To think that funding free breakfast clubs is wrong-headed?

[WaahWaahWinston]

Government is to fund free breakfast clubs for all primary school children. This doesn't strike me as the best use of money for schools; I imagine there are better things to spend money on that would be of greater educational benefit to children.

It may help a tiny proportion of families but breakfast is probably the easiest and cheapest meal for families to provide to children. (I doubt breakfast clubs will be providing full English or other cooked breakfasts of the sort that one could argue families are hard-pushed to provide.)

So I don't see the compelling need. Why spend money on this of all things, when there must be other improvements that could be funded which would improve education specifically?

@TickingAlongNicely , yes plus heating the classroom, washing up the crockery, wiping down the tables, asking the caretaker to open up the school earlier etc.

I think it's a great idea, but we probably won't get similar here in NI. I honestly think some of the comments here are pretty typical of people who have never gone hungry or known anyone else who has. Surely it's not that much of a stretch to grasp the concept that many children arrive at school every day with nothing in their stomachs. Nothing. It may or may not be the parents' fault, depending on circumstances, but it's certainly not the children's fault. Making it open to all means there is no stigma attached to those in desperate need. There shouldn't be any stigma, but there invariably is. If your child doesn't need breakfast at school, great👍

Children don't choose to be born into impoverished families. We ALL have a moral responsibility to look after the have not kids.

Is it not (if we take it at face value) working on a misplaced assumption that where children are arriving at school unfed, it's because of the cost of breakfast? Because that's what breakfast club remedies: the cost. And missing the possibility that children are missing breakfast due to the organisation/time factor? In which case, a club starting at 8am will nothing at all to resolve.
The mum giving her child coke and crisps for breakfast didn't do so due to cost: those items are more expensive than a healthy breakfast. She did so due to time.

I know myself even, when my children miss breakfast, it's because we got up late. Certainly not because I can't afford it. We have cupboards full of cereal/porridge/toast. Just no time to eat it that morning. Fortunately we pass a corner shop and I can stuff a flapjack and juice carton in them on the walk.

I think breakfast clubs will, like so many other measures, end up catering to the families who don't need them in the first place. The ones who are organised enough to get in by 8am.

My last post because my blood pressure is not doing well.

Those of you who oppose this I want you to play along with me for a few moments. Imagine your current situation ceased to exist. Your own child(ren) find themselves in poverty, no one is able to adequately provide or care for them, they struggle for food outside of a fsm at school. Is that 63p still the biggest waste of money you can think of? Is it still making you angry? Too many children live this reality. Be angry about that.

I should say, none of that is to say it's not a good idea, where it does feed those who otherwise can't due to cost. Lovely. Fab. I'm just not sure that's who it will largely capture.

I think they should also think about about high school children

Out of interest what is provided for breakfast
If it’s a healthy porridge for all I think it’s a good idea. I’d advocate for one option to avoid food waste ( with something else for kids with allergies )

but if it’s sugary cereals or similar….then no.

I am pro free breakfast clubs for kids if properly executed, supported, and funded. There are too many hungry kids (we're in a somewhat deprived area) and for others, it would be a more gentle transition to the school day. Lots of issues getting the littles in the school gates here.

I say this as someone who wouldn't use them as ds6 has extremely selective eating, and what he actually eats in the morning is variable and needs a level of support he wouldn't get at school. I know, because he often eats nothing at lunch (even though we do packed lunches with his safe foods).

The issues with this current scheme are well established already, no point repeating. As for the motives, who knows.

It depends how it will be used. As a supportive tool to help those who are able to and looking to go back to work/increase hours then yes it's good as there is a severe lack of childcare, at least here. If however it will be used as a blunt instrument to force people into working when their situation really needs them at home (illness, disability, carer etc) then it will be awful. There are many kids with SEND who do not thrive or even cope in childcare (my DS is one of them) and these are the ones who will really suffer if they are forced into inadequate breakfast clubs under threat of their mother's universal credit being cut. I fear we will see more of scenario 2 than 1.

I am. I still don't think the answer is free breakfasts for all at primary school. I think that money could be better targeted at those children who are not being adequately fed by their parents.

Why would you think that?
I have never taken my children out of school in term time.
What a strange thing to say.

@SockFluffInTheBath you seem to be missing the point that it's being offered to ALL primary school children. I will say it again - there are doubtless some who genuinely need this. But it is massively disproportionate and wasteful to offer it to all.

I totally agree. Why dont they just lift the two child benefit cap. I know that wont be of help to those who do only have two kids or one but it would help a lot of families to lift that cap

🙄

People’s circumstances can and do change.

Not just the orphans, what about single parent kids, kids of addicts.
Oh, we will need a bigger crusher then.

Sorry I quoted the wrong post. FrodisCapering was my target.

Exactly what I thought when free nursery hours were rolled out! How do you feel about them?

@Mere1 I'm aware people's circumstances can change.
That's why there's income protection insurance or the option to save.

Children concentrate and learn at higher levels when they are not hungry. Many families can afford to give their children breakfast and do. Many who can may use the clubs because they’re very convenient if parents need to get to work.

The idea that only “poor” children should receive toast or cereal is awful. I remember the free school dinners tables at school. It was humiliating.

My borough has stopped doing them due to budget cuts

Edit

Universal free breakfast and lunch is not as good as free uniform and food vouchers - they could roll out fruit and veg vouchers for parents in need, so many better uses of the money tbh

@Scrubberdubber My point was shy should EVERY Londoner get it for free, imagine someone who's parents earn 100k gets free lunch because they live in London and someone who's parents earn 8k doesn't because they don't live in London. You see why I think it's bullshit?

No not really, what I think is that you don’t understand how the country operates politically.
The universal food policy in London was not a national policy and was paid by the Mayor of London. Any other local authority is free to do the same with their budget if they wanted to. Someone voting for the London Mayor has nothing to do with local policy elsewhere in the country.

I think its a great idea but I also think all children should receive free lunch in primary also. There are many things tax payer money goes to that is pointless, I'd rather money going to all children in those important early years.

I believe this . My best friend's nephew was eligible for free school meals but he and his mother didn't take them because they felt a stigma. But I get there are costs etc to think about. Tricky.