This from Peter Shreeve on behalf of Isle of Wight branch of the National Education Union. Ed
A national poll asked over 1,000 parents in England for their thoughts about free school meals. It was commissioned by the National Education Union and conducted by Deltapoll in the days following the announcement of a General Election.
Commenting, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said,
“This poll shows, parents overwhelmingly recognise the wide-ranging benefits of free school meals. Benefits to their children’s health and education, to their own pockets and to the wider economy. Parents also think that an investment in free school meals for all will pay for itself, as analyses have shown.
“Free School Meals as a positive economic investment is supported by the cost-benefit analysis of universal free school meals carried out by PwC and has been borne out in reality in a longitudinal study of the policy in Sweden.”
He went on to add,
“In Bleak House, Charles Dickens wrote, ‘It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.’
“Our newly elected MPs in July are potentially these great individuals. It is vital they challenge this ‘melancholy truth’. We must invest in the next generation with free school meals for all, so that no child is left behind.
“We see free school meals rolled out in Scotland, Wales and London. It’s time that the rest of England and the Isle of Wight stopped being the ‘poor relation’ on this issue.
Mr Shreeve finished by saying,
“The next government must take note of these latest findings and act.
“That is why the NEU have launched a manifesto stating that to value education, you must vote for education. We need to end child poverty, starting with the removal of the two-child benefit cap and guarantee a free, nutritious school lunch for every pupil.”
