Nearly 300,000 London kids to get free school meals in boost to hard-up families
Up to 287,000 seven to 11-year-olds in London can get a free school meal after Sadiq Khan stepped in to ensure no child goes hungry.
The Labour Mayor of London, who received free school meals as a child, has expanded the provision of free lunches to all pupils in state-funded primaries in the capital in a boost to cash-strapped families. Thanks to £130million in emergency funding, every London primary pupil will receive a hot, nutritious meal this year, in a move that will save families up to £440-a-year per child, according to City Hall.
The Mirror has been campaigning for free school meals for all primary kids, which has been backed by teaching unions, charities and top chefs. Under the current rules, children can get free school meals until the end of Year 2 under existing rules but older kids only qualify if their parents receive certain benefits. An estimated 800,000 children living in poverty in England miss out on free school meals because of the strict eligibility criteria.
Writing for the Mirror, Mr Khan said free school meals were vital for his family but he remembered the "embarrassment" of being singled out from his classmates. "School meals for all will not only improve children’s health and ability to learn but also remove any social stigma," he said. "At a time when food prices, hunger and poverty are all on the rise, this emergency intervention will help ease the burden."
Five councils in London have already been funding universal free school meals, and will receive the cash to use for supporting hard-up families. Tower Hamlets Council became the first local authority in England to start rolling out universal free dinners in secondary schools this term.
Free school meals for all primary kids in London, says capital Mayor Sadiq Khan
Teachers argue that hungry children are more disruptive in class and less able to concentrate, meaning they are more likely to fall behind. Campaigners hailed the move as a "historic moment" and urged the Government to get on board.
Top chef Jamie Oliver said: “Nourishing our kids with nutritious and delicious food at lunch time is an investment in their future, boosts our economy and sets them up for a healthier and more productive life. Sadiq Khan has recognised this by giving all primary school children a free school meal and now we need politicians across all parties to put child health above politics and act now.”
Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign Manager at Sustain, said: “This is a truly historic moment for London. It’s brilliant that every primary school child in a London state school is now on an equal footing at lunchtime, with healthy, hot meals available to all, regardless of background or family income and means testing. This is how it should be, not just in London but across the whole of our education system – good nutritious meals are the building blocks of better energy levels and concentration, improved educational outcomes and a healthier future for children."
Lynn Perry, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, said: “More than 800,000 children are currently living in poverty in England but do not qualify for free school meals. Yet we know from our frontline work that growing up in poverty means children are at risk of being cold and hungry; they miss out on opportunities; and their physical and mental health suffers - all of which can affect them long into adulthood."
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