Free School Meals

Thats the point that the Government is trying to make (least i think it is)

Its a sad fact that many children are sent to school with inadequate food provisions, so the free meals for all scheme was dreamt up.

As a responsible parent, my youngest (now 13) takes sandwiches but he gets a home cooked meal in the evening either at his mums house or mine - but there are many kids out there that will not get a hot meal tonight for many reasons, hence the school dinners are vital!

Agree completely and also hear what Clives saying, some kids would otherwise go without a hot meal due to irresponsible parents, or poverty.

My beef is the fact it's another scheme (like the former healthy eating bonus for pregnant women) that isn't means tested, so becomes another massively expensive benefit the country has to shoulder, which after recent years was what I thought got us into this financial mess in the first place.

I've read other counter arguments that is more expensive to set up the wheels of bureaucracy to enable means testing, in other words it would cost more and goes to fewer people. I'm not convinced with that argument, and sure in this technological database world we live in, there is an efficient way of doing it!

As Kempres says, in the old days entitled kids got a meal ticket.

If a family is genuinely on benefits for whatever reason, then issue them with school dinner vouchers for their kids and a Supermarket voucher for the family shop, which can only be exchanged for fresh produce, not ready meals snacks or alcohol 

Long time no see Pamela, great to have you back 

I've just found this post and had to contribute. My child qualifys a for school meals and it works out great as my other child is at preschool and so has a cooked dinner too, however the menu and choices are not the healthiest, there's a stodgy pudding every day and whilst I remember this from my school days and loved it I don't think it promotes healthy eating. It's my child's choice and of course they  are going to choose the stodgy pudding! I wish there were healthy options and they couldn't choose stodgy. 

Think there always has to be an element of unhealthy food, children should be able to have bad food as long as they burn it off with a bit of exercise later in the evening - thats where the parent needs to push them outside for some air.

Also you have to think about what happens if a school are importing the meal against cooking it onsite - not all food products will taste as nice if kept hot for over an hour.