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3rd May, 2002
PRESS RELEASE
Scottish School Board Association supports the general principle of free school meals for Scottish children.
In a response to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee that followed its own consultation with teachers, parents and pupils, the SSBA is supportive of the School Meals (Scotland) Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament.
1,593 responses were received from staff, parents and pupils from throughout Scotland. Responses were as follows:
| "Are you supportive of the general principle of a free school meal for every child in Scottish schools?" | Yes |
No |
| STAFF (528 RETURNS) | 249 |
279 |
| PUPILS (555 RETURNS) | 423 |
132 |
| PARENTS (510 RETURNS) | 366 |
144 |
| TOTAL (1,593 RETURNS) | 1,038 |
555 |
Food poverty exists in Scotland due to lack of income, access (or lack of it) to decent food, nutritional education, socialization of families and information. We are told by recent reports that we have the highest rates of child poverty, the worst diet and the highest rates of diet related illnesses in Europe.
Scottish Executive figures show that over 144,000 Scottish school students are recorded as entitled to free school meals. An example of how this breaks down is as follows:
Free school meals in primary schools 21% - in secondary schools 17% = overall 19%
Compare this average with Glasgow at 41% and Aberdeenshire at only 7%.
Recent research with children themselves highlighted some of the reasons why children don’t take up their free meal entitlement:
Ann Hill, Chief Executive of SSBA said "Universal free schools meals would be one way of removing the stigma in one fell swoop. Children would no longer feel part of a two-tier system where those whose families struggle to clothe them adequately, to keep decent shoes on their feet, and to do everything possible to ensure that they are not singled out for being poor, find that when they go to the school dinner hall that is exactly what happens.
Children would no longer do without their school meal in order to avoid the stigma. Instead a school dinner would be seen as a normal integral part of the day for everyone."
