Feed the kids and they will be hungry to learn.. there is no excuse
Call for action as research shows the benefits of free school meals
Universal free meals for secondary school children can and should go ahead after public health experts found it would improve health and eliminate stigma around food poverty.
In a major boost to a Sunday Mail campaign, a groundbreaking pilot project found the scheme would reduce widespread hunger among pupils as opposed to means-tested systems.
Bristol University researchers worked with two London secondary schools and the free meals were found to offer massive benef its, with the potential to improve pupils’ concentration and health while doing away with administrative bureaucracy.
Scottish ministers promised to launch a pilot for secondaries but have yet to deliver. The lack of progress comes despite dire warnings that thousands of chi ld ren a re going hungr y in schools.
STUC general secretary Roz Fo y e r said: “This is a pivotal moment in our col lective campa ign to feed the hungry schoolchildren of Scotland. There can be no more excuses from the Scottish Government and hiding behind processes or logistics won’t cut it any longer.
“The evidence is abundant ly clear – universal free school meals are affordable and address the avoidable scourge of food insecurity.
“This is the time for the new first minister to lay down a clear marker. Within their first 100 days, they must commit to ensuring no child goes hungry on their watch, showing leadership and a real political desire to step up for our kids. They deserve nothing less.”
The pilot project found that free provision was deliverable regardless of a school’s size or catering facilities if staggered lunch breaks were introduced.
Our campaign has attracted the support of teachers and education experts as well as Scotland captain and Liverpool star Andy Robertson, who funds measures to fight poverty.
We joined forces with the STUC to demand that the Scottish Government introduces free meals for all pupils as a means of tackling child poverty, which is being turbocharged by the cost-of-living crisis. Dr Judi Kidger, senior lecturer in public health at Bristol University, said: “We collected data from 404 pupils in both pilot schools and two comparison schools. We also inter v iewed parents, carers and staff at all the schools. “More than a quarter of the pupils who took part in our study were experiencing food insecurity and this is likely to be an underestimate. School staff, catering staff, parents, carers and pupils all described a range of benefits of free meals in the schools where they were provided.
“They were found to be effective in preventing hunger, improving the quality of food that pupils ate, increasing concentration and good behaviour during lessons and reducing the stigma and shame experienced by young people who claimed free school meals under the targeted system. It was also found to reduce stress and financial worry experienced by parents and enhance the social benefits of eating together.
“A few staff and parents noted that families who do not need the help would benefit but they felt this was a price worth paying to ensure that all pupils had enough to eat while they were at school.
“Delivering free school meals to all pupils was seen as feasible – school staff generally found it was as easy or even easier to administer than the previous targeted system.
“Pupils did not feel queueing time had become longer.”
STUC women’s committee chair Andrea Bradley said: “This study should serve as a useful way-pointer to the Scottish Government on the road towards expanding free school meals to all school pupils.
“The welcome, albeit now stalled, move to roll out universal free school meals provision to primary school chi ldren is a step in the right direction. But hunger and stigma don’t end at Primary 7. Arguably povertyrelated stigma is even more acute for secondary students.
“If the new first minister is serious about ending poverty in Scotland, ensuring that no child or young person of any age suffers the completely preventable pangs of hunger in the classroom or the humiliation of collecting a meanstested meal in the school cafeteria, then this is a sure way to do it.”
All of the SNP candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as FM have signalled their support for universal free school meals.
Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan have said it is something they would consider if they win the keys to Bute House.
However, the Scottish Government has so far failed to even fulfil its commitment to deliver free meals to all primary school pupils, with only P1-5 provided for.
Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: “The progress on this is far too slow and the Scottish Government is in danger of being shown up by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is rolling out the policy to all primaries.
“It is becoming clearer every day that this measure is absolutely essential to the welfare of children across the country both at primary and secondary schools.”