone has paid their own way but not one of them has ever even considered 5 children. When one of them has actually gone on to do well for himself there is zero gratitude and he complains that the government isn't giving people enough despite running an enormous defecit. He then expects the government to pay out multiple times what he is paying in taxes.

School meals should be free for all in primary school, and we need a better system than the current Pupil Premium for those children whose parents can’t afford trips etc, it’s shouldn’t be linked to FSMs. And I’d like to see free lunch clubs available to all children throughout the holidays, and get rid of the wasteful voucher system that’s happened since the pandemic.

I think school meals should be free for all children and just a part of schooling.

I absolutely agree that school meals should be free for everyone.

Absolutely not. We should not let children be hungry

No. I know first hand that so many kids rely on these meals. I do think the quality needs to be improved though. The food boxes we saw recently were awful but in general school meals from chartwells are terrible too.

Absolutely no way should FSM be abolished. I think this past year alone just really highlighted just how vital they are to those who are entitled to them. I am shocked and disgusted that anyone would resent any child receiving a meal.

I will add that there needs to be a way to stop wastage. My aunt works in a secondary school kitchen and many are wasted as the kids go to the local chip shop or Tesco. Also happens at Ramadan. The kitchen have to cater but then some kids don't take the food as they are fasting

How do you provide meals fir everyone though?

I mean one school round here had the provider drop out when the FSM fir KS1 came into play. They couldn't cope with demand.

We would need to he careful that feeding everyone didn't cause those who realky needed it to end up with less, or worse quality food , or wait longer, or be rushed and not have time to finish it or be left with scraps and have a meal consisting of rice sweetcorn and a bread roll

No as for some children that will be their only hot meal of the day. I wouldn't begrudge any child a free meal.

I will use Rashford as as example. Single mother has 5 kids. I come from a familly where everyone has paid their own way but not one of them has ever even considered 5 children. When one of them has actually gone on to do well for himself there is zero gratitude and he complains that the government isn't giving people enough despite running an enormous defecit. He then expects the government to pay out multiple times what he is paying in taxes.

That's a terrible example. If anything it proves he has the capacity to understand that there are reasons why some families are poorer and that he as a rich celeb can use his voice to help the children in these circumstances, so they have the chance to make something of themselves like he did.

He isn't wrong, the government is failing individual families on a huge level - not just the very poorest but often families who are on what would have been considered a very liveable income for the typical 2 adults/2 children family up to 15-20 years ago.

Actually it's not always easy to say just get insurance. Our family income was reduced to next to nothing due to a parent becoming severely disabled due to illness which came out of nowhere and not able to work and the other having to leave work to be a career. I have life insurance but can't get insurance to cover the condition my parent had and my DD probably won't either.

It's all fine and well to say that's what insurance is for, but there are many circumstances where life insurance/home insurance/various situations that can be financially crippling, dont pay out. Nothing is that black and white and children dont deserve to be carted off to foster care or to go hungry because of that

I’m open to them being abolished. It seems ridiculous that low income people must apply separately for free school meals and in so doing send all their private financial information to the school for school staff to “know” and wink and nudge each other about. I think children on free school meals do get discriminated against- look at the statistics they are least likely to leave with good grades or go to university. Part of this must be the school culture and how they are treated.

I think the Government should simply increase benefits enough so that the parents can pay for a packed lunch and/or a school breakfast and lunch. It will mean their financial situation is kept private from the school...as it should be. And their children can stop feeling second class because every other child and teacher will know they are on free school meals.

I was one of those children that had FSM (in the 80’s). Nothing changed financially for my parents between me being born, as the youngest of 2 NT children, and my going to school.

Are some posters really saying my sibling and I should not have got those meals because of our parents’ choices? Wow.

@BrumBoo

I will use Rashford as as example. Single mother has 5 kids. I come from a familly where everyone has paid their own way but not one of them has ever even considered 5 children. When one of them has actually gone on to do well for himself there is zero gratitude and he complains that the government isn't giving people enough despite running an enormous defecit. He then expects the government to pay out multiple times what he is paying in taxes.

That's a terrible example. If anything it proves he has the capacity to understand that there are reasons why some families are poorer and that he as a rich celeb can use his voice to help the children in these circumstances, so they have the chance to make something of themselves like he did.

He isn't wrong, the government is failing individual families on a huge level - not just the very poorest but often families who are on what would have been considered a very liveable income for the typical 2 adults/2 children family up to 15-20 years ago.

I don't even know wealthy families with 5 children. Of course you're going to be poor if you have 5 children and, a low income.