Glasgow children’s school meal debt will be cleared by the council with plans underway to make sure no pupils are turned away from dinner queues if they can’t pay.
Councillors decided to look at ways to offer free food for pupils in need who aren’t currently eligible today at a council meeting today.
Campaigners from Unite stood outside the city chambers calling for an end to school food debt and demanding universal free meals for all pupils as part of bid to ‘feed the weans.’
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Families’ debt is to be cancelled that is over and above the equivalent of one month's worth of meals, in line with COSLA guidance. The current city-wide school meal debt cost will be funded from council reserves.
Speaking outside the chambers, Unite organiser Scot Walker said: “At a time when families are struggling with a cost of greed crisis, I don’t think it can be overstated how far scrapping school meal debt will go towards helping families.”
Bringing a motion to the council today, SNP councillor Christina Cannon said: “This council continues to do everything in its powers to ease the pressure families are facing.”
The city convener for education, communities & equalities added: “No pupil in our schools will ever be refused a school meal and by agreeing to wipe school meal debt we are giving our families a bit of respite so that they can choose to use the money on other household bills and ease their worries.”
Labour councillor Thomas Rannachan, who seconded the motion, said wages are being stretched, with people deciding what bills to pay first or what bills they simply can’t pay.
He said: “Writing off this debt doesn’t solve all the problems caused by this cost-of-living crisis, but it is a small, meaningful step in the right direction.
“No child should be going to bed hungry, and no-one should be going to bed worrying about paying for meals at school.”
Councillors unanimously agreed on the school meals council motion today with the Scottish Greens and Conservatives also voicing support.
Councillor Blair Anderson, Scottish Greens, said cancelling school meal debt is the “first step” and said he wanted to work with the administration to make sure “no child goes hungry in our schools.”
Conservative councillor John Daly said: “Hungry children are not productive children. Well fed children will attain.”
He added: “I hope we can move towards free school meals as quickly as possible and see the different that will make.”
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