Free School Meals

So today on the 6pm NEWS it has been announced that all children between the ages of 4-7 years old are going to get free school meals in England & Wales.

I've never quite understood how England & Wales have a lot of 'stuff' in common and Scotland has it's own policies on things.  I'm guessing it's something to do with politics and I've never delved any further - but this could be another subject for a rant at a later date!!!!!

Anyway I have a lot to say on the subject of school meals.........................

I was a primary teacher for 14 years in the 1980/90's. 

When I started my career, school lunches were a set price.  I can't actually remember how much this was (though I'm sure if I did a bit of online research I could find out).  Anyway, on a Monday morning the kids brought in their 'dinner money' for the week and the teacher recorded it, in the dinner register and then passed it to the school secretary for banking.

Taking the dinner money to the secretary was a 'responsible job' and added to the rota of things to do - like sharpening pencils or putting straws in the bottles of milk (which were also free at the time).

ACTUALLY - I'm really not sure what to rant about here...........................

Better stick to 'school meals' I guess 'cos that's my title. But keep checking in, because I'm sure I'll have other  'school dinner' related rants at a later date.

Anyway when I first started teaching in 1982, school lunches were fabulous.  The kids got a two course meal every day. There was always a jug of water on the table so that the kids could have a drink with their lunch.  And everyone sat down in a civilised fashion and said 'grace' before their meal.  The tables were set with proper cutlery and lunch was served on proper plates.  And the water in the jug was poured into proper glasses.

The school lunch menu always consisted of meat, potato and veg, followed by a pudding.  Occasionally an egg and cheese flan would appear on the menu but usually a lot of that was left by the kids because it was all a bit alien to them!!!!

In the 1980's no one was vegetarian, or if they were, it wasn't something that they boasted about. And 'school dinners' certainly didn't cater for anyone with 'special dietary requirements'.

Free school meals were set up in the 1940's to provide children whose parents couldn't afford to feed them, with a proper nutritious meal during the day.  Free school meals, along with a free bottle of milk, are probably one of the best things the British Government has ever done.

Unfortunately in the mid 1980's school lunches were privatised.   ...............And everything changed!!

Proper crockery and cutlery were replaced by disposable items.
Water was no longer readily available - kids were encouraged to buy soft drinks in plastic packaging.
There was no longer a set price for a school meal. (Nightmare for infant teachers trying to collect dinner money).

.............And also, this was even more of a nightmare for the kids who got 'free school meals' because all of a sudden their classmates had a lot more money to spend on 'dinner' than they did. 

And in the mid 1980's changes were happening.  No parent wanted their 'free school meal' child to be bullied because they couldn't afford to eat what the other kids were eating.  So all of a sudden it became a 'child's right to only have chips for lunch if that was what they'd chosen.'  Hardly nutritious is it.  And actually, before privatisation I don't ever remember chips being on the menu for school dinners anyway.

As far as I'm concerned, 'school dinners' changed overnight from a 'proper nutritious two course meal', into chicken nuggets, pizza, chips, ice cream & jelly.  And where's the nutrition in that????

No wonder 'Jamie Oliver' is campaigning for better school meals.  Though I suspect he's probably a product of the 1970/80's.

...............As I say - more RANTS to follow.