Nearly 14,000 people have signed a petition to persuade the Prime Minister to extend free school meals to all primary school pupils in England.
As the cost of living crisis deepens, Rishi Sunak has been told by campaigners that the Autumn Statement was a "shameful missed opportunity" to ensure no child goes hungry. According to a report in the Mirror online, around 800,000 youngsters living in poverty in England are missing out on a free meal because of strict eligibility rules.
According to the Child Poverty Action Group, under the current system all children in England can get free school meals up to the end of Year 2 but after that they only qualify if their household claims certain benefits. Pupils in Universal Credit families are only eligible if their parents earn less than £7,400 a year from work.
The National Education Union, supported by the Mirror, is campaigning for all primary age children to receive free lunches in an effort to put a stop to child hunger and boost their chances in later life.
Teachers have been claiming that pupils are turning up to class tired and hungry and that staff often dip into their own pockets to ensure everyone has something to eat. A survey for the Sutton Trust found more than half of state schools in England reported a rise in the number of children whose parents could not afford to pay for a lunch but did not qualify for the benefit.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, told the Mirror: “In the run-up to Christmas, schools will be doing their best to inspire some festive cheer in the classroom, but with hundreds of thousands of children missing out on the lifeline that is free school meals this is an ever more challenging job. No child should be in school feeling too hungry to learn.
"The recent Budget announcement was a shameful missed opportunity for Government to actively tackle the impact of growing poverty and the cost of living crisis on our young people – it’s not too late for them to change their minds.”
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Natasha Ives, campaign manager for a lobbying organisation called 38 Degrees, said: “With more and more parents struggling to afford food, it’s more vital than ever that every single child is guaranteed a meal at school, to make sure they all have the best possible chance to learn.
"The 38 Degrees movement has already been fighting tirelessly to expand free school meals to all families on Universal Credit — including this week handing the Government the names of nearly 100,000 people demanding action to feed almost a million children who are currently missing out.
“With this even bolder petition, we can add yet more voices to a powerful movement sending Rishi Sunak a message he simply can’t ignore.”
The petition can be found here.
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