By Chibueze Oyo
Charities and primary schools teachers have applauded London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s move to make school meals free for all primary school pupils.
Sara McDavies, assistant English teacher at Sacred Heart in Islington, has hailed the move to be “essential to the development of children in primary school”.
“Working on the frontline in schools you witness first hand how much the meals make such a difference. In some extreme cases I’ve seen children in tears worried if they will be able to afford lunch, so I couldn’t be more pleased with the announcement of the scheme,” she said.
“It’s not rocket science; children who are able to have a hot healthy meal everyday can boost their development drastically. You see kids more focused, excited and willing to learn simply because they’ve had access to a hot healthy meal.”
Mayor Kahn announced last week his £130m scheme to ensure every primary school pupil receives free school meals for the next academic year.
City Hall estimates the scheme, which will commence from the next academic year in September, will support 270,000 primary school children, which in turn will save families additional costs of more than £440 per child across the course of the year.
Long-time advocate
Mayor Kahn, having himself received free school meals as a child, has always been an advocate of the programme, describing it as a “lifeline” to families. He repeatedly called on the government to make free school meals more widely available.
“The difference free school meals can make to children who are at risk of going hungry – and to families who are struggling to make ends meet – is truly game-changing,” he said when he announced the move
Currently in order for families to receive the scheme a household on universal credit must earn less than £7,400 a year, regardless of the amount of people in the household meaning currently, many working families battling the cost of living crisis aren’t entitled to free school meals.
Zadira Michaels, 35, single mother from Croydon, has also hailed Khan for bringing in the initiative, referring to it as an “important measure” to bring small balance to the current crisis.
Michaels, whose children attend St. Francesca Cabrini School in South London, said her children do not currently qualify for school meals as she didn’t earn less than the threshold demands – but now they do.
“The new scheme feels like a breath of fresh air. The costs of essential nutritional items is flying through the roof and basic items like fruit and vegetables have reached eye-watering prices, so im convinced they are only going to get worse as the year goes on,” she said.
“This initiative couldn’t have come in at a better time. I’ve spoken to other parents and single mums like myself and it’s clear that I’m not the only one who has been pleading for some sort of school or government intervention so I’m glad it’s finally come.”
Government figures show that approximately four million children in the UK are growing up in poverty, with almost 1.9 million of those children are currently receiving free school. City Hall estimates that the average cost for a hot meal per child to be between £2 to £3.
Article 2 of Protocol 1 of the UK Human Rights Act protects children’s right to an effective education, with some local authorities in the UK already guaranteeing a free school meal for all primary school children in their area.
The London Borough of Islington currently adopted this approach with all primary schools in the borough benefiting from this.
On the 9th March participating schools will be celebrating the 11th International School Meals Day. Since its launch in 2013 schools and health professionals have been educating kids on the importance of a healthy eating habits, why hot school meals are essential and the impact a nutritional meal has on your education.