Free School Meals - What price on bad PR?

[GhostofTarbera]

There could be a good reality TV show where all the folk who want to show how they can make a nutritious meal for 25p get together and cook their dishes in a shipping container that we drop onto the floor of the Atlantic Ocean at its very deepest point


Frankie Bolye


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

[GhostofTarbera]

Check out


#ToryFoodTips on twitter

Best laugh in a while


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

[vetran]

I did not say that there are not poor decisions being made by parents – there are, of course. For many reasons.

My point – badly made– is that we could as a country help these children, and children of parents in crappy situations who are making the best decisions they can –by providing food. Simple as that – not money as stated above, but the same sort of food they get in term time. That food isn’t great, but it is better than nothing. The argument that benefits should cover this doesn’t really add up, since it is obvious this isn’t the case given the stats on child poverty in this country.

I agree we should work to solve child poverty but I had an interesting conversation with one of my wife's customers who is trying to supply food to those in trouble, he asks for some sort of proof of need and strangely its not forthcoming. This is a good man trying to help but its not his fault.

The situation is indeed complex but poverty in the UK isn't exactly the same as other less developed counties.

I would love to fix poverty but hey its not going to be fixed when we talk tulipe about it.

[caffeine man]

Leeds MP states why he voted against free school meals.

He said: "This Conservative Government has increased the basic Universal Credit payment by over £1,100 to assist low-paid families throughout the pandemic.


"Labour’s motion was to give £90 worth of food vouchers to be administered by schools who are already under pressure. I believe families are best supported by giving more money through the welfare system instead of adding additional administrative burden to schools."

Leeds MP explains why he voted against free school meals for children - Leeds Live

Seems fair. The free school meals saga looks like cheap political point scoring by Labour to me, not to mention Tory haters spreading the hate on twitter.

[Zigenare]

If there are genuinely needy families that require help then they should receive targeted help - a scattergun approach won't help anyone.

[NotAllThere]

School dinners were introduced to the UK in 1906 by the Liberals. The rationale was partly that children will learn better if they're not hungry, and recognising that having children go hungry because their parents are utterly feckless is probably a little harsh. Free school meals started being phased out after WW2 as they were targeted for the poor. It's a bit patronising, but it does ensure that at least some of the money spent on the poor is used for a useful purpose.

Many schools already provide breakfast and spare clothes to deal with children turning up hungry or with damp school uniforms (due to them only having one and it hadn't dried in time).

Extending the idea of at least one healthy meal a day to outside term time seems to me a far better use of money than simply giving money to parents and hoping that all of them will do the right thing. It's not about rewarding bad parenting - it's about not punishing kids for the sins of the parents. Spending money on this will come out of the same budget as benefits, so benefits won't rise as much as they might have done over the years, if this is implemented.

[Zigenare]

School dinners were introduced to the UK in 1906 by the Liberals. The rationale was partly that children will learn better if they're not hungry, and recognising that having children go hungry because their parents are utterly feckless is probably a little harsh. Free school meals started being phased out after WW2 as they were targeted for the poor. It's a bit patronising, but it does ensure that at least some of the money spent on the poor is used for a useful purpose.

Many schools already provide breakfast and spare clothes to deal with children turning up hungry or with damp school uniforms (due to them only having one and it hadn't dried in time).

Extending the idea of at least one healthy meal a day to outside term time seems to me a far better use of money than simply giving money to parents and hoping that all of them will do the right thing. It's not about rewarding bad parenting - it's about not punishing kids for the sins of the parents. Spending money on this will come out of the same budget as benefits, so benefits won't rise as much as they might have done over the years, if this is implemented.

So the benefits paid directly to the families concerned can be reduced? Great!

[SueEllen]

So the benefits paid directly to the families concerned can be reduced? Great!

No they will stay the same they just won't increase. People need to pay their energy and water bills.

[Old Greg]

So the benefits paid directly to the families concerned can be reduced? Great!

They should be funded by squeezing dodgy loan contractors with penalties and interest.

[Gibbon]

Couldn't the government fund for schools to provide the eligible kids with a 'holiday' pack of those no fridge microwave ready meals. Such as
Parsley Box - Homepage

No need for vouchers or much admin, kids could even chose their one meal a day. Or maybe something like the compo rations in the forces (in fact I wonder how many get thrown away after best before date?)