The proposal will help families with a household income below £16,190 and will be rolled out in two parts with half being provided by September of next year. The scheme will ultimately benefit 500,000 children and will cost the government in the region of £140m.
In Scotland, all children in the first three years of primary school will be entitled to free meals from August 2010. A similar pilot programme in England to provide free school meals will be extended so that there is one in every region.
In the 2009 school census in England, 656,500 children in nursery and primary education qualified for free meals and 439,000 in secondary schools.
The government’s plans were welcomed by the National Union of Teachers. Christine Blower, general secretary said, “We welcome the fact that Government is putting their money where their mouth is in continuing to tackle the pressing issue of child poverty with practical measures. The extension of the free school meals programme recognises the problems facing low income families.”
Beverley Baker, the chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, told the Telegraph newspaper, “This is fantastic. We always have said that the current entitlement for free school meals does not benefit everyone who is defined as being in poverty. This is wonderful and helps us with fighting the obesity epidemic.”
What better time, therefore, for schools to invest in new catering equipment, which will increase efficiency within their kitchens? Education Today has spoken to a number of leading catering suppliers to bring you some of the latest products and services.
