Free school meal
Encyclopedia
A Free School Meal, provided to a child or young person during a school break, is paid for by Government. For a child to qualify for a Free School Meal, their parent or carer must be receiving particular qualifying benefits as stated by Government. A child in receipt of any of these qualifying benefits in their own right is also eligible to receive free school meals.
Free School Meal applications are dealt with in different ways depending on the Local Authority in which the child’s school is located. Some Local Authorities provide a centralised application process, whilst in other authorities, individual schools deal with their parents/carers application. Usually the school caterer is informed of a pupil's eligibility by the school. It is unusual for pupils or their parents to be given physical cash for a meal.
In the past, when applying for a Free School Meal, parents had to present evidence of their qualifying benefit, usually in the form of a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or the Home Office. This was a slow, complex and time consuming paper-based process. In October 2007, the Department for Education launched a pilot of the Free School Meals Eligibility Checking Service (ECS) for Local Authorities. Local Authorities using the ECS can check applicants' eligibility without the need for claimants to submit evidence of qualifying benefits. The ECS checks against data from HMRC, DWP and Home Office to enable Local Authorities to verify a claimant's eligibility. The ECS gives Local Authorities no particular information about a claimant, it simply states whether or not a claimant is eligible. It gives no information regarding the particular type of benefit the claimant is receiving.
The ECS was rolled out to all Local Authorities in March 2008. 162 of the 174 English and Welsh Local Authorities have used the ECS. In September 2009, a ‘web service’ facility was made available on the ECS. This means that Local Authorities can now provide a seamless real-time eligibility checking service, allowing parents to apply online for free school meals in one quick, simple and easy process. Parents and Local Authorities are immediately informed of eligibility and with automated notification to schools, children can be provided with a free school meal as early as the following day. The ECS has helped Local Authorities to streamline their application processes and more importantly has helped over a million children access the benefit in a fast and efficient way.
Before this, the Liberal Government of Britain introduced measures which gave power for local councils to give free meals for children from poor families in 1906. By 1914, over 158,000 children were fed free meals once everyday. However, the number was low in comparison with all the other poor children who needed free meals. In 2004 14.3% of pupils in English schools were eligible for Free School Meals
s, GCSEs and A-levels to determine a school's position in the local and national league tables. If two schools get their children to the same scores, the school with the most children eligible for free school meals is judged to have done a better job, as it has been likely to be teaching children with access to fewer resources and less home encouragement.
have called for school meals to be made free for all pupils to tackle the problems mentioned above. Tests of these free-school-meal-to-all programs have been funded by Share Our Strength
in some school districts in the United States of America.
led a broad campaign with widespread support through many children's and anti-poverty organisations to provide free nutritious meals for all Scottish schoolchildren to tackle the problems of poor diet among Scottish schoolchildren. A bill to this effect was proposed in parliament in 2002 but was defeated. A subsequent Scottish Executive
consultation which found that 96% of respondents were in favour of free school meals. The SNP introduced free school meals for the first three years of primary schooling as a pilot project in 2007.
had intended it to be a non-violent regeneration of Iranian society through economic and social reforms
called White Revolution
, with the ultimate long-term aim of transforming Iran into a global economic and industrial power. The White Revolution consisted of 19 elements that were introduced over a period of 15 years, with the first 6 introduced in 1963 and put to a national referendum on January 26, 1963. In 1975 the Shah started a program for Free and Compulsory Education and a daily free meal for all children from kindergarten to 14 years of age. It provided free milk (1/3 pint) in schools to all children in Iran
as well as pistachios, fresh fruit, and biscuits.
and Gujarat, it has now been expanded to all parts of India after a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of India
on November 28, 2001.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation
runs the world's largest NGO-run midday meal programme programme serving freshly cooked hot meals to over 1.2 million underprivileged children in 8 states in India. Akshaya Patra works with part subsidies from the government and partly by donations from individuals, philanthropists and corporate. Through Akshaya Patra, it takes only $31 to feed 2 children for a whole year.
The scheme involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key objectives of the programme are to protect children from hunger and malnutrition, increasing school enrolment and attendance, improved socialisation among children belonging to all castes, and social empowerment by providing employment for women. Due to the immense cost of catering for so many schoolchildren and the rapid growth of the poor sending their children to school, the government has raised funding for the programme from Rs. 3010 crore to Rs. 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion, $1.2 billion USD) in 2006-2007.
Free School Meal applications are dealt with in different ways depending on the Local Authority in which the child’s school is located. Some Local Authorities provide a centralised application process, whilst in other authorities, individual schools deal with their parents/carers application. Usually the school caterer is informed of a pupil's eligibility by the school. It is unusual for pupils or their parents to be given physical cash for a meal.
In the past, when applying for a Free School Meal, parents had to present evidence of their qualifying benefit, usually in the form of a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or the Home Office. This was a slow, complex and time consuming paper-based process. In October 2007, the Department for Education launched a pilot of the Free School Meals Eligibility Checking Service (ECS) for Local Authorities. Local Authorities using the ECS can check applicants' eligibility without the need for claimants to submit evidence of qualifying benefits. The ECS checks against data from HMRC, DWP and Home Office to enable Local Authorities to verify a claimant's eligibility. The ECS gives Local Authorities no particular information about a claimant, it simply states whether or not a claimant is eligible. It gives no information regarding the particular type of benefit the claimant is receiving.
The ECS was rolled out to all Local Authorities in March 2008. 162 of the 174 English and Welsh Local Authorities have used the ECS. In September 2009, a ‘web service’ facility was made available on the ECS. This means that Local Authorities can now provide a seamless real-time eligibility checking service, allowing parents to apply online for free school meals in one quick, simple and easy process. Parents and Local Authorities are immediately informed of eligibility and with automated notification to schools, children can be provided with a free school meal as early as the following day. The ECS has helped Local Authorities to streamline their application processes and more importantly has helped over a million children access the benefit in a fast and efficient way.
History
The 1944 Education Act made it an entitlement for pupils to receive a free school meal. This entitlement was scaled back in 1949 when a flat charge of 2.5 pence was introduced. Over the next thirty years this flat fee was gradually increased, until in 1980, legislation was introduced to remove the requirement for Local Education Authorities to provide a meal for every pupil. Since that date, authorities have been obliged only to provide a meal to those pupils who are eligible for a free meal.Before this, the Liberal Government of Britain introduced measures which gave power for local councils to give free meals for children from poor families in 1906. By 1914, over 158,000 children were fed free meals once everyday. However, the number was low in comparison with all the other poor children who needed free meals. In 2004 14.3% of pupils in English schools were eligible for Free School Meals
School League Tables
The percentage of children eligible for free school meals in an area is thought to be a fair measure of deprivation. This figure is therefore used in conjunction with the scores children achieve in SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
s, GCSEs and A-levels to determine a school's position in the local and national league tables. If two schools get their children to the same scores, the school with the most children eligible for free school meals is judged to have done a better job, as it has been likely to be teaching children with access to fewer resources and less home encouragement.
Problems
Free school meals can be seen as stigmatising to those pupils involved; studies have shown that many of those entitled to free meals do not take them and it can have a negative effect on those that do. Another problem is that not all those children who could benefit from the scheme qualify for it. Organisations such as the Child Poverty Action GroupChild Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group is a UK charity that works to alleviate poverty and social exclusion.The stated aims of the CPAG are:CPAG programs include:* Research and publish the latest facts and figures of family and child poverty in the UK...
have called for school meals to be made free for all pupils to tackle the problems mentioned above. Tests of these free-school-meal-to-all programs have been funded by Share Our Strength
Share our Strength
Share Our Strength is a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the United States. Share Our Strength holds culinary events, solicits individual donations, and utilizes social media efforts to raise funds which are then used to fund long-term solutions to the hunger problem...
in some school districts in the United States of America.
Scotland
Frances Curran MSPMember of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
led a broad campaign with widespread support through many children's and anti-poverty organisations to provide free nutritious meals for all Scottish schoolchildren to tackle the problems of poor diet among Scottish schoolchildren. A bill to this effect was proposed in parliament in 2002 but was defeated. A subsequent Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
consultation which found that 96% of respondents were in favour of free school meals. The SNP introduced free school meals for the first three years of primary schooling as a pilot project in 2007.
Nordic countries
In both Sweden and Finland, free school meals are offered to all pupils. This practice has been in place since 1948 in Finland, and was introduced to Sweden in 1973.Iran
Shah Mohammad Reza PahlaviMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
had intended it to be a non-violent regeneration of Iranian society through economic and social reforms
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
called White Revolution
White Revolution
The White Revolution was a far-reaching series of reforms in Iran launched in 1963 by the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Mohammad Reza Shah’s reform program was built especially to strengthen those classes that supported the traditional system...
, with the ultimate long-term aim of transforming Iran into a global economic and industrial power. The White Revolution consisted of 19 elements that were introduced over a period of 15 years, with the first 6 introduced in 1963 and put to a national referendum on January 26, 1963. In 1975 the Shah started a program for Free and Compulsory Education and a daily free meal for all children from kindergarten to 14 years of age. It provided free milk (1/3 pint) in schools to all children in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
as well as pistachios, fresh fruit, and biscuits.
India
The Mid-day Meal Scheme is a school meal programme in India. 120 million children are covered under the Mid-day Meal Scheme in India, making it the largest school lunch programme in the world. Originally only in the states of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Gujarat, it has now been expanded to all parts of India after a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
on November 28, 2001.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Akshaya Patra Foundation
Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organization providing hot, nutritious freshly cooked classroom lunches for nearly 1.3 million underprivileged children in India. It is a Non-Governmental Organization in India...
runs the world's largest NGO-run midday meal programme programme serving freshly cooked hot meals to over 1.2 million underprivileged children in 8 states in India. Akshaya Patra works with part subsidies from the government and partly by donations from individuals, philanthropists and corporate. Through Akshaya Patra, it takes only $31 to feed 2 children for a whole year.
The scheme involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key objectives of the programme are to protect children from hunger and malnutrition, increasing school enrolment and attendance, improved socialisation among children belonging to all castes, and social empowerment by providing employment for women. Due to the immense cost of catering for so many schoolchildren and the rapid growth of the poor sending their children to school, the government has raised funding for the programme from Rs. 3010 crore to Rs. 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion, $1.2 billion USD) in 2006-2007.
See also
- FRESH, UNESCOFRESH, UNESCOFRESH is an acronym for Focusing Resources on Effective School Health, an inter-agency framework developed by UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank, launched at the Dakar Education Forum, 2000, which incorporates the experience and expertise of these and other agencies and organizations. It is a...
- Mid-day Meal Scheme
- NutritionNutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
- PovertyPovertyPoverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
- Reduced price mealReduced price mealReduced price meal is a term used in the U.S.A. to describe a federally reimbursable meal served to a child who applies for and qualifies because the family’s income is between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty threshold...
- School Food TrustSchool Food TrustThe School Food Trust is a UK Charity and specialist advisor to government on school meals, children’s food and related skills.-History:The trust was created in 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills , following celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's critique of the nutritional quality of school...
- School meals initiative for healthy childrenSchool meals initiative for healthy childrenThe school meals initiative for healthy children is an initiative undertaken by the United States] Food and Nutrition Service to revise and update the nutrition standards of school meals and bring them into compliance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and to assure that school children...
- Share Our StrengthShare our StrengthShare Our Strength is a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the United States. Share Our Strength holds culinary events, solicits individual donations, and utilizes social media efforts to raise funds which are then used to fund long-term solutions to the hunger problem...