Labour should extend universal free school meals to all primary school pupils

Over the past 18 months there has been significant progress towards the implementation of universal free school meals. Infants are now entitled to a free hot lunch every day, regardless of their family’s circumstances. However, as we move towards the dissolution of Parliament and the ramping up of the general election campaign, none of the major parties have yet made the case for extending this universal service to all primary school pupils.

The Coalition partners seem happy to simply take the credit for their half-baked scheme whilst senior Labour figures are reluctant to commit to anything more than the status quo, even though Labour-run councils have shown the benefits of universal free school meals. The National Policy Forum finally committed to the continuation of universal free school meals for infants last year, but many children in years 3 to 6 are still left out.

I’m proud to have worked on launching a new GMB campaign which is asking Labour representatives and parliamentary candidates to support the extension of universal free school meals to all primary school pupils, as well as the strengthening of terms and conditions of all school support staff. The two go hand-in-hand: it’s only if support staff are well treated that children get the best out of their schooldays. I owe so much to these unsung heroes, as do millions of others across the country.

Now that I’m firmly in my mid-twenties, I reluctantly admit that my memories of primary school are becoming hazy. Nevertheless, I remember the stigma that I experienced as a result of being a recipient of free school meals. This stigma came from both my classmates and from members of staff, and meant that I probably skipped meals as often as I claimed them. Whether deliberate or not, no child should feel like a second-class citizen because of circumstances beyond their control.

The snide remarks and segregated seating during my early years left their mark. When it came to the more expensive school trips both my primary and secondary schools offered assistance, but I never felt comfortable taking up the offer. As my classmates took part in adventure activities or visited the war graves in Europe, I sat in an empty classroom with little to do – in attendance to keep the council happy, but not gaining any new knowledge or skills.

It obviously isn’t fair to blame this all on free school meals. The stigma I experienced in the school canteen was part of a wider issue with how some pupils from working class backgrounds were treated. Significant progress has been made on this in recent years, but there’s still much further to go in order to eradicate the problem. Our Labour values should drive us to keep working to end all kinds of stigma in Britain’s schools.

Some may doubt that this is a major issue, particularly in an age of austerity. However, hungry children can become disengaged children, and that’s not good for anyone. The Children’s Society estimated in 2012 that 500,000 school children weren’t claiming the free school meals that they were entitled to, and that a further 700,000 children in poverty were not entitled to them at all. That’s 1.2 million children held back because of a flawed system.

In Finland, schoolchildren are guaranteed a balanced meal each and every day. As is often the case in the Nordic states, universalism reigns supreme. The Finnish government rightly sees education as a package which only succeeds when add-ons such as nutritious food, school transport and other welfare services are included free of charge. These services inevitably come at a cost, but they get results: until recently the Finnish education system was regarded as the best in Europe.

Pilot schemes carried out under the last Labour Government and current schemes championed by Labour administrations in Islington and Southwark provide evidence that universal free school meals not only have educational and health benefits, but achieve lower unit costs through bulk buying and efficiencies. The Free School Meals for All campaign, led by Fiona Twycross and Richard Watts, is pressing for Labour to commit to free meals for all primary pupils and trials in secondary schools.

The estimated cost of the policy is estimated at £1 billion. In these austere times it’s hard to find money for any new scheme, but if future governments are serious about tackling poverty and malnutrition then the money must be found. Just last month the Fabian Society issued a stark warning that a lack of government action to help low and middle-income earners could leave another 1.2 million children in poverty by 2030. That’s a price that Britain simply cannot afford.

Daniel Stevens Labour Group Leader in Epsom & Ewell and member of GMB Southern Region’s Political Department.