Free School Meals for 5-7 years old - A brave move or just another bribe? [Merged Thread]

[somerset]

Re: At last

Isnt that her point

Anybody 'eating better than the queen'....her comment not mine, would not be in the state school system....would they?

 

[The Large One]

My other half is a school head and she thinks it is a crazy decision. It is not targeting those poor families who need the most help with their children.

Conversely, my other half is a school head and she thinks the decision has merit. It means that every child, irrespective of background (and - as per her experience - class or wealth is no strict determinant of a child's welfare or nutritional consideration) will get access to a decent meal.

 

[BensGrandad]

So much for the thought that families may want to sit down together after work / school and eat a cooked (possibly healthy) meal together as a family and the benefits that may bring, instead you could end up with kids eating a sandwich in front of the tv with no social interaction between family members.

Is that better? - Shouldn't it be a choice of the families rather than a blanket policy paid for by tax payers? If families want their kids to eat a hot meal at school, wouldn't it better to ensure that these meals were healthy for those who choose this option rather than tar everyone with the same brush as 'the only way kids will eat a healthy hot meal is if the state provides it'

Has anybody said they can't still have a meal as a family but if they don't at least the child would have had a hot meal that day

 

[Billy the Fish]

It means that every child, irrespective of background (and - as per her experience - class or wealth is no strict determinant of a child's welfare or nutritional consideration) will get access to a decent meal.

I think this is actually quite important, the more we can shelter kids of that age from class/wealth prejudice the better.
The "I'm subsidising someone else" argument is just a horrible horrible way of looking at things, and it's wrong. We are all subject to the same tax laws so no single person is subsidising another. And before anyone chirps in about the super rich and tax avoidance, their kids a probably educated privately so it's irrelevant.

My views are all still dependant on it being decent healthy food and not cheap shite, and also not screwed up on implementation.

 

[Bakero]

Do they still do custard with a really thick skin on top?

Anyone remember the other strange 'custards'? Brown, Pink and the particularly odd yellowish-green one that tasted of soap.

And the bland ice cream scoops of mashed potato.

Mmmmm. School dinners.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

Clegg has a bit of form for recanting on promises though IIRC

Didn't he also say he would oppose uni tuition fees, then changed his tune?

 

[MissGull]

Anybody 'eating better than the queen'....her comment not mine, would not be in the state school system....would they?

Wouldn't they? There are lots of wealthy families who use the state school system. Plenty.

 

[strings]

Clegg has a bit of form for recanting on promises though IIRC

Didn't he also say he would oppose uni tuition fees, then changed his tune?

Most Lib Dem candidates signed the NUS pledge to oppose any raise in tuition fees during the next Parliament. As it was, the increase in tuition fees only got through because of Lib Dem support.

 

[MissGull]

Christ almighty.....maybe there should be a minimum IQ test level as a pre req to being able to post on nsc....this comment of yours would automatically lead to disqualification.

Why would it?
What about an 'being an absolute knob' test? Cause if so, bye bye to you!

 

[Guinness Boy]

I think this is actually quite important, the more we can shelter kids of that age from class/wealth prejudice the better.
The "I'm subsidising someone else" argument is just a horrible horrible way of looking at things, and it's wrong. We are all subject to the same tax laws so no single person is subsidising another. And before anyone chirps in about the super rich and tax avoidance, their kids a probably educated privately so it's irrelevant.

Well my argument and the stuff I've written about it is all framed within a policy of budget cuts and austerity. Last year we had universal child benefit taken away. Now we have this. It's confused thinking. Free school meals all the way through the system is also a nice ideal but there isn't the money for it. Doing it half arsed is a gimmick.

My views are all still dependant on it being decent healthy food and not cheap shite, and also not screwed up on implementation.

Which it was - both cheap shite and screwed up implementation - at my son's school last year.

 

[BigGully]

Conversely, my other half is a school head and she thinks the decision has merit. It means that every child, irrespective of background (and - as per her experience - class or wealth is no strict determinant of a child's welfare or nutritional consideration) will get access to a decent meal.

Conversly ever so ersly, my other half is a school head and she thinks that generally pupils are catered for either by the school or their parents in accessing a nutritious meal whilst at school, either by their own payment or free school meals.

It needn't be exclusively school meals that provide this, most packed lunches are appropriate and nutritious too.

Irrespective of individual circumstance, my wife's school would challenge any overtly inappropriate lunches and mostly the parents would change their child lunchbox contents.

It shouldn't follow that there needs a blanket and expensive roll out of free school meals for all.

Thankfully very rarely is nutrition or hunger a real problem these days, its a consequence of dysfunctionality of some families, but real hunger should be covered by an abuse procedure anyway.

Its a waste, yet plays upon our most basic instinct to feed, especially children, but nearly everyone is being fed, sometimes too much, perhaps not the correct stuff but generally it isnt the biggest issue facing those small minority of children that experience neglect.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Clegg is an absolute EGG!

He's talked utter shite all week!

 

[fat old seagull]

Clegg is a henious man

That remark is unfair to heniouses and heniouesess, and their children. Unless of course they're between 5 and 7 and living on government issue fruit and veg.

 

[BLOCK F]

What a load of bollocks.
I thought the Libdems were opposed to giving taxpayers money to those who don't need it and wanted to withdraw such benefits as winter heating allowance from 'well-off' pensioners.Now they want to give free school meals to all kids of a certain age regardless of whether or not their parents need the help.
Ridiculous.Why not target any extra money towards those who really need it!

 

[glasfryn]

600m
would be better spent on glasses and backbones for
Paediatricians
Teachers
Social workers
Police officers
and any other twats who turn a blind eye to abuse of children

 

[The Spanish]

You don't need to cook a boiled egg

 

[Govinda Tim]

My immediate that was, sh1t...how are we going to pay for that? It gonna cost for £600m...

But I have to say its a brave move and far better than just a universal tax break. If the nations diet doesn't improve soon the NHS will almost certainly implode, obesity is a time bomb waiting to explode. The challenge is its gonna take a generation to change habits, when I was a school in the 80's it was fried donuts and break and chips with everything at lunchtime (you can thank Mrs.T for outsourcing meals to the lowest bidder for that) - now we're paying the price


Perhaps making food technology mandatory in the school cirriculum should also be considered, there's generation of ready meal addicts that just can't cook a boiled egg..

The start of the bribes.

 

[queens park pete]

Already heard parents at my school complaining about "having to eat school dinners." They are probably ones considering shoving chips through the fence at breaktime a la Jamie's school dinners.
Blimey, it is hardly the hungry thirties if people can complain about free meals!









1

 

[wellquickwoody]

Re: Free School Meals for 5-7 years old - A brave move or just another bribe?

Show me a parent without a smartphone, and I will show you a parent that might need free school meals.

 

[queens park pete]

600m
would be better spent on glasses and backbones for
Paediatricians
Teachers
Social workers
Police officers
and any other twats who turn a blind eye to abuse of children

Work in any of these circles do you? No blind eyes, just very difficult to put enough evidence for justice to get moving!

Daily Mail will be leaping to defend the rights of the family before you can mention disquiet! That poor little boy in Coventry had neighbours who didn't hear torture for nights on end, maybe the great British community needs to look at itself in the mirror!